All-Story Weekly, March 1, 1919 — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

drink and read us the notes you EDN taken.” “T can’t,” said Pendleton. “ My voice is 3 so husky I can hardly talk. Me for bed and the first sleep I have had since we started on this fool stunt.” ~* “Your own idea,” reminded Frothing- “Good night!” roared Pendleton with great finality. ‘“‘ Wake me up next week.” But it was not next week when Pendle- ton heard a tapping on his door; it was, in fact, only seven o’clock the next morning. “Come.in!” he bawled. “Not so loud,” commanded Frothing- ham as he entered and noiselessly closed the door behind him. His face was ashen and he was trembling ‘like a man who had seen an apparition. ‘What do you think has happened?” asked Frothingham. “T never think,” said Pendleton. “It violates the ethics. When I feel a think coming on, I just sit down and snore four or five hours.” “Well,” hissed Frothingham, back!” “ Back!” almost screamed Pendleton. “Sure,” said Frothingham. ‘“ The big boob is in his own room sleeping as peace- fully as a child. I went in there to re- move the blanket-robe and close the window -—and there he was.” “ What next?” demanded Jordan, who had followed Frothingham into the room. “What next, Pendleton? You're the big fixer, you know.” 7 “ Next—” said Pendleton, jumping out of bed, “ next, I am going to beat it for town. You are a wide lot of mutts. When he left, why, in the name of the three-toed giant sloth, didn’t you go and shut the window and lock it so he couldn’t get back?” “That would not have been good tech- nique,” said Frothingham, ‘“‘ Besides, we didn’t think of it.” “Technique be blowed!” snorted Pen- dieton. ‘I’m going home. You make me WS” “ Over my dead body you'll go home,” said Frothingham. “Well, what shall we do?” capitulated “he is — ___ Pendleton. ALL- ‘STORY WEEKLY. BS Se ares “We are going to have this young jail- invader down after breakfast and talk it over with him, and find out what’s what.” And that is what happened. Jerome entered the library calmly ana bowed to the assembled conspirators, Milli- cent among them. “Look here,” demanded Frothingham, “what are you going to do?” ‘ Nothing,” said Jerome pleasantly. am quite well content.” “I told you he would do nothing,” snapped Josephine, giving Millicent a side- long glance with a punch in it. “You are in a position to make us some trouble, you know,” said F rothingham. “Tt was an awkward mistake. Now, if you will go quietly—”’ “Yes, agreed Jerome. ‘ The notes I have taken during these days will, no doubt, agree with the notes you have all taken on that point.” ‘“ Notes!” interrupted Josephine, amazed. “Yes,” replied Jerome. ‘“ Every time I looked up I saw somebody hastily conceal- ing a writing-pad; so I began taking notes myself. But I am not going to cause you any trouble. I will just stay on here two or three months and be happy. The cli- mate here is delightful. “The climate is not bad, » said Pendle- ton, “ but we are not running a summer- resort hotel.” “IT am not going to cause you any trou- ble,” repeated Jerome, and he fussed with his necktie nervously; “because I have fallen deeply in love with one of your num- ber.” He looked tenderly upon Millicent, who blushed becomingly and, rising, went to his side. ‘“Impossible!”’ exploded Frothingham. “ Unheard-of!” shrieked Pendleton. “ No young man placed in your peatvon would do such a thing.” ‘You, young lady,” said Frothingham, glaring at Millicent, ‘‘ have aided and abet- ted the violation of our most sacred tradi- tion—the best tradition of good playwrit- ing.” The young lady said nothing, and said it ‘cy it was an awkward mistake,” : he ra hit vee | alta x “- : --——S €omicbooks +