The Argosy, October 1906 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

of its product a letter hearing a French ee and post-mark arrived at the of- _fices of the Aztec Company. _In- Shar- _ key’s absence his partner broke ‘the seal -and read as follows: — CANNES, JUNE 28. - Messrs, COWPERTHWAITE ST. CurarRr, PRESIDENT, AND DELANCEY DENTON, — GENERAL ManacerR, THE AZTEC __ Goirp Extraction COMPANY OF a = MEXICO. : ‘GENTLEMEN: 3 Many thanks for your kindness in financing my European trip. In return, it is a pleasure to me to set you right on — ~ THE -ARGOSY. some of the details” of our recent ek eas ‘For instance, in the mattress on which | I slept at Guanajuato you will find the = stuff which I actually took from_ the = Aztec mine. The excellent ore which — Mr. Denton purloined while I feigned Sas drunkenness came from Colorado. = — _ Hereafter you would do better to confine your operations to genuine come-ons from Hoboken. I was a practised hand at the seamy side of the mining business before either of you — were born. You will agree with me . that the Aztec stock which I purchased - | of you was then what it never will be again—a gilt-edged investment. Gratefully yours, BENNETT PEABODY. = - THE SCARLET SCARAB. Author of “In the Lion’s Mouth,” “ ‘The Fugitive,” and “ Blundell's Last Guest.” _ A story of Naples up to date in which | an | American gets on the track of romance by accident. : and is thereafter made to dance to a dangerous tune. = i SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTERS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED. eo <9 = Peter Dosszin, at the age of thirty, retires from business with a comfortable fortune —_ Gregg, of romance. daughter. ‘that they are awaiting his orders. three guides. nowhere in sight or hearing. - CHAPTER VII. I REFUSE TO TALK BUSINESS. =" is a Cheerful, mirth-provoking sensa- tion to perch helplessly at the bottom of a flight of steps, dabbling one’s feet __in an oozy, stagnant stream, a mile or so underground, with no possible mode of | = getting out; and with a grinning, torch- ie bearing” bandit just out of reach, forming = one’s sole link with humanity and light! and journeys to Ttaly in search, as he tells an amusing traveling acquaintance, — eee high-bred face—the face that always goes — *This story began in the September issue of THE ARGOSY, which will be e mailed to any address et cei = of 10 cents. Nothing materializes save Amos Todd, who, in Pierre D’Auban, does. not. recognize the nephew and namesake of his bitter commercial rival, Peter Dobbin; but Todd has a Tt is on a shopping expedition with Doris Todd that Peter acquires, for a = lire, ~ a scarlet scarab, set as a scarf-pin, which he immediately puts on. - ~ suddenly realizes that all the Italian dignitaries whom they pass bow to him profoundly. es » At the hotel, Count Sebaste is effusively cordial, and, in a private interview, informs hint ===-;> Peter awakes to the fact that he is involved in some =~ international scheme, in which, strangely enough, Todd apparently figures. — ae : A few days later he joins Doris Todd’s party to Vesuvius. ss separated from the rest, and they decide to explore a particular grotto, setting out with = The. erotto is full of complex turns and windings, and at the first pause, = in an “especially perilotis portion, Peter discovers that Doris and two SF: the guides are : On the way home he- —— With Doris, he cepa Yet, oddly, it was not of eicie nor — = my abominable plight that I was think- ing at the moment. In fact I was so — foolish as to remember nothing except that somewhere else in the bowels of the = earth, unprotected, an American girl was in similar helpless case, a hundred times eS aes ay, - =— worse off than I could possibly be. Sree I remembered Doris Todd’s sensitive, = = with a nervous, finely. strung temper