Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

Age te Ga - Pe “+ THE LEDBURY FIST. promise that he guaranteed the success of their mysterious Pierrots. ‘Good old Jimmy—of course it will! Don’t forget—ten o’clock to-morrow night, box No. 1o on the loggia floor. Give each man you ask the box number.” Jimmy left them and his frame of mind was none too easy. This party had been planned weeks ago, and in the stress of cir-. cumstances he had forgotten all about it. His code forbade him to let down Lois and. Margery, but it promised to be a very near thiag. Time was so short, and he hadn’t asked a single soul as yet. Dick’s trouble had put the whole thing out of his head un- til this afternoon, when he happened to re- call it and went flying around to Wilton Place, hoping devoutly that by some lucky chance there had been a hitch in the girl’s plans. But he might have known better. Lois and Margery were not the sort of girls who plan failures. Jimmy ticked off on his fingers all the things he had to do, but the most important of them all was to find four men, besides himself, ready and willing to be mysterious Pierrots. Much as he loathed the idea, he said to himself that if only he could get them he would promise to pay for their tickets. and treat them—moderately—to. champagne at supper. Of course Mr. Love- day’s box was an attraction. Jimmy Creigh belonged to five clubs and he ranged them all that evening. Two of them were quite frivolous clubs which spe- cialized in dinners and dancing, but he caught nothing at those two. Everybody he knew who could go and had planned to do so, was already promised to a partner or a party. He thought desperately of ask- ing somebody he didn’t know, but on the whole that was too risky. Not in these days. At the staidest of his clubs he found one - man, a dull dog of an under-secretary every- body dodged as the world’s prize bore, who professed a willingness to be a mysterious Pierrot. Jimmy had seized upon him as a last hope. After all, the Hon. Mr. Watson Clinks was eminently “nice” — Lois couldn’t object to him on that score—and he said he could dance. It was quite certain none of their gay crowd would ever guess who he was. As Jimmy was concluding negotiations with Mr. Watson Clinks, the hall porter ap- peared to tell him that he was wanted on the telephone. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. U aj U U PERHAPS! MARY JANE, I knew and loved you 3 You wore a gingham gown; Beneath your pink sunbonnet’s brim Your April eyes looked down. Of all the arts that break men’s hearts, Nothing at all you knew, And when we parted—on a day-— I first-—and last—kissed you! The latest thing in Paris hats, The costliest silks you wear; And diamonds glitter on your hands— Like fireflies in your hair! You chose of old ’twixt love and gold, But could you choose again, I think you’d choose the country lad You flouted then! R. E. Alexander. Gomme JOO