Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 5, 1921 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

PAWNED. How, then, did Larmon reconcile his res- ervation to terminate the contract.at will and yet furnish his co-signatory with the means of blackmailing him into a continu- ance of it? What would Larmon be like with his back to the wall? What other reservation had been in his mind when he had drawn that bond? And then a queer and bitter smile came to John Bruce’s lips. The god of money! Was he so sure that he was the god and “not the worshipper? Was that it? Was that what Larmon counted upon?—.-that only a fool would risk the sacrifice of the Aladdin’s lamp that had been thrust into his hands, and that only a fool but would devote body and soul to Larmon’s interests under the circumstances! The smile grew whimsical. It was com- plimentary in a sense. It was based on the premise that he, John Bruce, was not a fool. He shrugged his shoulders. Well, therein Larmon was right. It would not be his, John Bruce’s, fault if anything short of death terminated the bond which had originated that tropic night on the moon-lit beach in Samoa three months ago! He looked at his watch. It was nine o’clock. It was still early for play; but it was not so early that his arrival in the New York ‘ branch,” where he had been a constant visitor for the last four nights, could possibly arouse any suspicion, and one’s opportunities for inside observation were very much hetter. ‘ ““Tf I were in England now,” said John Bruce, addressing the chandelier, as he put on a light coat over his evening clothes, ‘I couldn’t get away with this without a man to valet me—-and at times, though he might be useful, he might be awkward. Damned awkward! But in America you do, or you don’t, as you please -and J don’t!” CHAPTER ITT. TUE Jas BRUCE left the hotel and entered MILLIONAIRE PLUNGER, a taxi. A little later, in that once most fashionable section of New York, in the neighborhood of Gramercy Square, he was admitted to a stately mansion hy a white- 303 haired negro butler, who bowed obsequi- ously. Thereafter, for a little while, John Bruce wandered leisurely from room to room in the magnificently appointed house, where in the rich carpets the sound of footsteps were lost, where bronzes and paintings, ex- quisite in their art, charmed the eye, where soft-toned draperies and portiéres were elo- quent of refinement and good taste; he paused for a moment at the threshold of the supper room, whose table was a pro- fusion of every delicacy to tempt the pal- ate, where wines of a vintage that was al- most priceless were to be had at no greater cost than the effort required to lift a beck- oning finger to the smiling ebony face of old Jake, the attendant. And here John Bruce extended a five dollar bill, but shook his head as the said Jake hastened toward him. Later, perhaps, he might revisit the room—when a few hours’ play had dimmed the recollection of his recent dinner, and his appetite was again sharpened. In the card rooms there were, as yet. scarcely any “ guests.” antly with the “ dealers ”—-John Bruce, the millionaire plunger was persona grata, al- most effusively so, everywhere in the house. Lavergne, the manager, as Parisian as he was immaculate from the tips of his patent- leathers to the tips of his waxed mustache, joined him; and for ten minutes, until the other was called away, John Bruce pro- ceeded to nourish the already extremely healthy germ of intimacy that, from the first meeting, he had planted between them. With the manager’s million apologies for the unpardonable act of tearing himself away still sounding in his ears, John Bruce placidly resumed his wanderings. The New York “ branch,” which being inter- preted meant M. Henri de Lavergne, the exquisite little manager, was heavily under- scored on Gilbert Larmon’s black-list! The faint, musical whir of the little tvory ball from the roulette table caught John Bruce’s attention, and he strolled in that direction. Here a “ guest” was al- ready at play. The croupier smiled as John Bruce approached the table. John Bruce smiled pleasantly in return, and sat down. After a moment bs bara sryopaseco He chatted pleas- .