Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

196 After which he jumped into a taxicab and sought the restaurant where he expected to meet his new friends. CHAPTER II. TWO KINDS OF GIRLS. *HIS restaurant was one of the new in- | timate clubs which happen to have caught the fancy of New York so- ciety. With only twenty-five or thirty tables, the effect was something like a big private party. Very high prices kept the clientele fairly select and the guests felt at liberty to let themselves go rather more than they would do in a large hotel café. Harry caught his friends as they were checking their garments and concealing their drinkables in side and hip pockets. A general shout went up at his appearance. One might think he had been a member of the crowd for years. Ruth Simpson seized his right arm and another gir! his left and both scolded him tenderly for daring to ab- sent himself, “ even for a few minutes.” Hilwin smiled rather grimly when he thought of all that had happened in those few minutes, but he had sense enough to keep the cause of his mirth to himself. - Shortly he was whirling about in a dance with the Simpson girl, rather bothered by the abandon with which the society girls gave themselves up to the raptures of jazz. Miss Simpson impressed herself upon him in & manner which would have caused in-- terference by the floor director at one of the dancing parties in Jersey City. And yet he knew perfectly well that if he took. the slightest liberty he would suffer a com- plete social eclipse. Back at the table he found a new couple. Miss Mildred Duroy, the well known mus- ical comedy singer, had been plucked at the stage door and brought to the party. Miss Duroy sat next to Hilwin and was soon confidential with him. Her partner busied himself with Ruth Simpson. “Ves, it’s a rotten show,” said Miss Duroy. “I don’t think it will last another couple of weeks. It’s the most curious thing that pieces like this get a chance while really good shows can’t find a producer.” “ —. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “How do you know they are good shows if they are not produced?” demanded Bill Cromwell, listening in for a second or two. *“ Any simp can tell a real score and a good book,” replied Miss Duroy. ‘ Now { know a piece, which was really written forme. It has a musical score which would knock Broadway cold and one of the clever- est librettos ever turned out. The piece is fairly inexpensive, too. Forty thousand dollars would put it on, and twenty has already been raised. The other twenty can’t be found, so there goes that.” ‘Is there much money in a successful musical comedy?” asked Hilwin innocently. “Ts there money?” shrilled Miss Duroy. “Where were you raised? Why, a success- ful musical show can make five thousand dollars a week. Jim Montgomery made a million out of ‘Irene’ and look at what George M. Cohan cleaned up in ‘ Little Nellie Kelly.’ ” “You mean to say there is a chance of making a.few hundred thousand for an investment of twenty thousand or so.” ‘Sure,”” declared Cromwell, and you can win thirty-six thousand to one in roulette if you pick the lucky number.” “ Be still,” interposed Miss Duroy sharp- ly. “It’s not the same at all. If you have a good show you can’t lose, and this is a good show. Can I interest you in it, Mr. Hilwin?” “*T am interested,” he declared seriously. At this a hoot went up around the table. The men looked at Hilwin with mingled respect and pity; respect that he might have twenty thousand dollars and pity that he might be induced to risk it on @ musical show. The girls gazed at him with the in- terest that any woman exhibits when a man who is young and good looking is suddenly discovered to have money to throw away. ‘“Miss Duroy has monopolized you long enough,” declared Ruth, turning her back on the man to whom she had been talking. “*Come and dance.” ‘“My angel! You wouldn’t take away my angel!” exclaimed the actress, throwing her arms around Hilwin’s neck. ‘“*T’ll say she won’t,” announced the man Miss Simpson had deserted. ‘“ She promised this dance to me.” CONMIG OOOKS. COI) * aes BaD eae 4