Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

653 Like his mighty namesake, George could not tell a lie; but unlike him, he seemed possessed to advertise all his little youthful indiscretions, On this, his first day in Paris, and without a solitary friend in the vast city of pleasure and culture and of mighty, unseen forces beneath its smiling surface, he had fallen into agreeable con- verse with a highly sophisticated gentleman possessing the gift of the sympathetic ear; and he was spilling himself generously, prattling away like a schoolboy. “You see, Monsieur Sangrado, it’s all really my own fault. Dad is a sort of hu- man machine. I’m not criticizing him, sir; he’s been a corking father, given me ten times what I deserved. But what I mean is, he’s all wrapped up in his business.” The elder man half closed his eyes, puff- ing lazily upon a thin black cheroot. “T’ve heard of him, naturally,” he lied. “But I somehow had the impression that he was a professional gentleman.” “Oh, no! Dad never even went to col- lege. What we in the good old U. 5S. A. call a self-made man. Began life by clean- ing out the office with a broom, and winds up by cleaning out the street with an in- terlocking directorate. Owns half a dozen mines and railroads and trust companies, and some other trifles he has probably for- gotten. And naturally, he wanted me to start from the ground up when I graduated, and sit in directors’ meetings when I got big enough so my feet would touch the floor, and scoop up whatever industrials and things he hasn’t had time to go after.” The other nodded. ‘“ Naturally,” he said. ‘To ‘carry on,’ as the British say. Help him establish a sort of financial dy- nasty.” “Ves, sir. That’s the idea exactly. But somehow, I don’t know why, I always de- tested business. Rather be lined up against a wall and shot than lined up against a swivel chair at a desk all cluttered up with push buttons and telephones and dicto- graphs and things. Never could even keep my own expense account. Had a good al- lowance, but was always out of money and telegraphing frantically for more. We chaps in college were always borrowing and lending.” : ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “ But that is merely the history of all sons of rich fathers the world over! Can’t really see why the governor should cut you off with a measly ten quid per month just for having your little fling?” “I’m getting to that. It wasn’t what I spent—used to lecture me, of course, and all that, but never got really sore about it. It was the last and silliest of all the stunts I pulled that got his goat. You see, at college, 1 was pretty good with the gloves. Boxing, you know. And when I won the Intercollegiate Heavy title, I sort of swelled up and burst. Thought I was in line to make Dempsey an ex-champ. So, without telling the governor anything about it, I sneaked down to New York and got booked for a try-out in the professional ranks. Had it all figured out that I’d surprise dad by coming home with more money for half an hour’s work than he’d pay me for six months’ hard labor as an office hound. You know, the pugs earn ’most as much as the big picture stars.” ‘““’m afraid that you’re going to tell me you lost,” the stranger hazarded. George smiled dolefully. “You've said it! Worse than that, I only lasted a little less than three rounds against a set-up I could break into little pieces with my bare hands. But he had been in the game too long. Made me a laughing stock, Pretended he was almost out in the last frame, groggy, you know, and when I went in wide open to finish him, he uncorked an uppercut that lifted me so high I didn’t really get back to earth till next morning. But that isn’t the worst. I’m always going into things like a fool kid, without figuring out the consequences. Ought to have known that all the free ad- vertising I got before the. fight wasn’t on account of my amateur record, but as the son of George Strong, Sr. Papers played it up big. ‘Son of Wall Street magnate makes debut in prize ring.’ All that sort of rot. And you should have seen the pan- ning I got in the press the morning after! And the funny cartoons. Only, my lips hurt so I couldn’t smile.” “And monsieur, your father proved un- sympathetic, I take it?” “Well, he took it in a funny way. Sur- ~ 7 Eomicvooks. co