Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

228 “JT never do the same thing twice,” Dick assured her. ‘“‘ Au revoir, made- moiselle. We'll call for you about ten thirty.” “ Eleven. I shall need time to dress.” They departed. Dick, aware that he had interested the French woman, was both elated and regretful because of it. “What’s the trick, Dick?” demanded Roger. “T haven't the faintest idea, but we were going down for the third time in the lady’s estimation.” Roger sniffed. “ Precious small loss. When that woman comes off the stage she drops ninety per cent of her person- ality in the wings. Why, she was the most gorgeous creature I ever saw from the front and now she looks like Jenny Wren. ‘The Club de Nuit de Paris is not good enough for her? It’s good enough for the royal princes.” “Well, we'll serve her a different dish. I have it. Around in Baker Street there is an abandoned police station. I saw that the windows were all boarded up when I came by there a few days ago. We'll hire the place, Roger, dress up a lot of waiters as policemen, and bring the guests there in a patrol wagon. “Tt will be a night club raid, get me. We'll stage a night in jail. We'll have singing policemen, hire performers to impersonate very hard characters, give the folks a new kind of thrill and serve them a prison supper. Make them eat without knives or forks.” Roger looked enchanted. “ My eye!” he exclaimed, “ you have an imagina- tion. It will be the talk of the town, but it’ll cost beaucoup dinero, friend of my heart.” “ T’ll foot the bills.” “T agree to that heartily, but why do it for La Prévost? You are not hipped on her, are you?” “Tnsane about her for the time being.” Roger stopped in the street and tapped him on the shoulder. “ With ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. my interest in her I thee endow. I shall take Marjorie Gallup.. There’s a bouncing beauty.” “Do you think we can get the station house?” “Why not? It’s abandoned, prob- ably for sale. Nobody would want to rent it. Too many unpleasant mem- ories.”’ “Come home with me and we'll make out a list of guests. You'll have to stay all night and be up bright and early making arrangements. We must find the government agent who has authority to turn it over, and we must decide upon our entertainers. There is work ahead for you, Roger.” “Tf all labor were a labor of love,” sighed the young Englishman. “ Dick, this beats the Serpentine.”’ “That was nothing.” He was still ashamed of the Serpentine episode. Vesta Tuttle represented decent opinion regarding that. What would she think of this? He knew. CHAPTER IX. THE COUNCIL, OF DEFENSE. splendid bank in New York City on the afternoon of the day when Dick so reluctantly sought the acquaintance of Renée Prévost, eight men of middle age and somewhat more were assem- bled about a long mahogany table. If the newspapers had been aware of the identity of most of them, the street outside would have been blocked by re- porters. But pains had been taken not to advertise this conference. Only three of the eight were New Yorkers, and none of the others were known to be visiting the city. They had not all been acquainted when they assembled, but the president of the Bank of New York and America had performed the necessary introduc- tions. It was a few minutes before three in the afternoon, and the outer offices of a bank which had five billions [ the splendid directors’ room of a EOPMICLOOOKS (E@)