Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

LOVE OF SEVEN DOLLS 97 speaking without moving his lips, when he wished. ‘‘ You, Mouche! Come here.” She felt herself hypnotized. She was unable to resist moving slowly towards him. When she stood in front of him, he looked her up and down. * Now, you listen to me—’”’ He paused and the cigarette-end glowed momentarily. Mouche felt herself trembling—‘‘ You can stay with us as long as you behave yourself and help with the act. If you don’t, I’ll kick you out, no matter what Carrot Top says. Carrot Top likes you. Rey and Dr. Duclos seem to think you can sing. That baby bleat of yours makes me sick, but it pulled in the francs from that crowd tonight and that’s all I care about. Now get into the back of that car. You may have some bread and sausage if you’re hungry. But not a sound out of you. March!” Had she had her suitcase in her possession, Mouche would have turned and fled. But it was locked now in the luggage-boot and she had a woman’s inability to part with her possessions, no matter : how wretched they might be. And besides, where was she to go? id Half blinded with tears, Mouche turned away and obeyed him. She heard the scraping and thudding on the roof as Golo fastened the dismantled puppet booth to the rack and then tied the trunk on behind. | Capitaine Coq got into the front seat, pulled his stocking-cap : over his eyes and went to sleep. The car, guided by Golo, moved off, crossing the bridge and turning north at the Porte de Neuilly, sought the high road to Rheims. Huddled in the back seat, Mouche dried her tears and nibbled on the bread and sausage. She managed to derive comfort from the fact that, safe in the trunk behind her, tarpaulined against E inclement weather, were all the little creatures who had seemed to i: like her. And she remembered that even Capitaine Coq had spoken | of them in the third person as though their lives were their own. Just before she fell asleep, she felt the trunk scrape against the , rear of the car and she smiled, thinking of Poil de Carotte, bowed ; beneath his managerial worries, the hypocritical but lovable Fox, the unhappy Giant, the sulky, golden-haired girl, the pompous but friendly Penguin, the gossipy concierge who at bottom was a woman who could be trusted, and the kind and touching mender of broken toys. Surely she would be meeting them all again... F Another extract from ‘* Love of Seven Dolls”? e appears in next month’s Argosy ry comiclooks.com Se gee ee ee 7