The Argosy, March 1907 — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

Me > After the death of the fraudulent Carl Richard Nordinia did not become a republic. The sagacious Baron Zagart sudden- ly bethought him that it would not be a very difficult matter to change the con- stitution of Nordinia so that.a woman could sit upon the throne. ‘This was done despite the protests of the radical party, and the Princess Cornelia became queen. Her marriage to a certain German prince followed soon afterward, and they are very happy. THE ARGOSY. “ Not infrequently they make an excur- sion to a certain cave situated five miles: from Nordin. The princess is very fond of this cave. “If it had not been for that fox run- ning in here,” she sometimes whispers to the prince, “ we might never have learned the truth of that horrible conspiracy, and I might have married the counter- feit king. How I love every inch of this weird spot.” But Ensign Willis, on the other hand, can never think of that cave without a shudder. THE END. ART ON -THE RAMPAGE. BY HOWARD DWIGHT SMILEY. Concerning certain original methods of winning a wager. NE day last summer a lot of us fel- lows were sitting out in front of Joe Beam’s tavern talking over the pos- sibilities of this, that, and the other thing when there came a crash from the bar- room that sounded like a whole shelf full of bottles had broken down. We all piled in to see what the row was, and there in the middle of the floor stood a strange chap with a rock in his hand that he was just going to heave into the big mirror that hung behind the bar. ‘“Hey, what’re you _ trying there?”’ yelled foe, making a dive for him and shaking the rock out of his hand. ‘““T was about to put a finishing touch to that mirror,’ answered the man, wav- ing his hand toward it as he spoke. Joe looked at his glass and promptly froze up like a setter pup pointing a robin. Right smack in the middle of the thing was a smash as big as a water- melon, with cracks radiating from it like the rays of a painted sun. He didn’t wait to ask any more ques- tions, but dug into that stranger so ve- hemently that it at once took the combined efforts of all of the rest of us to save him from immediate and com- plete annihilation. This is no way to treat a gentleman,” to do- he puffed, as soon as we had him and Joe disintegrated. “What'd you break that mirror for then?” demanded Joe. ~The man looked at the glass and then at Joe with a real -pitying expression. ‘Do you think that mirror’s broken?” he -asked. * Think !” yelled ED oreaee Why, darn your hide, I know it’s broken.” “IT am of the opinion that you are laboring under a hallucination.” “ You are, hey? Well, maybe I am, but my eyes ain’t and they say that glass is broken. You broke it and you’re ge- ing to pay for it.” “My dear sir, I assure you that you are mistaken. I have splendid eyesight myself, and I am quite certain that, with the exception of the dirt and grime, your mirror is without a flaw, crack, or blemish.” [I saw Joe begin to soften. brother in the asylum. “Oh, that’s all right, old man,” he said. Of course it ain’t broken. Make yourself comfortable until your friends or keeper arrive.” “Oh, you needn’t think I am crazy,” snapped the man with asperity. “I can see that you don’t believe what I tell you. Wouldn’t you like to bet some- thing that it is broken?” He has a EOPMIGLOOO© <S=GO