Adventure Magazine Cover — page 139: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Men of the Night on more heat, and poked his head into the hall and all about, but nothing could be found to have caused the draft. Burillo, with a patch of discolored skin along the side of his forehead, sat back in -a deep chair, a foot across his knee, a big cigar in his mouth, and listened with a feeling of importance. In his own words and mind, he was the whole show; all these big bugs were down on their knees to him; and he would get is, right. Comfortable, protected, well fed, he was quite pleased with himself and showed it. A light robe was laid across De Broom’s knees, and after a moment’s sensitive pause he decided that there was now no draft, and went on with the talk. ‘‘We must not appear in this at all, in any way.” Cough—cough. ‘It will not be enough—”’ cough— “enough to have this— ah—husband appear and claim her. Brother Frank—’” he always spoke the name with a peculiar half-amused inflection on _ the “brother”—‘“‘is very stubborn. When he 29 ; Cough—cough—cough. De Broom wiped his lips with a bit of soft linen, gasped a time or two, and rested for a moment while he breathed hard. Then he smiled, just wrenched the smile out of his pained face, and said: ‘“‘Pardon me for being so wheezy tonight. These Winters. But as I was saying. Brother Frank will not be in the least troubled by a little thing like a husband with prior rights. You seem to think he will welcome the chance to have an excuse to be rid of her. Nay, not so. Not so.” Cough—cough. “He loves the girl. toms.” Jessica patted his arm affectionately as if somehow he were referring to her. “He loves her. At least he wants her so much that if this—ah—Mr. Burillo came in, Frank would in all probability make some Sort arrangement with him.” | Burillo was attentive. It seemed that maybe he had ,verlooked a chance. Here was an idea. De Broom’s dry, hot eyes saw and read Burillo’s face. Cough—cough. Then: ‘Some sort of arrangement—for him— with some of Cabron’s friends. She is Cabron’s niece, you know.” Burillo’s face fell. He contemplated the fiery tip of his cigar. Luck was with him. I know the symp- 129 He would not spoil it by double-crossing these people. “We must—ah—expose the woman’s real character.” De Broom said it cynically, very well con- vinced as to her real character; for some detectives had been busy. “She was formerly—”’ cough—-cough— cough—‘‘she was formerly, I believe, a per- former in some low, very low, sort of Tender- loin place. Am I not right?” The appeal was to Burillo. He was a little startled by the unexpected attention, and answered: “Right—right. Oh, she’s a bad one, I can tell you. I oughta know. Bein’ my wife.” “Ves. Yes. Certainly. If Frank could just have his eyes opened to that—”’ cough— “side of her nature, ah!” De Broom made a little gesture of triumph. Helena and Jessica nodded solemnly and righteously at each other, approving. Louden plucked thoughtfully at his vibrant whiskers. He was not thinking of Javotte, but of De Broom’s cleverness. Louden wondered why he could not see and foresee things with such vision. Burillo looked at De Broom and grinned. He understood, and he knew what was up. They were out to frame Javotte. Burillo knew that game, and it was all one and the same with him. “But,” said Jessica, “when Mr. Burillo makes himself known, won’t Frank have to give her up?” | “Yes, my dear. But only long enough ‘to get a divorce for her.” “But she married him with a husband living,’’ Helena urged, bubbling the words out. “‘That’s bigamy. We can send her to prison! Where she belongs!’ Cough, cough, cough. In spite of his pain De Broom was amused. There was enough of the devil in him to get pleasure at seein the way people gilded their motives ae played, often unconsciously, the hypocrite. ‘“‘No. No. Unfortunately there was a report of Mr. Burillo’s death. It was even published, I believe. _ Isn’t that—”’cough— “eae?? “You’re right,” said Burillo uneasily. “But,” said De Broom, looking about to command and hold attention, “if we can arrange it so that the Tenderloin side of her nature appears at the same time her DOOK C©@