Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

306 John Bruce smiled pleasantly into his wine glass. Not very difficult to fathom, perhaps, after all! It was probably some shrewd old reprobate with usurious rates in cahoots with the sleek M. Henri de La- vergne, who made a side-split on the said rates in return for the exclusive privilege accorded the other for acting as leech to the guests of the house when in extremity. It had been perhaps twenty minutes since he had left the roulette table. He looked at his watch now as he saw the doorman coming toward the supper room with his hat and coat. The night was still early. It was quarter to eleven. He went out into the hall. ‘“'Yassuh,” said the gray-haired and ob- sequious old darky, as he assisted John Bruce into his coat, “if yo’all will just come with me, Mistuh Bruce, yo’all will be ‘commodated right prompt.” John Bruce followed his guide to the doorstep. The darky pointed to a closed motor car at the curb by the corner, a few houses away. “Yo’all just say ‘ Persia’ to the shuffer, Mistuh Bruce, and—” All right!’? John Bruce smiled his in- terruption, and went down the steps to the sidewalk. John Bruce approached the waiting car leisurely, scrutinizing it the while; and as he approached, it seemed to take on more and more the aspect of a venerable and de- crepit ark. The body of the car was en- tirely without light; the glass front, if there were one, behind the man whom he dis- cerned sitting in the chauffeur’s seat, was evidently closely curtained; and so, too, he now discovered as he drew nearer, were the windows and doors of the car as well. “The parlor looks a little ominous,” said John Bruce softly to himself. ‘1 wonder how far it is to the spider’s dining- room?” He halted as he reached the vehicle. “Tm bound for Persia, I believe,” he suggested pleasantly to the chauffeur. The chauffeur leaned out, and John Bruce was conscious that he was undergo- ing a critical inspection. In turn he looked at the chauffeur, but there was very little ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, light. The car‘seemed to have chosen a spot as little disturbed by the rays of the street lamps as possible, and he gained but a vague impression of a red, weather-beaten face, clean-shaved, with shaggy brows un- der grizzled hair, the whole topped by an equally weather-beaten felt hat of nonde- script shape and color. The inspection, on the chauffeur’s part at least, appeared to be satisfactory. ‘Yes, sir,” said the man. ‘ Step in, sir, please.” The door swung open—just how, John Bruce could not have explained. He stepped briskly into the car—only to draw back instinctively as he found it already occupied. But the door had closed behind him. It was inky black in the interior now with the door shut. The car was jolting into motion. . ‘Pardon me!” said John Bruce a little grimly, and sat down on the back seat. A woman! He had just been able to Make out a woman’s form as he had stepped in. Jt was clever—damned clever! Of both the exquisite M. Henri de La- vergne and the money-lending spider at the other end of this pleasant little jaunt into unexplored Persia! A woman in it—a lur- ing, painted, fair and winsome damsel, no -doubt-—to make the usurious pill of illegal interest a little sweeter! Oh, yes, he quite understood now that warning to beware of the conductor! “TI did not anticipate such charming company,” said John Bruce facetiously. ‘" Have we far to go?” There was no answer, Something like a shadow, deeper than the surrounding blackness, seemed to pass before John Bruce’s eyes, and then he sat bolt upright, startled and amazed. In front of him, let down from the roof of the car, was a small table covered with black velvet, and suspended some twelve inches above the table, throwing the glow down- ward in a round spot of light over the vel- vet surface, was a shaded electric lamp. A small white hand, bare of any ornament, palm upward, lay upon the velvet table-top under the play of the light. A voice spoke now softly from beside him: ' eomiecbooks C©