Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 163: what you’re looking at

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

a giving the door a violent slam. inkel whistled thoughtfully as he re Moved the grease paint. What ailed Kin- wa’ Why the irritation at this perfectly lal conduct as he walked to the hotel. ihe street was crowded with bundle-laden ‘shor bers, floppers, newsboys, and the usual flotsam and jetsam of a big city. Suddenly _he stiffened like a pointer sighting a covey of quail. Right ahead of him was Kinkel, _ and he was with a lady. The lady was _ Dotty Tremaine. The piot jellies. _ Kunkel trailed behind the couple, and _ every few seconds he wiped the perspira- _ tion from his brow. A man recovers from __ the smallpox or a broken leg; but falling _ for a skirt has put many an empire on the bum. His worst fears were realized when he saw his quarry enter an eating place. Jt was the best restaurant in town too. ____ Kinkel was clearly hooked. Never before __ kad he been known to purchase food for _ anybody but himself; and never for himself in a first-class establishment. ‘That evening Kunke! reached the theater early, and at once made his way to Bill ir. MacNutt was a sturdy man who lad appeared before the public for a number years. His conversation during perform- ‘was the “understander” of “ The \ding MacNutts,” a troupe of acrobats and favorably known in both hemis- Probably the fact that he was un- talk while on the stage rendered him 1,” began Kunkel. “ You y Tremaine over in Engiand, ». That gal’s some asked to a break between Damon and Pyt - Ly MS = 4 —_ og kd a a -e ~—ARGUSY. 4 PY” ‘EE Pa 4 £. 7 2 wouldn't say Ne oe Say she’s a weat I call a anacclll 6 husbands ‘that I know of. Prob’ty there Was more. Always had bad hick with flee One committed suicide, another Was a ani- fast ae ers Sn wound up inside Lon. The ast one was Teeters. Course have got Poser on wel that 7 an years ago. You might have knowed this Teeters. He was over here "bout ten Vears ago—played the Orpheum time. Big tall fellow, with a mustache an’ goatee. People used to tum around an’ rubber at him, he looked so much like the devil. He was one of the best jugglers im the business. Billed himself as Bozo, the Demon Prestidigitator. Remember him?” “Don't think I said Kunkel, “Where is he now?” “ That’s hard to say. Near the tail end of the war he went over to France with one of them entertainment units. He was walkin’ down the street one day, an’ the Dutch dropped a‘ Jack Johnson ’ alongside of him. When the smoke cleared away there was no sign of Bozo. So people naturally figured he’d gone away some wheres.” Kunkel returned to his dressing-room and mechanically made ready for the eve- ning performance. After all the years of peace and quiet, Delilah had Samson in the toils. The Serpent was in the Garden. It’s an old truism: the older they are the harder they fall. Kinkel’s infatuation was the talk of the theater. He dined and lunched his fair charmer: he lavished boxes of candy, and flowers galore. “‘ She'll have him jumpin’ through the hoop an’ playin’ dead,” was Bill MacNutt's gloomy prediction. “It's about an even bet he marries her in Buffalo next week.” Kunkel viewed the situation with anguish, but there was nothing he could do. Kinkel had been of age for many years, and pre- sumably had cut all his eye-teeth. Many a theatrical team has been wrecked by feminine wiles. A dissolution of Kinkel and Kunkel would be a catastrophe akin 2 aPriy , / i ») do, eer smith Drot She's had four omicbooks.com