Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

A Hot-Dog common honesty Falworth possesses. Tell me,” she went on thirstily, “‘you know some instances of his slickness in small matters, as well as I do. Does Falworth strike you as a glorified spirit in any sense?”’ The Hot Dog snickered. “N-no,” he admitted, “I c-can’t s-say he does.”’ “Then you grant the possibility,” she urged. The Hot Dog flung himself about exas- peratedly. “Oh, anything is possible,” he admitted unwillingly, ‘“‘b-but—oh, you d-don’t know Falworth!”’ “Jimmy Squires,” she told him solemnly, “‘we’ll both know him better soon.” He looked at her inquiringly. “As your guardian angel, I’m going to take you by the scruff of the neck and de- liver you at the Patent Office at Washington by the next train. Come on!” She urged him toward the door as she spoke. And such was the compelling force of her magnetism and his own bewilderment that he followed her like a pet sparrow down the stairs into the street, having just sense enough remaining to close the door of the taxi behind them as they jumped into it at the corner. This extravagance was not needed, it turned out, for they had to wait an hour at the station before the next trainjwent. Dur- ing that time Miss Dem made a few pun- gent remarks about inventors being the easiest marks. ‘The original gold-bricked rubes from way-back-and-sit-down-ville,”’ as she called them. By the time the train pulled out, the Hot Dog was reduced to meekness and willing to do anything Miss Dem should suggest, though he still clung devotedly to his belief in Falworth. He consoled himself by con- juring up Miss Dem’s chagrin when she found herself in the wrong at the end of their wild and ridiculous journey. They went on the run through the marble aisles of the magnificent Washington sta- tion, and skipped into a taxi. Miss Dem was out almost before it stopped at the Patent Office. She dashed up the steps, smiling grimly to think how unsuspecting Jimmy would take it when he met the false friend there—Falworth could not be much ahead of them, and though she was hazy on the subject, she fancied regis- tering a patent, took time. in a Hurry 185 But alas, for human conjecture! When the very slow official looked the matter up, they learned that Falworth had come and one. : As to Falworth’s formula for the regis- tered invention, it was impossible for them to get even as much as a glimpse of it. It might have been line for line Jimmy’s own process—it might instead have been made up on entirely different lines. And lacking that knowledge they found themselves as much at sea as ever. Was Falworth play- ing false? Was he playing fair? They knew no more than before they came to Washing- ton. When they left the building Jimmy was drooping. Presently he collapsed on a door- step, his face a pale green in color. It trans- pired that he had had nothing to eat that day. Miss Dem, cursing herself for a meddle- some idiot, supported him to the nearest restaurant, where she filled him up with all he could hold, telling him for his pride’s sake that he could pay her back later, and that she would tack on six per cent. for the accommodation. All through the meal she chattered gaily. But she was in the dumps. She had wasted time and money to learn nothing. rg—| IT WAS in a baffled mood they =J climbed aboard the express for home. Jimmy still stubbornly stuck ‘to his belief in Falworth, and was inclined to sulk because of the loss of the afternoon’s work. Miss Dem, too, glowered when she thought of the thousand and one things she had left undone to ‘“‘hunt rabbits’ wings,” her equivalent for the wildest kind of wild- goose chase. As the train slid along she devoted herself to the manufacture of good resolutions for the future. After all, people had to learn their own lessons—to put sticking-plaster on their own scratches. As for the Hot Dog-—— A jar of the brakes that set wheel grinding on track—a terrific crash! Then everything inside the car seemed to come close and topple over. Miss Dem picked herself up from the wreckage of seats and looked about for her companion. : He had catapulted across the aisle. When he met her gaze he crawled cautiously on hands and knees toward her, an expression CoOMmicboooks (CO