Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

JUNGLE LOVE. it wes «whe had dropped the seed of evil into Julie’s mind. Having assured himself that Leila was . Rewhere in the café, Sid steed outside the Mag. He saw Artie and the girl coming, but no sign of Leila. Some little distance farther down the street he noted a young man, but paid no attention to him. He re- garded Ernest Kennedy as some chance pe- destrian. Therefore everything was O. K. Lefla had climbed down. But, the thing Sid did net observe was a taxi that had been stationed at the curb acress the street. immediately Julie and Artie had ap- ‘peared the driver had started his engine, but another car had come along at the mo- ment he was turning out. The taxi had to step, and by the time it got going again, the girl and her escort were close to the Mog. Net ten paces from Sid the taxi stepped with a jerk. The door, was flung open and owt jumped Leila. She made straight for Julie and clutched her arm. “ Don’t!” she cried. ‘“ Don’t be afraid of me—come—” The very thing Leila was anxious to avoid happened. Julie drew back, and the next instant the bulk ef Sid interposed be- tween the woman and the girl. Sid laughed with throaty, genial ease, and gave Julie a gentle push toward the Mog door. “ Tt’s all right,” he said. “‘i’m a friend of Art’s here. This woman don’t mean no harm, she’s a bit gone up here.” He tapped his forehead significantly, and -at the same moment his big left hand reached behind him, crushed Leila’s arm in a swing- ing grip and flung her sidewise. She reeled, and to save herself from falling clutched at the unconsidered stranger’s arm. Acting under the urge of the superior tactician, Artie quickly led the girl up the Mog steps, and Sid followed. _- All that was left of the affair was an in- curious, blasé chauffeur, a much startled Ernest, and -a woman impotenthy , and dumbly raging. Leila had done what dhe could and failed. To attempt to follow Julie and try and warn her again was useless. The Mog was a house for fools, spender» and rogues, not for trouble-makers and disturbers. of the sheltered ways of vice. Leila knew she would not be allewed to set foot inside the lobby. There were square-shoulderad pro- totypes of Hamfist, who would think no more of throwing a troublesome woman into the street than they would of kicking a stray deg. The rules of the underwerld are self protective, rigid, and brautal.. A strayer from the black flock is bound te be set upon by the rest of the herd. The mauling inflicted often ends in another murder mystery. Leila sighed and moved toward the taxi. Ernest eyed her with the eloof eye of the unco gutd; but he could not ferbear a question. “You know thet girl?” he asked. Leila turned. “Do you?” she fired back. “'Y-yes. A little.” The woman’s eyes narrowed. “ You were following her,’ she said. ‘ What kind of a fellow ase you? Why didn’t you step up and wallop that big fat hog? You saw what he did. You must have done. Now: they’ve got her.” - “ She was willing enough to go.” “Sure she was. The poor beob.” “She won’t come to much harm.” Leila scrutinized the young man with searching, wide-open eyes. “‘ Are you,” she asked, “‘ just plain igno- rant, a hick, or are vou a sawny saphead? That’s the Mog. The Mogelia ho-tel. Ain’t that enough for you?” Ernest flushed. “Ill see what I can do,” be muttered, and made a move to- | ward the entrance. Leila touched his arm. “Take my tip,” she said. “ Don’t try to start something you can’t finish. They’re watching us now from behind fhose doors, and your chance of pulling rescue stuff has fizzled out. It’s gene.” “ The police then?’’ Leila laughed bitterly. ‘‘ What’s the charge?” she asked. ‘‘ We can’t preve a thing. Men want proof before theyll move. A woman—she’s different. She don’t always wait for things to happen. TOE © One Wonien whe can Co Chives. If youl help.” £6 Your” the brave AMC NOOK CO ¢ CO