Evening Star Newspaper, September 6, 1925, Page 46

- THE SUNDAY i | The Borgia Touch B HE whole Riviera from Heres to Monaco lay basking in a glorious flood of spring sun. shine. The mimosa was in full bloom and the flowering shrubs from the villas around Cap Martin shook their voluptuous fra grance into the softly moving air. From her balcony, Judith leaned, in an exquisite neglige, and sang joy fully the strain of the Neapolitan ditty which was then the air of the moment in the cafes—a song of love, and flowers, and passion. She looked over her shoulder and called back through the French windows ‘Hurry, Joseph! I've something to show vou.” Londe presently turned his face seawa and drew in a long breath of the lemon.scented air. Afterward he looked down at the little quay, close to which a yacht lay at anchor The south wind has gone, then he observed, with satisfaction. I like it hetter when the Judith lies close at_hand. ““Pooh! forget.” He turned and seated himseif at the round breakfast table whose dainty appurtenances glittered in the sunlight. “Well, what is it you w me?" he asked absently wa curve of Judith’s white arm lifted the coffee pot With the other hand she pushed an_illustrated paper to him and pointed proudiy to the open page. Me!" she exclaimed What do vou think of me, Joseph? Am I not beautiful?” He stared at the fulllength picture for a moment, blankly It was a photograph of udith. taken at a happy moment—Judith. exquisitely gowned, brilllant, happy. appeared. He 1 for a moment she laughed. “You never to show hing the us she across hér. It was entitled— Mrs. Broadbent and the Vicomte d’Aix. on the tennis courts at Mdnte Carlo.® You let them take this” tered, staring at the picture. Why not”" she answered happily “See how beautiful 1 look. Joseph ‘How shall you like to wear the asylum clothes again®' he asked roughly. “Asylum! Joseph, riblel” she exclaimed “I mean it,” he went on shaking with suppressed anger. “Coarse flannel next vour skin, a a bath with vellow soap once a week She began to sob. She was like & child who has been scolded ‘Don’t you suppose they'll see that picture in London. now that we are back in Mont he went on bluntiy Don't You remember that we have enemies, the business of whose Hfe it s track us down? Worton through whom I might have been a sane man at this moment, if vou hadn't interfered. with vour accursed susceptibility—Worton and the grub- bing_cipher reader, who escaped at the last moment. and the girl who had a father. - he mut don’t be hor. his voice * x x HD(\X T vou know they are hunt ing for us, all of them? They are fools, but even fools blunder into success sometimes. They were here Jooking for us. only in January, be- cause of that affair of the young man We have had a rest—iwo months, practically in hiding. Now, directly we get back again where there are xome interests in life for me, vou beckon to them, back in England. to come and start the chaseagain. You e She. sprang away from him beautiful eyes were still w tears and her lips guivering “1. am very sorry, Joseph.” she sohbed. ‘You know that sometimes I don't think. It seems to get more difficult every day. and I cannot re- member. Of course it was very foolish of me. That awful place! It comes back to me now. ‘Horrible!” She wrung her hands. plated her with gloomy Her agony pleased him “You're getting worse,” nounced. It is true.” she faltered. “There | are times when 1 cannot think, when | I feel the elouds coming Save me, Joseph! You are so clever. You can do something” % He sat with clenched fists, gazing over the Mediterranean. He tasted the whole bitterness of fore knowledge Of what account are you, after all”’ he muttered. H am different order of being altogether for any position.in the world one tiny clot pinprick, which 1 could be a Her t with He contem satisfaction. he pro- | sav of madness, evil move ence | others strive for. 1 | was made to he their master. And| here I am, all the time dodging fate | with the cunning of a lunatic, waiting | for the hand upon my shoulder! | She was almost in hysterics now Don't let them take me, Joseph!” she cried, 'again and again He waved her away. He was think- | ing again Suddenly the villa The sound of horses hoofs r?n(‘hed‘ their cars from the drive. .Judith | lifted her head eagerly. expectantly All the gloom and sorrow had passed She clapped her hands “It is Armand.” she cried. "It the vicomte, How beautifully rides, and what a lovely horse!” Londe rqge to his feet “Amuse yourself with him time,” he advised. “I must think Ann stepped off the train at Monte | Carlo, with fifty pounds her gates swung to. ! | | i he | | for a| 5o and | HE STARED AT THE PICTURE FOR A MOMENT, BLANKLY. A man in | tennis clothes was standing talking to | | mogt r |out’any warning, he turned round in | | charming | Ann fopnd he | pocket, a single trunk, containing m[ | chief her two evening gowns, one jafternoon toilette, and a revolve |engaged a room at a small hotel, | took out her tickets for the Salon Privi and the Sporting Club, and paid a visit to an official of the place | He received her politely enthusiasm “You will not know my name,” she | said, “but 1 am, a& a matter of fact, the advance guard of a small com- | | migsion, who is coming out here to | try and effect the arrest of a dunger- | | ous criminal whom we believe to be living in the place.’ It was an unfortunate start. Offi-| cials at Monte Carlo do not like to be told that their principality could har- | bor members of the criminal frater- | nity | | “Indeed, mademoiselle, was the civil but cold reply. “Perhaps vou can tell me the names of the mem- | | bers of this commission to which you allude?’ “One replied. ix Nir Francis Worton,” “who is the head ¢ Branc the English Secret Service. | He is bringing an emissary from | Scotland Yard with him, and there i | |also another gentieman, Mr. Daniel | Rocke, u friend of Sir Francl | | “Do’ you know the name of this| | supposed criminal”" the official | asked { “He passes under the name of | “Broadbent she confided. “His | She | tremble. but withput | always | dAix. | lessly she | the Home | She would go with him and return E. Phillips Oppenheim “My experience of your tality— " she began, trying not He laughed at her. Mademoiselle.” he said, “life is a great game, and to taste its full flavor one should be prepared for the unex- hospl- to STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C She accepted an invitation to dine with her father’s slayer, and—but that’s the stor vected, one should have the courage | to face it. You shall be fetched at 8 o'clock by the Vicomte He is a harmless youth who adores my wife, He shall also con- duct you home. May I know at what hotel? “The St. James.” she murmured. It is arranged,” Londe declared, rising to his feet A moment later she was wondering whether it were not a dream.~ The remainder of the day passed rest There came no word from Daniel at the hotel. She made up her mind that if the vicomte called for her she would go. She would leave il there were Bo would decline to stay. There could be no risk. The vicomte was a wel! knéwn young Frenchman of fashion. with him. Even Daniel could not dis- approve, and she would be able to spy out the land; she wouid be ghile 1o decide whether his attitude was a magnificent - bluff. At 8 o'clock she descended to the lounge, and a few minutes very eiegantly turned-out young man, whom she recognized by his picture ns the vicomte, entered. and, | word at the office where she was, and | other guests she | later a | after | wife's picture was in the Tatler thix|looking around, approached her, hat | week.” Her companion smiled—a perciliously “It happens,” he remarked, “that | we have recently investigated the| |antecedents of the gentleman in ques- | | tion. We discovered nothing against | {him.* Ann frowned. | “That man who calls himself adbent is a murderer and a luna- she declared. “He was respon- for the death of one young man a few months ago. We came | then directly we read about the | | case, but both Mr. and Mrs. Broad- | bent had disappeared.” | “Mademoiselle,” the official said patiently, “the circumstances con- | cerning the death of that young man | have been fully inquired into. There | is not the slightest foundation for the statement which vou have just made.” | “Why did they leave the place, then, the ddy after the young man's ide”" she demanded. "heir leaving the place was a per- Iv natural happeping.” was the but cold rejoinder. “Mrs. dbent wasx naturally very much | upset and the doctor ordered an im- mediate change. They have come | back here quite openly, and until of« | ficial representations are made to me | i shall do nothing to interfere with | their comfort.” Ann was repulsed. For the first time she doubted the wisdom of the impulse which had made her leave London at a moment's notice, upon seeing the picture. Daniel, as it chanced, had been away in Somerset- | shire, Sir Francis was in Ireland, and no one at Scotland Yard was willing o move without more definite in- | formafion than she was able to give | She had sent off desperate telegrams, | {and herself caught the first possible |train. Now that she was here it | seemed that there was nothing she| | could do. | She had some idea of going back to her hotel. Then a seat outside the Cafe de Paris, her favorite air from “Thale,” plaved by the red-coated | band. decided her fase. She sat down | and ordered a Dubonnet. And, at the | next table sat Londe! He was seated sidewise to her, a little turned away, and she realized from the first the futility of any at- tempt at escape. She was content to study him for a few minutes. He was perfectly dressed, In the négligent fashion of the place, in well-Atting | | &ray tweeds. His beard was careful- | Iv trimmed, his complexion and alert | manner showed no signs of decad- | | ence, nor of evil conscience. He was | talking eagerly and forcefully to his | two companions. men of middle age| and professional appearance, who seemed to listen to him with the ut- ect. Then suddenly, with- little su. Br | tie. sible { here lover hix thair, and looked her full in the | face. He rose at once to his feet and | bowed courteously. “My dear young lady!" he | aimed. “This is most delightful—a | surprise. Permit me to| present Monsieur le Professeur Trenchard of Paris. Doctenr Coppet, the resident physician here; Miss Ann | Lancaster.” * o % % | Mademoiselle Lancaster? | small but luxurious ilimousine. ONDE'S manner was perfect. There was no escape, scarcely an alternative. In less than a minute | 1 herself seated between the | two other'men, her glass of Dubonnet | replenished, the guest of the man who | had killed her father, the man whom | | she knew to be a lunatic, with death | almost at his fingertips—the whom she had come to destroy. “Are your friends—er—with Miss Lancasier?” Londe inquired. “Not yel" she answered. “The: are following—perhaps tomorrow. “I see” he murmured. “You are here for the purpose of making pre- | liminary investigations.” “Precisely.” “And in the meantime you are| e am alone,” Ann admitted. 1 “You must dine with us tonight at | the villa,” Londe suggested court- eously. “I am sure my wife will be | charmed. The sound of music and the gay voices around seemed suddenly to die | away. She felt herselfl struggling in | the throes of a horrible nightmare. It | was grotesque and incredible, man | you, | ale | | | sleepinese. | then receded | sea. |in hana. “I have the honor to address he inquired. “That Is my name," she admitted, rising. 1 suppose you are the Vicomte ad’Aix. He bowed low, “1 have the privilege to escort you to the Villa Violette,” he announced. “I am quite ready,” she replied. So far he was entirely canonical. 8he took her place by his side in the They drove off in silence. “You are very wel Mr.-and Mrs. nted with Ann in. acq Broadbent ?" | quired present “I can scarcely call myself an old triend,” he admitted. “but I visit them a great deal. I think that Madame Broadbent is the most beautiful woman 1 have ever seen.’” ‘I shall be interested to meet again,” Ann observed. “How do you get on with her husband?” she asked bluntly “Monsieur Broadbent is a man of sciegce,” he pointéd out. I respect him greatly. We are not on inti- mate terms.’”’ “Do vou know whether leaving Monte Carlo soon?" quired “I have heard no mention of their doing #0.” the vicomte replied. 1 trust not.” they Ann are in- * ok % T the Villa they were with some ceremony. A butler welcomed them in the hall. An irre- proachable:looking maid took charge of Ann. The whole atmosphere of the place was normal. In the little drawing room her last apprehensions vanished. The professor from Paris was already there, the local doctor, Londe and hix wife. Ann gave a little gasp ms she shook hands with her hostess. The vicomte had not ex aggerated. Judith, in her gown of pale blue velvet, a rope of pearls around- her neck, her beautiful hair becomingly arranged. youth and’ heaith alight in her face, was Inde. scribable. She seemed scarcely more than 25 years of age, and she had the conquering presence of a woman at whose feet the world lay. Her welcome. to Ann was kindly but in different. She had the air of never having seen her’ before. Thev went to_dinner almost at once. Forever afterwards that meal re mained a hazy mem with An Its appurtenancex were all, of their kind, perfect. guests talked to her and she replied, glibly enough, but mechanically. She could not keep her eves away from Londe. He was at once the perfect host, the savant. the courtier. kept Professor Trenchard interested, at times almost excited, _yet he never allowed the general conversa tion to flag. He dropped a valuable hint to the doctor mx to one of his cases, ex- platned minutely the only safe sys- received tem of roulette by the use of which | heavy loss was impossible, and smil- ingly acknowledged that his own Jarge winnings were solely a matter of chancesthat he had not the pa- tience himself to play upon any mys. tem at all The meal drew to an end Londe's request coffee and liqueurs were served at the table. With only two women, he suggested.«an adjourn- ment was unsociable. A little haze of cigarette smoke hung around the table. Conversation grew louder at one end. softer at the other. The Vicomte ‘was leaning toward Judith. Her eves shone like brilliant but unspeaking tars through the haze. .. . And then Ann was suddenly consclous that she was struggling against a curiously potent sense of The voices around her became louder again, and like the waves of the Her eyes ached, her head drop- She felt herself mumbling an apology. She lurched a littie for ward. Once more the voices had gone. There was silence—relief. The awakening was the most won- derful thing she had ever known. It came suddenly and without & start, just ax though Ahe had opened her ves after a long night's sleep in her own bed. She sat up and looked around her, dazed and incredulous. The most amazing thing of all was that she was still at the dinner table. The sunlight was shining full into the room, paling the electric light, giving A strange impreasion of debauchery to At died away, ped. | the remains of the dessert, the halt- filled wine and liquor glasses, the cigarette ashes on the plates. Oppo- | site to her, as though aroused by her movement, the doctor opened his eves and gazed wonderingly around. The professor followed suit. The vicomte, with a staggered to his feet. little groan, Only two her | One or” other of the | He | | places at the table were empty—the | places of Londe and his wife. | " “Whny, it's morning.” the vicomte exclaimed, with pitiful inadequacy. “What I8 this thing which has hap- pened to us wll?” the professor crie Then they saw a piece of paper pinned to the tablecloth, In front of SEPTEMBER 6, 1925—PART 5. TLonde's place. The professor seized and read it aloud— “The Borglas provided sometimes strange entertainment for their guests, We, of the modern world, | follow mildly in their footsteps Both my wife and I, hating farewells have chosen this means of bidding all our friends adieu, and to the profes sor particularly, 1 bequeath this mem ory of the dreamless night which 1 {trust_he will spend, an example of | the drug we were discussing this afternoon “TARTUFFE.’ The professor was a man of science first and a human being afterward His mind wax entirely occupied with | his own sensations. | “It" ie amazing,” he declared. must have gone off to sleep in seconds. 1 had no dreams. I | slept Iike a child | %1 have certainly “p ten have lost« some pa- grumbled. “It is ve been wanted nch wir tients,” the doct 8 o'clock and I may h a dozen times. A or threw A little breeze 1l the Ann dow scented with the horizon ittered ne but apprec iler 1 petit the terrace. announced ht b dejeu served upon madar sieurs, ‘he (Copr - ppenheim.) Home Wreckage Furnishes Background | | BY NINA WILODX PUTNAM. & Carrie Nation, the poetess | who wrote that e called “Oh, Dry Those Beers, | once said. “I must tell the | truth about my work, 1 did it with my little hatchet, but at home I bury it, and use a vacuum cleaher instead. Especially when I get back from a long trip.” And how true that is come home in several senses to | and George, that's iy husband, last night when we re- turned from -a two weeks vacation. We had been living in Cohoots. N. J., in a kinda campy And like all great events in life I llttle suspected what was gonner happen when we arrove back home in Dinglewood. When Geo. says leave us be home in time for Labor day, I merely sayvs yes dear, that's a good notion, com- pletely forgetting at the time that no. tions, in department store language. consists chiefly of pins, needles and | other implements connected with do. | mestic work. | Well anyways, L and Geo. and Junior commenced breaking camp in plenty of time. Breaking it into as small pieces as posaible, no's it would all go onto our fllvver, and even though, when this was done it meant where. the vacation days toward which we had looked forward so long was now where we would haf to speak of them in the past tense, meaning less tense, if you get me, well any- ways, even though them days in the wild not to say maddening country was over, it certainly feit good to be headed toward home. Well, says Geo. when we started off, a vacation is a wonderful thing. [ | knpw T got a grand coat of tan. I betcha that Joe Bush of the Haw- thorne Club will congratulate me When he sees it. At the mame time | says Geo. 1 sure won't hate to see the | little old home once more how about it. eh, Jennie? / | "and T says well dear, much as I | love roughing and readying it, I will admit where it will be & big relief to cook on a regular stove again, 1 ain't no Girl Scout by nature. And oh sweet mamma! says Geo. maybe it won't feel good to gef some real home | cooked eats agaih ‘instead of feeding out of the tins. Gee whiz I am so sick of canned tea biscuits, canned lemon- ade, canned coffee, preserved omelets and rough-dried soup, I can hardly wait to get back to your real genuine fresh-cooked stuff, Jennie. | "And T saya well dear, it won't be long now, unless we have a couple more flat tires, or lose another rear- end off the car, or something. Just you have a little patienee dear, I says, and pretty soon we will be in our nice sweet quiet orderly little home, where everything is tidy and restful, and I'm gonner be just as pleased ax vyou to get back and be rid of all the mess of living in & camp, we will have a grand meal tonight, a steak and fried murphys and lettuce and tomatoes and I will make a coconut pie, es- pecial for you. And Geo. mays oh Sweet Cookle, how different from camp. But I'm glad we been away—Jloe Bush will certainly envy me when he sees this tan, and beside, there’s no place like home. And I says, well, as for sleep- ing on a decent bed again, Hot Boa Lead me to it! about getting back, such as Ma, don't forget you promised 1 could have rab- bits in the yard when we got back, , and say, Ma, d'ver know what I'd like, I'd like to get a radio, Ma. 1 could fix the aerial on the roof my- self, honest 1 could, Ma, won'tcha get me one? Oh, Ma, there ain't no'place you can have fun, like at home, is there? And I says no, darling. j:& * x % % WELL, you know how it is. the nearer we come to home the more excited we got, and whenever we seen a mile post, why, we would { all yell oh lookey, only 75 miles more jand we'll be home, or whatever the miles was. Well, finally after a while we ac- tually come in sight of Dinglewood, and theére was the dear old post of- fice & picture theater and everything, just the same as if we hadn’t been away two whole weeks. And then we slid into Maple ave. around the corner through Elk street, and into Minnow street, and there, actually, was our house. Well, says Geo. as we stopped in front of i, I'll say it may not be a palace, but oh people! It sure looks £ood to me! And I says oh George, it is a darling; you just know it's' the sweetest bungalow on the block, it's our own lovely peaceful little home and a person could go & Jong ways to find anything cuter! And Junior says oh Ma I wanner get in my toy box, gee, I pretty near forgot' what I have there, gosh I'm crazy to see my stuff again! And then we all piled out the car and walked up to the front porch. But could we get in? And how? The whole entire porch looked about like a rags, paper* & bottles concern. We couldn’t hardly wade through it, and at once I got the drop on Geo. Say lookit that George Jules, 1 says, you never stopped the newspaper and now see them! And the milk! I clean forgot that, my own self. As for- the ice, there is the sign hanging right in the winder, and while there ain’t any ice here right now, if ® person can judge-by- the dampness, famous one | Even Junlor had something to say i | | | | | either there had been & lot of rains, lately, or the Meltfast ke Co. favored us with a selection every day | we been away! { <Well, we cut a path through the | rough wilderness of our front stoop | And T says well dear, T guess you has [ will haf to do it your own self as soon | nior and he says as you get the cellar cleaned and the back door fixed and the stove to work- ing, and etc. But you better get a plumber first, the pipes is burst. And then in come .Ju ah, boo hoo, ihe garage winder was left qpen and the kids has been in and made a radio sét outa my new bicycle and pop's | tool box! Boo hoo! So Geo. says middie of thix and got to the door, and there, when | Geo. save suffering fishcakes what a | what? And left my hat-box in midair we opened it, of all things if the hall | light wasn't going. Also the one in the bathroom While underneath the | first was a notice which wax final. Anyways it says final notice, this bill | mugt be patd at once or we will cut off | the light of your life, or something. Of course Geo. took this, and he says well, that is & nice welcome home, I don't think! I'll have to tear right down there! And I saye but wait minute before you go. I think there ix a leak someplace | guess the roof must of shrunk, you better see. And sure enough, the wind or somebody, had | borrowed a few shingles off of us, and | Uncle Will's portrait wax even more | of a_wreck then when the artist fin- ished it! Well dear, T says, I gueas vou better get the carpenter, and say Geo. didn't vou tell Charlie to cut our grass while | we was gone? And Geo. says sure of course 1 did but by gollies he ain't touched it. | expect | & little bit less Ifke a hog-pen if you | g0 galivanting off like that? impossible to get here. And he town, it is simply afiy relable help out started for the gate Well, naturally the minute I seen that, T was after him—not far after, neither. See “here George Jules, 1 says, you can't leave all them bags and camp stuff laving there in the hall, you gotter put 'em away. how in the sacred name of brooms do you I can get thiz place to look Apd Geo. says woman, I thought you had sent me on a man-hunt, a serious affair, like The Northwest mounted, you know. to_get your plumber, alive or dead! But George turned back and was a big help put- ting them bags in their right place, il alone, practically except for me showing him which one and where it went and helping him lift it. ‘Well, no sooner was we in the would of only for me being there | to catch it on the side of my neck while he rushed out to see how heavs the casualties was in the flivver-pen | Well, ubout then I realized where 1 missed something around the house. and pretty soon it come to me that | it was the cat. Of course I had asked | Mrs. Goofnah, next door to let rhe | cat out when we left, but I hadn't in | tended she should leave it out en tirely, but it seemed she had And then at last, while I was zo lihg mround velling hey Kitty, vou durn_animal come nice puss, why I heard a faint meow and it come from my pantry, and when 1 opened up. there was the cat, fat as ever, it had | been locked in the whole time, and Hot Bozo, If it hadn't eat up every | jar of my pickled onions! It come out when 1 opened the door and breathed on me, and I pretty near | tell over in a faint. or F | “WE COULDN'T HARDLY WADE THROUGH IT.” | Ana of | slapping Geo. | long time, | take two weeks' | For a Happy Return From Vacationing wel B: time. ses, I thou I better lay off my hat and work or this ill never ip. So 1 nd to park none that ha t. so I put 3 and commenced {rying —just any old rag But as every house knows. rags hair pins have g visibility, and you lay down, they disappea right away. So I couldn’t find no dust rag and in_the end I took George's white dress Pest it didn't matter, it would wash, and I dusted off the hat stand and stood my hat on it. and just then in come George and ho says heavens you had better the age, the kids must of been playin cus in it. And I savs n better hadn't see it. vou do the seeing of the garage and of their fath And Geo. s4ys now now there. be sore, maybe re hungry ¥ we eat you know how I been looking for ward to a home meal And I says forward is forward, there ain house, on account the cat all T was depending on You just run down 18 store dear and get a can of beans, a can of soup a_can of bacon, a can of coffee, a can of dog food, a can of milk and amy- thing else you can. And George savs oh suffering fish-cakes! -1 thought we was gonner have a steak and ete? I says hush, not another word out of you. how can I cock L mess place like this So Geo. went on while he come on cans and a nber the whole th he place ere wasn't 5 Ib dust on back again to find my a lady which safely the power them oneq you tul in the has ate up out, and back after a vith all the and he dumped on the kitchen table. And when he had done so who in the world would walk in the door only that Joe Bush of the Hawthorne Club. 1 Geor old hoss! he says e back, hello old t see you in away to the Elks some time we had man, he says I been Convention he says hot dog! Then he gave a good look o. like he, Joe. was the gas- inspector or something old boy, he says, T hate you, but you look something you look absolutely all in, he honest George, you had ought to a real rest—what you need is & vacation! Well, when 0. heard that he didn't say a word. All he done was pull off like he was gonner sock Joe Bush a_good one on the jaw. Then ay Geo. to tell terrible says. | he let the idea and his fist both drop. But he turned to me. Hey Jennie, ha says, this home life is too strenuous for me. I'm going out hack and set up the old camping outfit in the yard and take a sleep, he says, wake me up, will you, when home is sweet home again! (Cony - Some Become Millionaires on Paper, But They’re Overdrawn at the Bank BY SAM MELLMAN. ZEMS like everybody's getting rich these days.” I remarks | to “High Dome" Finnegan. “Where'd you hook on to that notion?" he comes back. “Well,” says I, “everybody I runs into has either cleaned up on Florida real estate, the bull stock market, bootleg hooch or the ponies. Last week, for example, I bumps into Chick Horan, and he tells me that he nicked the Wall Street boys for five grand on An.crican Ple Plate common.” “‘Yeh,” sneers Finnegan. “‘and when 1 seen him yesterday he tguched me for a buck to buy himself a dish of beans. That's the trouble with most | of the clean-up kids howadays. They re millionaires on paper, but in the bank there're nothing but overdrawn ac- counts.” “Maybe,” 1 admits, “but you gotta admit that some guys has cleaned up on the market latel “Some lads has,” replies ‘“‘High Dome,” “but they're the same bimbos | that have been cleaning up for the last ten years. To hear the talk that's going around nowadays you'd imagine that eight or tef thousand goofs were getting to be millionaires every time the tape ticks, but the fact remains that more tin lizzles are being bought on the installmefit plan today than ever before, and more come-ons are back in their rent than ever before.” “Just the same,” says I, “I know for a fact that Clem Wilson is $18,000 to the good this minute on his stock in National Padlocks preferred. “Has he cashed in?" asks Finnegan. “No,” I tells him. “Clem’s waiting for the stock to hit 150. He says it's a cinch. The company’s made more money than ever in iis history, and he gets the low down from the bank that they're going to cut a snappy melon in a few weeks.” “I suppose,” snaps “High Dome,” “that’s an exclusive tip to Clem." “Ie got It on the deep low down,” ({3 1 answers. “‘Sure,” sneers Finnegan, “and he tells it to you, and vou tell it to me, Listen here, gullible. By the time a real tip'd get to Clem VWilson every | Africa would have had | Hottentot in the news and . “Suppose they had?" I cuts in. i | the company is making a lot of money* there'’s no reason wh shouldn't go up, Is there?" * “There isn't anything but reasons,” comes back “High Dome.” “If Clem knows it, everybody knows it, and if everybody knows it the stuff’s been discounted for six months, and, any- WAys, A company’s earnings and finan- cial standing haven’t got so much to do with the market quotations.” No?" 1 jeers. ‘What has? The price of pretzels in South Africa?” “A wood Wall Street fixer.,” returns Finnegan, “could even use that as an excuse for hammering down the mar- ket. I've seen the market go down on the rumor that J. P. Morgan had a sore throat. Suppose, for example, that a gang on the exchange decide: the stock | all of a sudden, that too many Suckers are holding National Padlock and it's much too good for 'em. Some fine morning the banks raise their loan rates and,about the same time 500,- 000 shares of N. P. are dumped on the market. Know what happens? “1 suppose,” says I, “that stock drops, but how much? “Just enough,” replies “High Dome,” “to wipe out margin-mutts like your friend Clem Wilson. He's in on 10 points, let us sav. The stock drops 12, and the brokers yvelp to Clem for some quick cash, assuring him that the drop is temporary. Clem goes and hocks his wife's shoes and his other shirt and sees the tap. Sure enough, National Padlock starts going up again. It's almost back where it was, when-suddenly a rumor around that the Government is going to. file sult against the company, and, zowie—the stock drops fifteen points in fifteen minutes, and Clem is back where he was, a barefoot boy." “Things like that don’t often hap- pen,” I protests. ““They happen fusi as ‘often.” saye Finnegan, “as the wise boys on the Street decide that the suckers have taken on as much as they can carrn That's why cleaning up for the last ten years.| Once In a while n new bobo busts | into the big mohey and holds on to it, | but you can count 'em on both hands | und have ten fingers over 1o do other | things with.”" you're right about the stock I admits, “but the same don't go for real estate. When You grab yourself a piece of land in a growing place -like Florida and hold on to it you're hound to cash.” “All depends on when you buy it.” comes back “High Dome. “You gotta remember, feller, that the last that gets stuck. A piece of land that's been jerked up from $20,- 000 to $75,000 in a month doesn’t represent a $55,000 increase in value. It représents just a lot of hurrah and hysteria, and when thas dies down take-it-or-leave-it offer of $20,000 for the tract. The big operators in real estate do the same thing that the big operaors fn Wall Street do. They ¢an start a boom when they want and Kill it when they want. You'll find after all the suckers are {h up to their necks in real estate around one town, let's say, the big boys'll all of a sudden decide another town is the real good buy, and iUl be good-bye to the bimbbs holing lots around in the first town. After the gang is milked dry the tip'll go out that the in lots is around other “Even s0,” says bimbos that buy last that'll be stuck. “You neyer can tell” returns "High Dome” “Most of that real estate hop i done on a shoestring. A lad,puts up & $1,000 check to bind & 350,000 deal. When the time comes to take title he runs out on the deal and -the guy back of him that ex- pected to clean $10,000 js got a paper 1ot _an his hande.” I “it's only the I remarked that the birds | 30 that are making the big money now [in these land booms a property often are the same ones that have been |changes bird to buy in a boom ls the bird | the come-on discovers that he's got a | “How do ¥ou mean paper?” T in- | T hey-usually take. titla in about days,” explains Finnegan, “and hands 8 or 10 Nothing ain’t bought or sold: just passed around. Lots of times: the original owner of the land gets 1t back after it has maybe been sold 10 times on the cuff. Bill Spela: got into a deal like that. He bought a lot for $7.000. A week later & guy offered him ,000 and gave him $1.000 to clinch the bargain. Bill went out and bought a $5.000 car. When it came time to close the deal the offier bim just passed up.” “Well,” says I, "Bill made a theh- sand on the deal, didn’t he?" b “No, he didn't,” returns “High Dome.” “He couidn’t pay for the au tomobile, so he had to turn it back f{o ;he company. They allowed - him o they ain't no way of getfitii rich quick?" 1 remarks. “Want to make 10 grand?* adks Finnegan. Ar Why not?” I came back. Buy_yourself some Universal Wiid get at 73, he whispers. 1 hearf-it's going to 100 in & week. times in_a been really some options month. 2 Home Grown Menthol, .} N allAmerican cold cure, Balii on home-grown menthol, is & pas- sibllity held out by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture. Inasmuch as menthol is now Imported at a cost of more than a million dollars annually, Goy- ernmental botanists point out that menthol-bearing mint plants can be made a -profitable - crop if properly cultivated in_ regions where — the climate s .sultable, Experimental plantings in various paris of the United States during the past year have shown that the mint does mo: produce a high -enough percentage of menthol in Southern States, bif in the cooler and moister Northern States its culture can be made to pay.