Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

a > | “SS . — a aoa = = a a So as 0 ‘| By HARRY B. SMITH Author of *‘ Robin Hood,’’ ‘‘ Rob Roy,’’ etc. CHAPTER X. A SURPRISE—-AND A SHOCK, BOUT a month after the banquet, Seumas Shayne’s. novel, “ Dancing Dolls ”—by-” Roddy Blythe—was published “ with illustrations by the au- thor ”—the work of Ted Chaworth. Even before it was reviewed, the book was in demand, and the sale started off nicely, on account of the author’s reputation as a com- poser and dramatist. It had been out for only a fortnight when somebody discovered that it was ‘a mischievous and demoraliz- ing book,” and this caused it to attract the attention of a Society for the Promotion of Vice, or something of the sort. The joyful publisher made the most of this, and soon long lines of people waiting at the desks in the public libraries were told that the novel was not obtainable. Those who worried about the morals of the community wrote letters to the press denouncing the book as one that was likely to have a most pernicious influence. It was thought disgraceful that such a work should be placed in the hands of the youth of cur fair land, and it was claimed that the rising generation should be shielded from all knowledge of our best society as exploited in “ Dancing Dolls.” Naturally these in- dignant letters were not published by news- papers that have learned to avoid competi- tion with their own advertising depart- This. story began in the Argosy-Allstory Weekly for February 9. ee wt, — ce ee gO ee ee eS ee i, er 243 COMME NOC) (E@) . BP OP As Fy Mee PPADS)