Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

THE BLONDE JINX. | were in strong contrast to bad traits pos- sessed by Oliver. “Tommy didn’t use to carty much money around with him,” she continued, “ but he’s made a pile lately and last F riday he had more than a thousand dollars in his poke.” Oliver used to carry large sums of money about, too. Now his pockets were empty. He stirred resentfully. ‘“ What’s that lounge-lizard got to do with me?”’ Lois powdered her nose thoroughly and searched her purse for a lip stick. “ Oh, nothing,” she answered indifferently. ‘ Only —Tommy isn’t a blond and you’d get more than a dollar thirty if I led him into a door- way so you could take his roll away from him.” Oliver eyed her with suspicion not un- mixed with hope. ‘“‘ Where did you find that idea?” he asked. “Tt’s a good one, isn’t it?” countered Lois. “ Tommy’s a nice kid and it’s a shame to frame him, but you need the money and—”’ “And, being a blonde, you’d double- cross your best friend if you saw a chance,”’ amended Oliver. ‘* Nothing of the kind!” protested Lois. “Tommy isn’t my best friend and besides —if you don’t get his roll somebody else will. That gang of bootleggers he’s sup- porting think he’s a bank. It would be real charity to save him from a hooch-over headache for a couple of days. You'd get at least a thousand—maybe more.” Oliver gazed into the face of the Metro- politan clock and listened while Lois out- lined the details of her plan. It would be so easy. Tommy would go anywhere she wanted him to go and there were so many dark doorways in New York after the theater crowd had gone home and to bed. There was a peach of a place on F ifty-Fifth Street. Rose Roselle lived on Fifty-Fifth Street, and Lois went to see her now and then. Rose had pointed out this particular hallway as a perfect place for a hold-up. Oliver could go there about one o’clock and wait until Lois led Tommy up the steps, Then Oliver could pull his gun, frisk Tommy and wander away. Oliver heard her to the very end of her plan. The minute hand on the Metropolitan _ ticut or anywhere else with a clock sped from the half hour t tou quarter and the bell chimed its melody. Lois talked rapidly < ¥e Oliver had said he wanted to me a ke | XD stake with his own two hands. — Walle was his chance. | _ “We'll split fifty-fifty on whatever r you get from Tommy,” Lois finished, “ an 1 we ‘ can take the first train for pnnecticu ie: ; get married and go on to Chicago w ere the train starts for California.” | -F . “There’s only about fifty-seven differ arent . things the matter with your scheme,” i said Oliver abruptly. ‘‘ In the first place, you’ 5 a blonde ’—he turned toward her, accusa tion in his eyes, “ and blondes are my jins.” Lois clapped her hat upon her head cover the curls that so aroused his ire. 5. might have known that he would obje to her plan. Men were so set in their tions. Oliver would never believe - blondes weren’t bad luck until she pre it to him, and he wouldn’t give her a cha’ to prove anything. She rose, a “T’ve got to get on the job,” she s lagguidly. “I promised to give a new some pointers on my latest conrad If you change your mind about that s of mine, let me know.” “Pm not going to change ae m answered Oliver. ‘“ The chances anes r take this Tommy guy up to Two Hune and Fifty-#ifth Street. Blondes hi any sense of location.” He piloted h ward the corner to wait for a bus. — you’d just as likely as not bring a] I man along to make sure I did t thoroughly. And—I’m not going to C aba ik. scan F a You’re a good kid, Lois, and you’ ‘Tm not the man.” A bus— stop and Oliver assisted Lois up! Ks ‘* Sorry,” he murmured by way of “but blondes haye me pate brunette.”’ Lois smiled a sad ferewell herself upon the front seat of t she could watch the eae rarging tiated by the driver. — | e€ blonde. So were five out of ties the bus. All’ looked n mon