The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

THE GILDED TRAP. fered qualms of conscience over such ex- travagance each time he had all but de- cided to go to Mercer and ask that his name be proposed for membership. Now he perceived that the expense of the club was only to be regarded as wise investment. Chase was there: Mercer was there. However big or little results they got out of it, Mercer and Wheelock had both known of the same tip on Tubular Brass, and it had been a good one for any one who had followed it. Mercer had spoken of Chase as the source of his inside in- formation. Chase certainly was in a posi- tion to know anything that could be known. Bruce lost no time about ap- proaching Mercer. ‘“Surest thing you know,” the head- bookkeeper responded cordially to the request for proposal. ‘‘ Glad to do it. But, say—were you in on Tubular Brass? I thought all these glad rags must point to something.” ‘“T was in and out again,” Bruce re- sponded. “I cleaned up sixteen hundred, but I might as well have had six thou- sand.”’ “Just what I did,” Mercer groaned. “Only I got out without cleaning up any- thing. But Ill have you up before the next meeting of the directors of the club. They meet the first Saturday of each month.”’ Bruce felt intense disappointment. He had hoped that he might be made a member that evening somehow. Last Saturday had been the first one of June. ‘““ No, hold on,” Mercer bespoke a sud- den fecollection; ‘‘ there won’t be any meetings now until September. They cut out july and August—most of them go away in summer, you know, for the week- ends, if not altogether. Too bad you didn’t tell me Saturday morning.” Evans was crestfallen. He managed to hide some of his disappointment under a fairly lightly spoken—‘‘ Gee! I wish I had.” “ But that won’t hinder your coming there to lunch any time you feel like it. 301 In fact, if a man puts up the initiation fee in advance, he can even take a room in the building, while he’s waiting for the directors to pass on him. There’s nothing rigid about the club, you know. It’s not like the Union or the Knickerbocker.” Bruce was relieved again. ‘““T didn’t know there were rooms to it,” he spoke with a fresh interest. The room he had occupied Saturday night at Wheelock’s home had set him wondering if there were any real reason why he should stick to Mrs. Lundrom’s cheerless accommodations. “Oh, yes, it’s a regular club. A lot of the unmarried fellows have rooms there. They’re thinking of putting up a couple more ffoors. Everybody’s getting rich these days, you know.” Bruce suddenly recalled another of those “ proper things to do’ which were sc novel to him. “Got anything on for to-night?” he asked. “ Sorry, but I have,’ Mercer responded lightly. ‘‘ Where were you going?” “Oh, I was going to let you choose. I thought you’d know better than I would what’s worth seeing.” “In that case, I'll advise you anyhow. I’ve seen it two or three times, but for any one who hasn’t been there, it’s hard to beat the ‘ Foolish Virgins.’ The music’s swell, and the girls—gee! It’s some show. If I was free, I'd take a chance on it again myself, anyhow; and it takes a real show to get me up in front of the box- office three times.” “ Guess I'll take it in,’’ Bruce decided. He had not thought of any entertain- ment of any sort until it had occurred to him to do his part in the new friendship he was establishing with the head-book- keeper. Now he realized that no special reason kept him from enjoying the eve- ning alone. He had rather felt that he would go to see Ellen. Somehow the thought did not appeal much. Of course he might take Ellen to a show. He decided against it. COMIC OOOK (C@