Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 13, 1920 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

B04 fully highbrow crowd. Perhaps ”—with a mischievous little upward lift of her lashes —‘‘ perhaps 1 want them to see my new gown!” EEE CHAPTER VI. KISSES AND OLIVES. HAT afternoon Masters stopped at his club after dropping Norine at her apartment. The big lounge was fair- ly well filled, but the first man he saw was Jerry, sitting near the door with a partially emptied glass on the table beside him. Peo- ple wondered just how Jerry Brent had ever been enrolled in this inmost shrine of exclusive maledom. Norine, it was whis- pered, had proved the open sesame at a time when jerry’s uniform as a capiain in the army had tended to help relax social vigilance. “Well! Well!” said ferry, as Masters came up to him. ‘‘ Got a nice kind of feel- ing inside your vest? I have.” “Kind enough, though I’m ready to court-martial myself that I didn’t buy more. I had an argument with my lawyer to-day. He’s got most of my money lying around picking up five or six per cent In- terest, and he’s certain anything better is dangerous.” | ‘“ Have you got the market bug?”’ asked Jerry lazily. “I think I’d like to let my money earn a bit more for me than it’s been doing lately.” “T never let shrugged the other. ‘“T heard some men talking about Byrne Consolidated this morning. Do you think there’s anything in it?” “ Really, I don’t know. I made a pretty good pile in that Steel, and I’m thinking of going in for something bigger than usual.” c¢ Yes?” “New company,” explained ferry. “ Sorry I can’t tell you more about it, but it’s sub-rosa, you understand! So, I can’t talk.” 7 “T see,” nodded Masters. “This is a big thing!” said Jerry. ‘“ Wealthy men concerned in it! My brok- mine rot in banks,” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. er helped me to get in on the ground floor. He’s floating it.” “Mighty nice for you,” said Masters, with a sudden envy for the luck of Jerry Brent with his wide-awake blue eyes, his boyish smile, and his enviable acquaint- anceship among men who knew. An envy not one whit lessened by the fact that Jerry measured his thousands against the more- than-a-million that comprised the Masters fortune. “PH say it is!” Jerry was standing. ‘I want to speak to Mr. Holman. Se- long, Masters! Shall I tip you off if I hear of anything good?” “That would be fine of you!” Masters watched the meeting between the little, bent financier who had come up frorn a clerk’ in a banking office to a man of authority on the Street. He was a gruff man, though he seemed to listen with in- terest ‘to what Jerry had to say. Of their conversation Masters heard. only one phrase clearly, ‘‘ About that Mercer Oil, Mr. Holman!” The young man’s voice lowered a bit more after that. So, that was what Jerry had been talk- ing about, mused Masters, the same thing he had overheard in the hotel lobby that afternoon. And he was to get his slice, lucky dog! Jerry left the club, drawing his fur-lined overcoat closely about his erect shoulders, and entered a taxi. The address he gave was one of those semimodest apartments not far from Fifth Avenue on the East Side. A few minutes later a white-haired maid was conducting him to a small draw- ing-room, correct in period table, dull blue chairs and divan. . Norine appeared an_ instant later. “ Jerry!” she exclaimed, ‘ I’m so glad you came to tell me!” ‘“'We’ve got the devil’s own luck, kid!” He started as though he would draw her to him, but she placed a chair between them, resting her bare arms on its broad back. ‘““ He came to the club?” she asked. “You’d better believe he did!” ‘We overheard a very interesting bit of market talk in the Carleton Lounge,” said Norine with uplifted brows. “Good!” He nodded approvingly at 1A anyiiceLexeye) (E@) Ss (EC) im