Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

Ii 408 ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. his master’s chair and delivered himself of a quantity of the English which he had learned at the mission. “Marshter, I telling true thing. This one verree high class gentleman; rupees he got like bug on damn nigger fellow’s coat. From long distance—America—coming and tell only for see marshter.” Smith stared motionless into space for three full minutes. Then at last his lips moved as an oracle might speak. “Ow jehannum!” he said without pas- sion; which is good Arabic and comes from the same root as Gehenna. The boy salaamed gratefully and pleaded further. “But please, marshter, this feller making superior business talk. Plentee rupees you get.” Thus adjured, Smith remained rapt in the contemplation of a hazy infinite. The boy salaamed again and withdrew—but no further than behind the curtain of his master’s room. After a blankness of meditation which lasted an hour, some germ of an impression seemed to have made its way into the giant mind. Smith rose suddenly and made his way with the accuracy of a sleep-walker along certain corridors. Instantly his boy was at his heels, skilfully directing his steps; and presently he darted to the front and drew. aside a curtain. Within the room so unceremoniously in- vaded sat a gentleman whose first impres- sion was cigar, whose second was fat gold chain, and whose third was kéen business. The gentleman showed neither surprise nor annoyance at the invasion; he was used to the queerest-looking people inthe world with the most staggering manners bursting into his presence unannounced. In fact, he was looking for such people; for he was a vaudeville manager. Smith stood in the doorway and gazed at the man with wall-eyed gravity for three long minutes. Then he raised an unwaver- ing finger at him. “You go to ’ell!” he announced momen- tously; and he executed an about-face with military precision. _— But the vaudeville man was a@¢customed to dealing with temperaments which were very much more startling than Smith’s; artistic temperaments had been one of his daily trials for many years, and he had a long experience in not letting a “‘ find ” get away from him. He made a-bound for the door, skilfully twisted his caller’s maneuver into a com- plete turn, deftly piloted him imto a chair, and with the grace of a conjurer produced a selection of cigars. Smith’s astonishment at the swift efficiency of the gentleman from the other side was such that he stayed where he had been put. The genial one lit a cigar for himself, then another for Smith, and plunged into his business. “Now, then, Mr. Smith, here’s my propo- sition. I’m here looking for good head-line stuff; ’n I’ve heard a whole lot about this classy dancer who’s making such a splash in some back-woods Hindu temple around here. Now back in the States we’ve had a raft o’ phony princesses from the Jersey side who’ve got nothing except a good press agent; an’ I’m ready to gamble that the genuine article properly handled will pull a high number in the three figures a week. How ’bout it?” ~ “YVuss,’” said Smith ponderously. “ Ho yuss. Five ’undred rupees.” “Oh, sure,” the manager agreed. ‘‘Only Id make it dollars; and that’s goin’ some for a one-girl dance specialty these days. Now the way I dope it out, these temple janes are kinder prisoners, so to speak; their makin’s goes to the management, an’ all they-get is their keep. So I’m figurin’ that this queen will be tickled stiff to come to a free country where her salary is her own—of course, I’m entitled to a fair com- mission for my risk, an’—”’ Smith interrupted him, solemnly weary of all this‘ unnecessary talk. “Five ’undred rupees I calls fair.” “Oh, I guess I’m entitled to more than that, Mr. Smith; all expenses, press stuff, railroading an’ all\that coming out o’ my pocket. But she’ll-get a square deal from me; I’m no cheap John agent, I wanna tell you. Now, see here. If you'll take up this job I'll pay you your own figure an’ ex- penses on the side. Whatever graft any- body’s got to get is covered by—” Once again Smith interrupted the voluble ConmicooolkS.conn