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Show -V-ffc HEY say that 150,000 iS Ca5 wA different ' men have irh "1 CAi sought a patent on ( ) I . ?.L contrivances for sep-j sep-j arating cream from vy Viv? slummed milk. But IJT there is no patent applied ap-plied for on the 150,-000 150,-000 different ways of separating a sucker from his bank roll. The most cunning modiste has not studied the weaknesses of women with one-tenth the zeal and insight with which - the trimmers have worked out the frail-Ljv frail-Ljv . ties of men. They have found and developed de-veloped and played upon and preyed upon every slant psychologic, psyco-pathic, psyco-pathic, inherent, cultured, universal, ' special, physical, mental, temperamental, laudable, filthy, natural, unmentionable. Innocent, vicious that adorns or taints the makeup of a human being. Fear has been one of their greatest and most enduring materials the armed a holdup its zenith of employment; greed has been even more potent, the thousand gambling games and get-rich schemes feeding on it; vice has delivered from the first and to the last, men always willing to buy at premium prices what they would not take as a gift; sympathy has yielded billions in alms and charity grafts; but woman yes, the gentle one we read of has always been and is today to-day the surest duck-call, the best bet, the safest risk in the whole malodorous calendar of tricks to gouge the unearned increment from the sleek side of the fallible male. We may recall, though we shall not - describe, the historic panel game. It ' told long after the gold brick had tarnished tar-nished and green goods had grown gray. ,7 It sold because its initial feature contemplated con-templated that a man would be lured by a pretty girl,, a pretty girl who led him to believe he had fascinated her. But for that specially built rooms were required, and they are unwieldy. So a slightly amended system was conceived, con-ceived, similar in all (essential philosophies, philoso-phies, and it is called the "badger tame." By its basic fundamentals it is fruit-fiil fruit-fiil and it Is generally safe. The man is nailed because the girl consents to his advances, makes him think he has "won" her and enters with him into clandestine KUilt or a promising approach thereto; - find it seldom brings a "comeback," because be-cause its final operation is such that by the same blackmailing token whereby the victim gives up his money he hushes his mouth it is because he fears the eyes and ears of men that he "comes across," so he is more inclined to be grateful for the silence that he has bougfht than to give way to a passion for vengeance, justice or even restitution. restitu-tion. . All this being so, we need not delve deeper into the reasons for, the occur--. ronces hereinafter detailed, except to observe ob-serve that Dixie Clayton was petite, auburn-haired, up-nosed, utterly fetching and desirous of acquiring money in chunks. DTXtB had been a chorus girl, but that palled. She bad indulged a scries of affairs which failed to interest her severely and failed to enrich her en-. en-. lirely. She lived In a faultless family hotel. Her expenses were high. She began be-gan to look around. In a tango resort she had met Kelly McCallum, known to a few exclusive de-lectlve de-lectlve agencies as "Do Luxe Edition jMc." Detective agencies have their classes as markedly as debutantes, uni- , versitles, theaters and steamboats. The " reason that the high-class detectives knew McCallum was that he had brought them high-class clients whom he had "worked" with the gilt-edge' book . ,. swindle. He had never served his country In a cell. Several times he had been run out, of prosperous communities. But he had always escaped prosecution because his victims had no itch for publicity. McCallum was big, well dressed and engaging. Dixie wa little, bewitching and idle. So they naturally fell together and formed a co-partnership to operate oper-ate a trimming and fleecing business. For several days . Dixie had noticed Jhat Malcolm Murdock, a middle aged ' merchant who lived in the hotel, was eyeing her with looks that said, "Gee! Peach!" She contrived to bump against him at the desk. He apologized. She said it was all right. He walked with her to the elevator. Twenty minutes later, after he had thought it all over, ;he phoned her. She was shocked and startled. But she would meet him in the cafeoh, just for a minute; just for a minute only, as she always retired early. ; Murdock made his play clumsily hut broadly. He had a wife n another city. He did not dodge that fact. But h - sensed that Dixie was no baby, even if fine was young and tiny, so she would understand, eh? She said she didn't. He smiled awkwardly and said well, when they got better acquainted She picked up her handkerchief and """ v aid she would have to go now. But she j agreed to have dinner with him on the morrow. Dixie did have dinner with him next day. But she had breakfast with McCallum. Mc-Callum. And she gave It to him that this evidently prosperous and promising party with the bald head and the big-spectacles big-spectacles was hooked. McCALLUM went to Dixie's room five minutes after she went down to dinner. He opened the window catch to the fire escape and let himself out there. Then he pulled the window almost al-most all the way down and stood out upon the escape, waiting. Pixie came to the table weeping. Murdock was all anxiety and curiosity and sympathy. What was it what was eating the heart of the pretty little one? wouldn't weep for nothing. Come, now wouldn't she tell good old Malcolm? A friend in need was a hungry grizzly bear compared with him in sympathetic humor. hu-mor. He would rave her or cheer her or help her or what could he do for her? Hesitatingly and reluctantly she let out the secret. She had a husband a big brute of a man whom she had married mar-ried when she was 36; he had drugged her. She had never lived with him a moment after she came to and realized that such a union was more unholy than than than she didn't know what. But the big brute was infatuated with her. He was ghastly jealous, too. She had come to this town to get away from him. She thought she had escaped him. But she had just received a letter warning warn-ing her that he had found out what city she had fled to and was on the way. He would arrive day after tomorrow, she calculated. And where would 3he fly to? Where would she find sanctuary? Where, indeed? Why, in the next nearest, town, where Murdock had to be on business the end of that week. It was just the place. She thanked him for this inspired suggestion sug-gestion and said she would go upstairs and think it over. Oh, dear all her happiness was ruined now. She would fret and worry until she got away. She hated the thought of going up to her lonely room, to sit there all alone and shudder. Murdock coughed. He rubbed his Index In-dex finger down between his collar and his neck. He cleared his windpipe. He thought that - if well, in that event-why, event-why, that being the case, he that is, if she wasn't afraid of him he'd come up with her. Hum. Could he? Tluh? Ye?? Of course .she would shrink from the suggestion; it was only natural that she should. But it would be all right.' It ' would be perfectly all right. They could leave the door open. They She laid her little hand on Ins big hand, quite unconsciously, in a climax of trepidation and confusion. He looked slyly into her eye. It was consent. It was at least acquiescense. He to.ssed the waiter a double tip and led her from the room. Up to her landing land-ing they rode, she with head hanging, he Irving to conceal from the foxy elevator boy that he had something up his sleeve. "Half a minute," he whispered in her ear. She got out, he rode two floors higher to the one where his room was situated, let the elevator slip away, then beat it for the stairs and made the two flights on the jump. She was just turning turn-ing up the lights In her room when he bounded in behind her. The proviso about leaving the door ajar was violated In his absent-minded eagerness to console. con-sole. He kicked" it shut with his foot. There she stood, a forlorn littlo creature, crea-ture, melancholy, alone, so little, so sad --and oh! how pretty! He walked to her. He reached for her hands. She shivered-then she let him take them. "Here," she said with quavering voice, as she led him toward her dresser! "Here is the picture, of the big brute." , And she showed him a splendid cabinet cab-inet likeness of McCallum. Murdock contemplated the picture, then tosucd it on the dresser and said: "Never mind the ugly beast, girlie. "We'll get you away where he'll never, never find a single hair of your pretty head." And he eased his hand around until he had his arm about her waist. She snuggled against him, her tumbled tum-bled red hair against his chest, almost without a motion. She just seemed to mold there. They were silent for a moment. mo-ment. Then she said, chokingly: "Oh, if you only knew if you knew what a terrible man he is," p.i:d sho waved toward where the phoiog7v;t i.iid been pitched. "He he " "Yes, child. He what?" "He k-killed a man once!" "No:" "Yes. He put up a crooked --:-- of self-defense, or the unwritten lav.-, or fiomething, and they freed him. I gues?, though, he hilled him for money. lie never made an honest dollar in his life. He is a grafter and "a crook. He would peddle his mother for money. U Is the only thing on earth he loves. Ho wants me. But, what he really worships money. And he will stop at nothing to get it. He is a desperate scoundrel and money is his god. Money money nothing noth-ing will appease him except moneyl Oh, if 1 could tell you how miserable F am " Ho slipped his other arm up That rne went around her neck. He turned her ahout. She pressed her chic fw.ee into his bosom and wept upon it. He hesM her close, then closer. She laised her tear-run face. She looked up into hi eves. He did what any rummy would hae done then and there he reached down and kissed her. He held his lips -to her She emotionally responded. f-iO PPFOCCUPIED and concentrated S i thi fii7'v business was he that he Murdoch was all anxiety and enri-osiiy. enri-osiiy. What was it what was eating the heart of the pretty Utile one? " (1 aid she would have to go now. But she j would be perfectly all right. They could v -" fS Murdoch was all agreed to have dinner with him on the leave the door open. They A A XNV - fjf ' anxietv and curi- morrow. She laid her little hand on his big j .) y li if'' Dixie did have dinner with him next hand, quite unconsciously, in a climax a jlj jj ' ' osity. What was it day. But she had breakfast with Mc- of trepidation and confusion. He looked W ' "' y . v what was eating Callum. And she gave it to him that slyly into her eye. It was consent. U i " v the heart of the this evidently prosperous and promising was at least acquiescense. J f pretty little one? party with the bald head and the big He to.ssed the waiter a double tip and if, - j If spectacles was hooked. led her from the room. Up to her land- j C j ' ' ing they rode, she with head hanging, he l Vv. v trying to conceal from the foxy elevator ' ' Kv." j jj - McCALLUM went to Dixie's room boy that he had something up his sleeve. (Tjn ' " ' T five minutes after she went down "Half a minute" he whispered in her 1 j 'fad yfH , jf j j to dinner. He opened the window catch ear She got out' he rodo tTV0 floor3 1 M ffe il I if. ij & V, to the fire escape and let himself out hie'her to the one where his room 'a3 1 If t V . UVi ' p jj Ij M' there. Then he pulled the window al- situated, let the elevator slip away, then ,i j fi( j J f i - ' most all the way down and stood out beat 11 for the stairs and made the two " ! t , -IJi Hj i; I ! ; j A ' upon the escape, waiting. fliht3 on the jump" She 3 jUst tun- j j, $ ! j; 8 T ' ' 'A'- Pixie came to the table weeping. ins up hts In her room when he j- M ; M il Murdock was all anxiety and curiosity bounded i behind her. The proviso . . j IS j ; W 1 ! n. j i j and sympathy. What was it-what was about leaving the door ajar was violated :j ' j jl j. MJ ' g' . ''X- eating the heart of the pretty little one? i , ij i tjj S jjSl ij f i ) oh, nothing. j 1- -1?? I f IS-t J 1 ;i I ; !' But it must be something. She f ' , j i ; U'S Ij '- ?i jf TftfcVKw V l vw.tS S ' I if:- ha-" done then and there he reached did not hear a window go up and a big ' jtfSf BAffya 'SBf J !! ' 1 H I down and kissed her. He held his Hps man step down to the floor. But he heard ! a"v SV f 4'-' ' 1 : i ' j ' to her She emotionally responded. and he let go with the recoil of a steel :.fVt IV. f, i S spring when a deep voice behind him 'Zi iJ 1 r f I U t I I no PPFOCCIPIED and concentrated erowled out of the stillness: & WV"V7 (I ( i I I i iU l O th business was he that he "What the hell is this?- fe 'II) In hia absent-mindcl eagerness to con- UA-'l) V fj ' K0,e- 1:18 klckeri' it ft with his foot. H I iil H( Wm5s'-f V - ""'e' n,elancho,3'. one. so little, o sad ; . H liU llLlf$C $fW0:!2&i ' -and oh! how pretty! 'HIM (W-Z0H WMfo He wa.kcd to her. He reached for ! !j jl W 0X1 Wi) her hands. She shiv.r.rt.h- -u. ... .' f f !,. f I . ! WMLJ did not hear a window go up and a big man step down to the floor. But he heard and he let go with the recoil of a steel spring when a deep voice behind him erowled out of the stillness: "What the hell is this?" ilurdi . C;;., ,o ' . ' filter, mmm j'mmj - j ; . 1 V Dixie. ' . ' He spun around. Advancing: on him. with a bis. black masazine revolver in his protruding rig-lit hpnd. came the big man whose picture iie had seen tiiat girl's criminal husband, the killer, the lawless brute. The girl, with a cry. ran behind the bed and quivered and cowered there. "J'll settle with you later," balked the intruder, as he punctuated his words at her witli the blowhole of his menacing "But I'll take tiiis skunk now!" weapon. And he bounded after Murdock, who backed futilely against a wall. "I'm going to kill you, you big slob!" roared McCallum. "That girl is my wife. Do you hear m5? My wife! She didn't expect me, I guess. But I'm onto her cheating ways. So she had you up here in her roorr behind closed doors, kissing and hugging:, eh? By jimminy, I'll " From behind the bed came a wailinj shriek. "Oh, don't, Jim! For God's sake, don't kill him!" "You shut up!" snapped McCallum, waving his free hand at her as though to emphasize his command, but never taking his eye or his muzzle oft Murdock, Mur-dock, whotood flat against the extremity, extrem-ity, his teeth chattering, his face like cigaret ashes. "Save yourself!" cried the girl to Murdock. "Offer him money. He'll do anything for money. I know him. Offer him -" "What's that?" interjected McCallum. Then, looking into Murdock's face: "Yes, for money I might let you live, you blubbering boob. How much have you got?" "About eight hundred," chattered Murdock. "Let's see it." Murdock reached in ague into his pocket and drew out a wallet. AlcCalium snatched it out of his hand and flung it open. He knelt on the floor, still holdiug the revolver in his right hand, nppoint-ed, nppoint-ed, and counted eight hundred and fourteen four-teen dollars. He stuffed it into his pocket. He handed the billfold back to Murdock. Then he crossed and whipped open the door. "Get out!" he snarled. Murdock waited not. But in the doorway door-way he turned to dart a look at the poor little thing behind the bed. "Don't you worry over her," said McCallum Mc-Callum significantly. "I'll take care of " her, all right. She'll get hers." And he slammed the door, slamming Murdock out with it. The merchant lost no time sneaking to his own room to tremble for little Dixie's fate and mumble his prayers. "What was that you said?" asked Dixie in a calm voice. "You said I'd get mine and you'd take care of me?" "I did," said McCallum. "Here's yours $107. Now you're taken care of." Copyright, 1010, by J. KccleyJ FRIENDSHIP By Frank C. Reightor X7 ITHTN the- storehouse of our hearts we place our friends; And friends are not juat those to whom we say A blank and cheerless "Howdy-dedo ?" whose coldness blends Willi those v.-ho merely pass the time of day. The consciousness of love doth weld and ' mold as ore The hearts of those v.-here friendship doth abide; And joy eternal is the recompense, anc none Their fuilc.-l measure e'or shall ' b-denied. b-denied. No mortal con nterfeit or ;:!iam shall e'er de ceive ; No seeming sense of y doubt bhatl e'er cf- fend. . f'uL on the perfect loom of !'fs each one shall vca1, e The -aj'n of bro! her with the woof of friPiid. And from this cloih aha 11 clurity for each one CA make "The undivided garment" fit and free; And man with eye-to-ey so clear hhall in the wake Of honor, friendship, love find liberty. |