Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

554 them out in small lots through a score of brokers, and reinvested the proceeds in other securities. All Breedon’s acts were carried out with the view of making a pos- sible “ investigation ” as difficult as pos- sible. At midnight that night Carola and M. Chablon mounted the stage at Elysia to- gether, and the latter in a neat little speech announced the change in ownership. The crowd cheered Carola to the echo. She likewise made a speech, the gist of which was that, in order to signalize the event, all refreshments would be on the house for that night. At that the crowd went sim- ply wild. Naturally, Carola reappeared on the front page with a bang next morning. Most of the papers ran the story with a two- column head or more, and the murderer was nowhere. Carola’s whole career up to the moment was recapitulated. Scores of anecdotes, real and fictitious, were re- lated to to illustrate the character they were building up for her.. It was upon this morn- ing that some bright paragrapher first ap- plied the epithet to her that they all took up later: Queen of Clubs! How happy she was! Before she was out of bed, Breedon called up and, with a chuckle in his voice, said that he had taken the liberty to call up police headquarters on her behalf and ask for police protection for Elysia that night, in view of the mob that was to be expected. He recommended that only regular custom- ers of the house be allowed in. Carola agreed. Other people read the story with other feelings. There was Mr. Mitchell Minturn, who sadly shook his head a great many times, and murmured to himself as one whe sees a gloomy prophecy fulfilled: Ducks and drakes! Ducks and drakes! Visiting Carola later, he did his best to learn if she had really bought the place, how much she had paid for it, and if she alienated any of ‘her sacred capital. But Carola blandiy evaded his questions and he departed none the wiser. There were Miss Margaret Grasette and Miss Kate Grasette, cousins of Carola, who ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. held up their delicate, withered hands when they read the story. ‘‘ Sister,” said Miss Margaret to Miss Kate in horror, “ this un- happy child is going down where the way is steepest. It is really up to us to do some- thing to save her. We are her nearest of kin,” Down in Washington there was Senator Frank Peverley, the famous boy Senator from an Eastern State—though at that, the gray was beginning to appear in his hair—who was also a cousin of Carola’s, and who had a design of marrying her and her twenty millions when he got around to it. In fact, that was the reason he had never married anybody else. He scowled when he read the newspaper story, and said to himself: This is too much! JI shall have to run up to New York and see about it. Confound it! And I have the sole responsibility of the Peverley-Sugden bill on my shoulders! Finally there was young Len Farley. He grinned in his cynical and good-humored fashion when he read the story. ‘“‘ H-m!” he thought, “‘ that’s the little angel I saw coming out of her house on Fifth Avenue that day. She must be anything but the lamb I took her for. That’s one on me, all right. So she’s the new boss at Elysia. I suppose that will let me out.” When he had an opportunity he asked Breedon about it. ‘‘ Say, boss, this change up at Elysia; does that let me out?” Breedon looked him up and down before replying. There was a great change for the better in Len’s appearance since the day when Mack had picked him up in the East Side dive. To be sure, he had put on weight, but only enough to smooth out the gaunt hollows in his face. His well tailored clothes set off his superb figure to perfec- tion; his sparkling eyes and the high, dark color in his cheeks revealed him to be in the pink of condition. “By gad!” thought Breedon. ‘‘ Damned if I don’t think he’s the handsomest young blackguard in all New York.” Aloud he said carelessly: “ First chance I get I’ll take you up and let her give you the once over. If she likes your looks maybe she'll keep you on.” “ Thanks, boss,” said Len. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. (€@) Eomicbooks