Adventure Magazine Cover — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

Henery’s Literary Success _ “No! It’s all lies, lies from beginning to end!” declared Captain Moses, breathing hard. ‘There you are, then!” said the journal- ist. “If you want to claim that this article means you, why just say so, and we’ll send for the police and you can settle it in court. And if you didn’t do these things, like ma- king a poor boy polish brass-work till he got bright green all over from blood-poisoning, why, then, this article doesn’t mean you, and I wouldn’t let it annoy me, you know.” ~ “Annoy us!’’gasped Mr. Bowsun. “Don’t you tell me I’m annoyed! Annoyed! Why, that’s a insult!” “Come away, Bill, come away,” ex- claimed Captain Moses with somber dig- nity. ‘‘We’ll go to this Miss Gruel and get hold of Henry.” “That’s right, gentlemen,” said the edi- tor with sudden enthusiasm. ‘‘ You see her, and if you get away with her, you let me have your pictures and I'll print ’em on the first page!” Captain Moses and Bill Bowsun earnest- ly implored the editor to make a certain journey. Then they tracked Miss Grool’s address to its lair in the directory and bearded her in her den. As they entered the den they felt sure that they spied the manly form of Henry Moses vanishing into a rear den; but all their indignation was unavailing to extract anything from Miss Grool. At last Mr. Bowsun’s precariously sustained patience gave way and he burst forth wistfully, “I wish you was a man!” “Don’t let that interfere!” replied Miss Grool politely. ‘I’m equal to any man.” “Equal to any man!” repeated Mr. Bow- sun, backing to the door as if he were cho- king for fresh air; “‘equal toany man! Miss Porridge, leastwise Puddin’, you’re equal to a whole ship’s crew o’ men, and them the most aggrawatin’ kind!” As the door closed behind them, their alert ears heard a faint snigger that was the unmistakable snigger of Henry Moses. “Wait till we get hold on him!” an- nounced Bill Bowsun. ‘‘Let’s hurry to the police!”’ “And get our names in the paper?”’ in- quired Captain Moses. “It’d ruin us, and what could we do? Let him alone for a while and we'll think up something. For the time being, he’s safe, that’s one com- fort. I’ve been real worried about Henry, Bill.”’ 671 ‘Me, I’m worried a whole lot more about M4 P] = him now,” responded Mr. Bowsun malevo- lently. sai fancy made increasing flights, and the articles pictured so many utterly lost villains, with so many distinctly personal attributes of Captain Moses and his Mate, that self-respect forbade them from read- ing newspapers in each other’s presence. In privacy, however, they read every line of Miss Grool’s articles until at last Mr. Bowsun began to have grave fears that he would lose his mind. About this time, Henry, emerging from the apartment house for recreation after his literary labors, dodged back only just in time to escape the grip of two immense hairy hands. He escaped to the flat and peered from the window to see the immense and hairy owner of the hands waiting patiently below, with his eyes fixed on the door. An hour later the avenging Mr. Bowsun was waiting still. Dusk came, and Mr. Bowsun was immovable, a fixed part of the municipal scenery, waiting with the implacable pa- tience of a heart that treasures up a wrong. Henry’s mind, dwelling on the waiting avenger, lacked its wonted spring that eve- ning when Miss Grool sat down to continue the sad story of his young life. His flow of invention ceased spasmodically. He re- frained from telling her about the vigil be- low; but she discovered it herself when she happened to glance from the window. ‘“That’s the man that came to see me with another man—a little one,” she said. ‘“‘T wonder what he’s doing here.” ‘““He’s been hangin’ around for a couple of days,” said Henry, instantly awake to opportunity. ‘“‘ Maybe he’s mad on account of the things you’re writing.” “They were angry, those two,” reflected Miss Grool aloud. “That’s true—so angry they didn’t even tell me who they were. I wonder whether he means harm.”’ Henry shook his head gravely, as one who does not know but fears the worst. Miss Grool was not a timid creature; but when an hour passed and Mr. Bowsun still re- mained at anchor in the offing, she called up the police on the telephone. Mr. Bowsun’s first intimation of disturb- IV DURING the next days Henry’s COMICLOOCKKS. CO