Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

310 “Then right here, where the old wheel was, we’ll put a pool table. And over here —TI believe this is where the mechanical piano stood—and I hear Doxey’s taken it up to the Baptist church. MHere’s where you can put a few marble-top tables for soda and ice cream. You can supervise that part of it. ‘In plain terms, I’m going to set you up in business—and as I said when I first met you, it’s going to be a pure business proposition. I’m not taking all the money and paying you a salary—we're going fifty- fifty. I can see money in it—big money. “Ym naturally a business man, and I think in terms of big money—none of this chow cart stuff! We’re going to open up a@ community center, as you might say.” “Tt sounds good.” “‘You’re on, then?” There was no hesitation on the part of Hallie. There was no possible argument, because they had the right on their side. Dan Crockett would vouch for it! Hallie considered the whole proposition a piece of extraordinary luck—the kind of luck her father was known to have when the wheel was running in the old days. “Of course I’m on,” she replied. ‘Well, then, there remains but one thing more,’ Hayden announced. He stepped out to his little car, and a moment later returned with a curious-looking suit case, black with brass corners. ‘A little side line of mine,” he said; “a great success among the farmers of the Kansas prairies. In this satchel I have the key, not only to the past—to the scenes which once made this gaming den the glory of Arizona; but it is a key to all the ro- mance of the world—to all the voices, from the smallest to the greatest, from the ugliest to the most beautiful! “With the instrument I have in this satchel you can enchant the hearts of ail the men in Sun-up as the pied piper of Hamelin drew about him a whole city of children. You can work upon them as Or- pheus, playing his lute, worked upon the hearts of the beasts of the forest; you can calm the savage within the breasts of these rugged frontiersmen as David calmed the brutish soul of King Saul. To be brief, I ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. will say that in this suit case I have a cer- tain merchandise which Orsino called the ‘food of love’!” He opened the lock and threw back the leather cover with a flourish. “Why, it’s only a phonograph!” the girl cried. ‘“'Yes—only a little tin phonograph with ahorn! That’s all this box contains. But what a wretched way of phrasing it: only a phonograph! ‘What does this little sombrero you are wearing, and this little frock, and those lit- tle high-laced boots—what does this outfit contain? Only a woman! ‘“‘ And this broken bottle underneath the bar rail? What did it contain? Only wine! ‘‘ And what does this satchel contain? Only song! ‘““ All the laws of the world cannot pre- vail against these three—no, nor against any two of them. And we’ve got the two most important—woman and song! It is all that is needed to set the town of Sun- up burning!” ‘Well, look here, mister!” the girl laughed. ‘“ I must say old Mr. Doxey was pretty wise when he refused to give me a job. When my ma said Sun-up was a quiet place, and that I’d be safe, I guess She didn’t figure I was elected to set the town on fire!” “‘ Well, I take that as a verbal contract.” ‘“* Here’s my hand.” As they shook hands the bleached, dried- up house reéchoed with the lush voices of four negroes. The phonograph was offer- ing a tantalizing mixture of coon-shouting and close harmony: “They have taken her to Georgia for to wear her life away, As she toils in the cotton and the cane!” Both listened — an innate rapture per- vading the girl, awakening her just as the harmony awoke the dead echoes of that old den. “One night I went to see her, but ‘She’s gone,’ the neighbors say, The white man’s bound her with his chain!” ‘A simple and heartrending ditty,” Fred Hayden commented. ‘ But wait. Shed no COMmiclboo (©