Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

eS 810, a ‘Then tight here, where the old wheel = eS “was, we'll put a pool table.- And over here = - —TI believe this is where the mechanical | piano stood—and I hear Doxey’s taken it = ~ up to the Baptist church. Here’s where a == put a few marble-top tables for = soda and ice cream. Yow can supervise - that part of it. “Yn plain terms, I’m going to set you up in business—and as I said when f first - met you, it’s going to be a pure business _ proposition. I’m not taking all the money and paying you a salary—we’ re going fifty- fifty. I can see money in it—big money. -_ “Ym naturally a business man, and I Se ~ think j in terms of big money—none of this = chow cart stuff! We're going to open up -—_- @ community center, as you might aye ee = = sounds good. z 2 = © Yewre-one “then?” = There was no hesitation on the part of 2 Fists. because they had the right on their side. "Dan. Crockett-monlé-wouch fort ‘Hallie ~ - considered the whole proposition a piece of extraordinary Juck—the kind of luck her _--father was known to have when the wheel == ‘was running in the old days. “Of course I’m on,” she replied. = = = “Well, ‘then, there remains but one- = thing more,’ Hayden ‘announced. He = ~ stepped out to his little car, and a moment tater returned with a curious-looking suit = Case, black with brass corners. jy'h LE SY, ASIN Mio OMS OR kt ai i ett ed) i SEER There was no possible argument, —— 7 ~ great success ‘Among= ie farmies of 2 2 = Kansas prairies. In this satchel I have ~ the key, not only to the past—to the scenes as once made this gaming den the glory “mance of the world—to all the voices, from - the smallest to the greatest, from the ugliest _to the most beautiful! a Ke With the instrument I have in this 2 satchel you can enchant the hearts of all 2a ae ten-in Sun-up as the pied piper of _- Hamelin drew about him a whole city of = | children. You can work upon them as Or- = pheus, playing his lute, worked upon the hearts: of the beasts of the forest; you can ~~ calm the ‘Savage within the breasts of these = 7 ironic as David calmed the =~ ee Ce Pm ; but_it-is a key to all the ro- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY ‘WEEKLY. will say that in this « suit case I have a cer- tain merchandise which Orsino called the ‘food of love?!” He opened the lock and threw back the leather cover with a flourish. “Why, it’s only a phonograph.” the girl cried, “Yes—only a little tin phonograph with a horn! That’s all this box contains. But what a wretched way of phrasing it: only a phonograph! “What does this little sombrero you are wearing, and this little frock, and those lit- tle high-laced boots—what does this outfit contain? Only a woman! “ And this broken bottle underneath the bar rail? What did it contain? Only wine! “* And what does this satchel contain? Only song! “ All the laws of the world cannot pre- vail against these three—no, nor against any two-of them. And we've got the two most important—woman and song! It-is all that is needed to set the town of Sun- up burning!” “Well, look here, mister!” the girl laughed. “T must say old Mr. Doxey was _pretty wise when he refused to give me a job. ‘When my ma said Sun-up was a quiet place, and that I’d be safe, I guess she didn’t figure I was elected to set the town on fire!” | “Well, I take that as a verbal contract.” “Here’s my hand.” As they shook hands the bleached, dried- up house reéchoed with the lush voices. of four negroes. The phonograph was offer- ing a tantalizing mixture of coon-shouting and close harmony: “They have taken her to Georgia for to wear her life away, ee As she toils in the cotton and the cane!” — Both listened — an innate rapture per- vading the girl, awakening her just as the harmony awoke the dead echoes of that old en. = “ One night I went to see her, but ‘ She’s gone,’ the neighbors Say, The white man’s bound her with his chain!” ““A simple and heartrending ditty,” Fred — _ Hayden commented. - “ But wait. Shed no = = comicbooks.co