Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

326 . “ Positively nothing, so it seems,” I says, =e: * except his wife!” | Well, you could of easily pushed Mr. Ee Hooper over with a chocolate eclair. ‘ “Look!” 1 says. en And, looming amongst the common herds 23 like a Ferris wheel amongst a flock of kid- die cars, here comes Clarence! Just for an instant Mr, Hoopér regards the steadily approaching Mr. Brown witlr a glassy and likewise popeyed gaze. Then ae Mr. Hooper starts hastily for the nearest exit. Well, not being the sort that would u® as I had it in my mind to see to it that Horace’s next stop for any length of time we z was no nearer than, at the least, Chicago— +: I followed. “Se But just before we reach the exit, some- ~ .. thing happens that—well, maybe I and Ed- die should of remembered that the Hotel = Doughmont was quite a popular resort with | the ladies of the theatrical profession. Be- cause, anyways, Miss Muriel Montrose en- ters, smiling. “ Greetings, Horace,” says Muriel, plant- ing herself between Mr. Hooper and his goal. “ Why—what’s the matter?” Horace’s expressive countenance, see, being just then the battlefield, you might say, of a large number of conflicting emo- tions, all of them unpleasant. In fact, prac- tically any competent alienist, observing Horace at the moment, would of promptly recommended that he be put under imme- diate observation. And for that matter, I might of appeared a trifle nervous, say, my- self. At any rate, in response to Muriel’s greet- Be ing there’s a sort of gurgling sound in Hor- ~~ ace’s throat, but his ordinarily silver tongue positively refuses to function. . And in the mean time Mr. Brown contin- _ ‘Hlorace makes a feeble attempt to pass ~ Muriel, ‘which results in the lady grasping Mr. Hooper firmly by the arm and once ‘more wanting to know what it’s all about. _ At about which time Mr. Brown arrives. _.~———s CJarence!” exclaims the bewitching Miss Montrose. “I haven’t seen you for ___. ages! Clarence,” she goes on, turning once St ene THE 4 - a ron am ro ee ae Ete ee Se eae te Sees ay eee desert a friend under fire—and especially - BND: a, -t ee a ee “a = " ory a ees a ners e~ ss a, es— a eat = a. ee pat Se “Sioa Le by Sa ao ee oo? ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. more to the much bewildered Mr. Hooper— which he had very little on me—“ Clarence, you know, is—well, what he calls a box- fighter. So we don’t see-very much of each other, because he thinks it might interfere with my stage career if people knew I had a brother that was a prize fighter.” “Why,” she says to Clarence, “‘ I don’t believe you’ve even heard that I’ve changed my stage name to Muriel Montrose!” ‘* News to me,” says Clarence. “ If I had, I wouldn’t be here, and there’s others that wouldn’t likewise!” And he follows this. with a look in my direction which—well, anyways, starting slowly, but gradually gaining speed, I per- sonally proceeded to fade out of the pic- ture. Brown! You might remember that Mr, Hooper once remarked that that he believed Miss Montrose’s actual name to be—er— Green. Well, he was perfectly correct, ex- cept the color. Well, of course, Horace relates his strange experience to the wife, and leave it to the missus to put two and two together and act accordingly. However, there is little to be gained by going into these intimate family matters. And finally, just one little incident which maybe might be of some interest. On the day following the events I have described I somewhat .nervously once more visited Mr. Eddie West’s gym, on account there was a little matter of business which I wished to take up with Mr. Clarence Brown. Well, I found Clarence busily en- gaged in pulling a set of chest-weights out of the wall by the roots. “Mr. Brown,” I says, in the mildest of manners, and keeping a eagle eye on the nearest exit, “now in respects to the fifty iron men which you received from myself as the return for taking part in yesterday’s performance—well, seeing the show was a flop—” “ Try and get it!” growls the Wild Bull — | of Montana. “ Just try!” Well, I was only going to suggest that he do the fair thing, anyways, like, maybe, splitting with me ek ae but—use your 3 own judgment. bral ;