Adventure Magazine Cover — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

130 husband does—then Frank will have his eyes open and be disgusted!”’ The strain of emphasis was too much. De Broom relapsed into a coughing spell that took his breath for the next fifteen minutes. They regarded him with sym- pathy; Louden and Helena trying not to show him they noticed, and Jessica with finger-nails to mouth watching in distress. Burillo, all eyes, started and _ harshly whispered— _ “Gee, he’s full o’ bugs!”’ When he recovered De Broom got up weakly. It was time to go home. He said they should leave the plans to him. Fully. He would arrange everything. He smiled cynically, drooping his eyelids as if remembering some of the wild, mad nights that even now, in the midst of pay- ment for them, he did not regret. He was bundled into furred wraps and went out on Jessica’s arm to the heated limousine. WHEN he had gone the Loudens shook their heads regretfully, hover- ing over the register to take off the chill of the opened door. It would be their luck to have him die just as they had be- come friends; that was not the thought in their heads, but it was almost their feelings. Burillo, night-hawk, stretched himself, feeling a little bored. He was one of those fellows, of whom the world is filled to over- flowing, that can not be alone without being wearied. It seemed to him the people in this house did a lot of sleeping. He thought about slipping out and run- ning up-town for a breath of fresh air; but Cabron was loose. Besides, he had promised to stay within the Loudens’ doors. The promise didn’t greatly matter, but the dan- ger of getting shot or knifed did matter; especially now that he was on the golden road to. fortune. “TI wonder,” said Louden, peering about as if to see it, “where that draft came from?” “T distinctly felt it myself. Do you think it made his cold worse?” Helena answered, rushing the words out as if afraid there might not be another chance. Burillo cut in with: “Cold? You call that a cold? Say, De Broom’s got T. B. so bad = But even he, thick-skinned as he was, saw that he was being offensive, though he just couldn’t imagine why. Adventure When Helena had left the gilt-hued room Louden said almost placatingly: “Very sensitive, my wife. Sensitive na- ture; and so fond of her brother-in-law. Poor boy. I fear it is more than a cold. But isn’t he a marvel at making nes and looking ahead!”’ ‘““Y’mean the frame-up on my miter Louden looked mystified. “Aw,” said Burillo, “you understand well enough. An’ I want ’o see you make a success, don’t you see? Now a good way to work it would be to get her some place, see? In a room ’r something with me. Ain’t I her husband? Then let this Holder find us. He’ll know right off she’s double- crossed ’im. An’—” here Burillo grew al- most dramatic, he was so pleased with the idea— “‘an’ you ain’t doin’ nothin’ wrong to the girl, f’r she’d only be in a room with her legal husband!” Louden nodded approval. That seemed a good idea. He would tell it to De Broom as his own. | When Burillo went up to his room he wasn’t sleepy. He sat on the edge of a chair, smoked a cigaret and looked at the bed. Pretty soft for him! He liked it all right; but a bit of something doing would have helped out a lot. He would like to see a show or something. | He got. up and eyed himself in the mirror. Except for that bruise on the side of his head he was a good-looking fellow. Any- body could see that. He bent closer and squeezed out a blackhead. He was going to clean up on this bunch. Already they had paid a little something handsome in advance. He _ stroked his breast pocket. Bad luck couldn’t land on a guy all the time. It was his turn to carry a rabbit’s foot. And , but wouldn’t he like to be locked up in a room with Javotte for a while! He’d even up matters a bit. If that black-masked burglar hadn’t walked in— Zowie! . “T’d like to get that fellow some place where he wasn’t lookin’! said Burillo to himself, setting his jaw hard and glaring into the mirror to show ferocity. His door opened swiftly, noiselessly, be- fore he could turn from the mirror; and the man in a black mask appeared, gun advanced. “Not a sound!” said Middleton quietly, coming in and pushing the door noiselessly closed behind him. DOOK (C©