Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1921.
TAXI
An
Adventure
Romance
By George Agnew Chamberlain
CopTtlghti The BobM-MerrUl Compza,
SYNOPSIS. ,
PART L—Robert Hervey Randolph,
young New York man-about-town, leaves
the home of his sweetheart, Madge Van
Tellier, chagrined because of her refusal
of his proposal of marriage. His income,
HO,(XX) a year, which he must surrender
if a certain Miss Imogen Pamela Thorn
ton (whom he has seen only as a small
girl ten >Vars before) Is found, Is not
considered by the girl of his heart ade
quate to modern needs. In a "don't care"
mood Randol-h enters a taxi, unseen by
the driver, and Is driven to the stage
door of a theater. A man he knows,
Duke Beamer, Induces a girl to enter the
eab. Beamer, attempting to follow, is
pushed back by Randolph and the cab
moves on. His new acquaintance tells
Randolph she is a chorus girl, and has
tort her position. She is in distress, even
hungry, and he takes her to his apart
ment. There, after lunch, a chance re
mark convinces him the girl is the miss
ing Pamela Thornton. He does not tell
her of her good fortune, but secures her
promise to stay in the flat until the
morning, and leaves her. In a whimsical
mood, also realising that the girl's reap
pearance has left him practically penni
less, he bribes the taxi driver to let him
take his job, and leaving word with the
legal representative of the Thornton es
tate where he can find Pamela, takes up
his new duties under the name of "Slim
Hervey." Ho loves the girl, but his pride
forbids him approaching her under their
changed condition*.
PART ll.—One evening he is engaged
by Beacher Tremont, notorious profligate,
to drive him and Madge Van Tellier to a
hostelry known as "Greenwood." Aware
of the evil nature of the place, Randolph
drives the pair to Greenwood cemetery.
Infuriated, Beacher gets out of the cab
and Randolph leaves him there, taking
the girl (who has awakened to a realiza
tion of her folly) to her home. Madge
recognizes him.
PART III.—In Randolph's apartment
Pamela, pondering over the strangeness
of the night’s adventure, realizes she is
very much more than Interesled in the
young man. Next morning Mr. Borden
Milyuns, her family's legal representative,
Informs her of her inheritance. Learning
that her acceptance of the money will
leave Randolph penniless, even the furni
ture of the apartment belonging to her,
she proposes to divide the Inheritance
with him. Mr. Milyuns tells her Ran
dolph is unlikely to agree to such an ar
rangement, even if found. He, however,
agrees to do his utmost to find the young
man. Wide advertising and the employ
ment of detective agencies fall to accom
plish this. Madge Van Tellier tells Mr.
Milyuns of her encounter with Randolph.
Knowing only that he is driving a taxi
cab, Pamela sets out to find him. The
search naturally Is a long one, but finally
site comes upon Randolph in front of a
hotel. Unseen by him she enters his cab,
but when giving the starter her address
Randolph recognizes her voice. The
streets are slippery with snow, and in his
excitement he smashes the cab against
the ctirb, throwing the girl out
“Never mind the letters," counter
manded the oft-named one, and pro
ceeded to thread his way to n certain
small room strategically placed well
within the depths of the edifice and
far from the maddening tumult of the
streets. The said apartment at the
moment of his arrival contained five
occupants seated round a circular table
of convenient height and clothed In
pale green, kindest of all shades to the
eye of man. There were no mirrors
on the walls.
Mr. Randolph's entry was greeted
first with consternation and then with
shouts.
“Bobby, you old scout!”
“Herr, by great balls of sweat."
"Randy, from where the devil?”
The speakers arose and pump
handled Mr. Randolph’s arm.
“Ye gods, man, where you been?
Strayed In from a fancy dress?"
“Never mind the glad rags, fellows,"
said Mr. Randolph. "I was just feel
ing lonely for the sound of chips. Room
for another?”
"The surest thing! You don’t know
these two chaps, do you? Mr. Seegar,
passed on to us from ’Frisco, and Mr.
Bowling-True, our latest new member.
Gentlemen, this is Mr. Randy Ran
dolph of New Haven and New York,
tn disguise but still the best ever.
“Table stakes?" murmured Mr. Ran
dolph, as he took his place, apparent
ly at random, but at the left of the
two comparative strangers.
“Os course! Same old ante. Same
old game. You talk as though you’d
been away for a month."
For a moment, but for a moment
only. *Mr. Randolph was dazed. Was
tt possible that the last three weeks
hadn’t been a year? He drew out his
slxtv-elght dollars and fifty cents non
chalantly, as though they were merely
the loose change he had on his per
son, bought fifty in chips, and laid the
small heap of what was left of his
cash on the board. The strain on his
nerves during the next half-hour put
that of the five days’ watt for a hunch
on the Street to the blush. There
came a moment when all his chips
were gone, and he jyas forced to see
with a full house for his small pile .
of change only.' j
•“Serves you right, Randy, said Mr. .
Mein. “For forgetting to pile up the 1
ready in a table-stake game; there are
two and a half million walking the
streets—’’ '
“Oh, atow it!” murmured Mr. Ran-,
dolph. as he counted out his share,
amounting to ninety-two dollars and
fifty cents, and pushed across the rest
of the fat pot to the next best hand.
He Ipokod up and smiled., “80y.5," he
remarked frankly, “Tm riding a hunch
with four legs. Watch me.”
Five spectators did, but gr»» Sttle
excitement of their pains. Mr. Ran
dolph was playing that most difficult
and uninteresting of poker corollaries
—a tight game. Mr. Seegar turned im
patient as the conviction grew upon
him that he had run up against the
original hard-shell who never drew to
less than a pair of tens, never bluffed,
and could surrender tlirqe kings with
out a sigh to a lew straight unseen.
He began to make facetious remarks
in connection with the safety-first cam
paign which was then at its height. '
Mr. Randolph nursed his pile
through five long hours up to eighteen
hundred dollars. Then it was that j
he suddenly met a raise of two hun
dred on the part of Mr. Seegar, tacked
on tnree hundred more, waited for
that individual to throw in his very
good hand, face up, with the resigned
smile of a wise one, and then careless
ly displayed in the same manner, his
own three-flush, so bobtailed that the
attention of the S. P. C. A. should have
been called to the case.
The roar of laughter that went up
from all but Mr. Seegar was more full I
and free than even such occasions
usually produce. Mr. Mein pounded
Mr. Randolph on the back.
“Bobby, old boy,” he said, "that was
the eternalest, patientest, and deepest
laid trap I’ve ever witnessed in a life-
Idng pursuit of the only national pas
time !”
The light merely flickered in Mr.
Randolph's blue eyes, and he returned
to his old job of sawing wood. Not
for nothing had he made that grand
stand flourish, and his object had been
gained. A new seriousness, masked in
cold-edged, classic poker smiles, set
tled upon the table as a whole. The
Idea that they were gathered together
merely to while away an Idle evening
faded Into the background, and, one by
one. like stars coming out at evening
time, supper trays began to make their
appearance. All but Randolph, they
had been toying with poker; now they
began to play it.
That gentleman continued for the
nonce the even tenor of his stride ex
cept for a Lenten concession to his
insides. He ordered placed on a stand
at his elbow a large jug of Ice water
and a platter containing four .dozen
sandwiches. No added touch could
have done more toward persuading his
friendly antagonists that he, Randolph,
was out for thick blood. If any one
of the five had joyed in thq knowl
edge that two slices, thin, of buttered
bread embracing a sliver of me'at had
been named eternally after the earl
of Sandwich on just such an epochal
occasion as this, he would probably
have seen the high sign and beat it
for home and bed.
Night was fast joining the discard
when the weary Herbert dared to in
terrupt
“Please, Mr. Randolph, the officer
on the beat says the grass is lifting
OjpU
"The Officer on the Beat Says the
Grass Is Lifting Your Cab, Sir.”
your cab, sir. and he thought he
ought to report anything like that.”
“Tell him to undo the check and let
it feed itself down again,” growled Mr.
Randolph.
The day passed; night fell. Now
one and then another of the six de
votees of a science which even In the
youth of this nation had forestalled all
the wonders of the submarine, the
flight of man, and wireless telegraphy
withdrew just long enough to connect
with the Dally Night bank round the
corner or some other convenient base
of supplies and returned to set new
money to catch old. But Mr. Ran
dolph had no occasion to do this. His
heap of chips and cash of the realm
rested on too solid a base of Its own.
There may be recorded an amusing
diversion from the serious business in
hand. It was ushered in by the crest
fallen Herbert, who confessed that ac
tual pliysical exhaustion had driven
him to forty winks, during which time
a professional purlofner of motor-car
accessories had stopped, spellbound by
the gigantic sum registered on Mr
Randolph’s taximeter, had promptl?
stolen the preposteious clock, and wa'
now on the club steps offering to set
tie with whoever was the lntereste<
gent on a fifty-fifty basis. •
Great was the consternation of th<
enterprising speculator in theft when h-.
was confronted by two persons in one
namely, Mr. R. H. Randolph, lesse
of Car No. 1898, and Mr. R. H. Ran
dolph. alias Slim. Hervey, the irau
driver off said cab. His grllb tongue,
loaded to the gills with arguments as
to how much the fare -would save
through the sudden exit of the clock
from the ken of man, tripped hopeless
ly on this vision of wrath <n the shape
of a driver in whose interests the tick- ■
er had been faithfully slaving.
It took Mr. Randolph just thirty-two
precious minutes to force the crest-,
fallen one to replace and readjust the
busy bee of meter readings. When he
returned to the fray upstairs, he no
ticed a strange nhenomenon of poker—
age, unmistakable age, had settled on
the faces of the five youths. He put
his fibers to his own countenance; he
could feel the added years.
The game ended, as (to all titanic
battles, in absolute silence. Mr. Ran
dolph sorted, stacked, tabulated his
winnings, and stuffed them into all the
pockets on his person. He then noted
the hour—eleven o’clock of a bright
Thursday morning—and, proceeding to
the nearest telephone booth, called up
Mr. William Verries of Verrles & Cat, I
stock brokers. |
“That you, William? This Is Bob
Randolph. William, I’ve got sixteen
thousand dollars in my jeans at the
moment of speaking. What’s the low-'
est margin you’ll give me to sell Amal.
I. S. & C. short for delivery at tomor- '
row’s closing?”
“Sell Amal. I. S. & C. short I" gasped
Mr. Verries. “Why, you’re crazy!
Buy, and I’ll talk to you.”
“I don’t want to buy.” said Mr. Ran
dolph patiently. “You’re right, in a
way, about my being crazy. You see,
since you saw me the other day, I’ve
come into some easy long stuff, and it’s
just ruining my experiment In the ,
philosophy of a moneyless life. I want |
to lose my wad just like I told you, i
and If you don’t promise to start sell- •
ing for me inside of the next five min- j
utes, I’ll let friendship slide and call I
up some real brokers.”
“Well, if you put it In that way, you
escaped loon, I’D assist your sap-head
ed philosophy to your exact cash limit.
When will you pony up?"
“In twenty minutes by the clock," i
said Mr. Randolph cheerfully, and rang
off.
The historic pounding drive on
Amal. I. S. & C. that started with the
opening of the market on the follow
ing day was of such Homeric propor
tions that the advance sale made by
Messrs. Verries & Cat on behalf of
Mr. R. H. Randolph during the Thurs
day afternoon next preceding was a
mere drop in the bucket of oblivion to
the public at large—a mere flea-bite
lost in the shuffling of epidermises to
the monster saurians Involved in the
combat; but to Mr. Randolph, it was a
matter of transcendent Importance.
With a feeling of great relief over
an order that he had placed with his
tailor nine days previously for com
plete new afternoon and evening out
fits, the successful hunchbuster col
lected one hundred and thirty-two
thousand, thirty-eight and no hun
dredths dollars and proceeded to turn
In his wagon to the Village Cab com
pany, together with the highest clock
reading ever known In the history ot
Manhattan. He then chartered one of
the vehicles for hire of that concern
and directed it to carry him to his
new clothes. ,
At ten minutes to four, he emerged i
from his tailor’s, garbed In the very
latest thing in slim-line morning coats,
a top hat, pearly-striped trousers,
spats, a mottled, platinum-handled,
snakewood stick, and a gardenia in his
buttonhole. Ignoring the wise and
friendly-sneering look on the face of
the cab driver, who was none other
than our old friend of saturnine vis
age, Patrick O’Reilly by name, fallen
on evil times, and re-engaged that very
day on Mr. Randolph’s recommenda
tion, he gave a certain address in
Fifty-ninth street.
Let us now break one qf the cardi
nal rules of narrative for cash by
ruthlessly switching the objective point
of view. Behold Miss Imogene Pa
mela Thornton dressed in a ravish
ing, modestly modern tea-gown effect
that would have cost her great-great
grandmother a ducking in the pond off
Bieecker street If she had dared to
wear it in her day at a fancy-dress
ball, pacing up and down Mr. Ran
dolph's recent sitting room and count
ing off nine on her fingers for the
hundred and eighty-sixth time. ,
And then, at last, the bell! Tom
linson, hfs jaw set grimly, advanced
upon the door. For an agonizing
STw 7
Kg • J A
M H W/ffl/ Sr Ifefe
You 6lt Dewnff
THE AMERICUS TIMES-RECORDER.
small moment, Pamela held her
breath, and then let It go with a
rush as she heard the old valet’s so
norous voice tinged, nay, reeking, with j
the joy of welcome.
“Glad to see you back, Master Rob- '
ert. Miss Thornton will receive you j
In the sitting room.” Followed jlng- •
ling sounds as Tomlinson disconnected
the doorbell.
He was right In surmising that his
former employer did not require a
guide, hut, as it turned out. there was
no reason why he should not have
witnessed the very proper meeting
which took place between the Iwo out
wardly cool young members of society
who were Inwardly, nevertheless,
seething with more emotions than
there are fumes in a lime-kiln.
“Miss Thornton!” exclaimed Mr. I
Randolph, as, from force of long
habit, he laid hat, stick and gloves
on a side table and then advanced
with a tentatively outstretched hand.
“Oh, how do you do?” asked Pa
mela, rising and offering her hand.
“Wo —won’t you sit down?"
“Thank you; I will.”
He took the other end of the couch,
crossed his legs in an effort to appear
thoroughly at home, and gazed almost
furtively at the apparition before him.
Ye gods and heaps of daffodils! What
a vision of loveliness, of charm,
grace, breeding, carriage and nur
tured beauty! What a bubbling well
of mirth; what a source of the light
of youth that never fails; what an
armful of divine delight! |
“Er —I—er —told Mr. Milyuns I’d
call,” said Mr. Randolph.
“Yes?” eagerly countered Miss '
Thornton.
"Er—l—said I’d be here at four,"
supplemented Mr. Randolph.
“Yes; he told me,” murmured Miss
Thornton, not quite so ardently. I
“Er—lt’s just four now," stated Mr.
Randolph.
“So it is,” agreed Miss Thornton
quite coolly, glancing at the clock and
registering surprise—tone quite calm
and dignified.
A long silence intervenes. The lady
could easily break It, but won't. She
has gathered somewhere that silence
Is often a club. Mr. Randolph evi
dently shares tha Intuition; he must
say something and does.
’Tve been very busy since I saw
you last.”
"How Interesting t"
“Yes; It has been —in spots. Tve —
er—been studying the under side of
the upper world through a hole In the
front glass of a taxi. It has given me
a great idea.”
“Really?”
“Yes; I’m going to start the Man
hattan Chaperoned Cab company.”
“The what?” asked Miss Thornton,
forced to show, interest in the prepos
terous project In spite of the fact that
her eyes were growing more and more
wounded and the corners of her trem
ulous mouth were drooping farther
and farther south.
"Chaperoned Cab company,” repeat
ed Mr. Randolph, his broad brows
puckering in serious thought over his
wide blue eyes. “It doesn't sound like
much of an idea until you follow It
out. Would you. like to have me ex
plain it to you?”
“Oh, ce —certainly."
"Well, it all hangs on an Invention
of my own —an attachment to the or
dinary taximeter of a miniature map
of New York and vicinity and a sort
of seismic-needle affair. You set the
needle on the point in the map corre
sponding to where the cab starts from
In —er —real life. Wherever the cab
goes, the needle shows the route In red
Ink on the map, with a time signal of
how long it stopped at any given
house, park,sstorer—ete —er—et cetera.
Do you begin to get the idea?”
“N—no,” said Miss Thornton.
“Just think a minute. Tired old
eouple of conventional Ideas and ac
tually beyond the age of dancing are
In horror of sitting up all night watch
ing daughter have a good time. Send
her in one of my cabs; the ink-route
will show just how straight she went
to the party, how long she stayed,
and how she came back. I forgot to
mention the dictograph attachment In
every vehicle. Take another case:
Man married to a pretty and very
young wife. Can’t you hear him say,
’Yea, my d-d-dear; you can go any
where if you’ll take a Chaperoned
Cab?’"
“No, I can’t," said Miss Thornton
decisively, and stared meaningly at
the clock, as though she wgrq, worry-
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G. M. ELDRIDGE
BAVARMNDIET
MAKES PROTEST
1 LONDON, Feb. 2. A resolution
protesting against the “dictatorial
decisions’* reached at the confer
ence of the Supreme Allied Coun
cil in Paris have been unanimously
adopted by the Bavarian diet, says
a Berlin dispatch to the London
Times. The resolution was introduc
ed by the president of the diet.
Cut Os Half of Bonus
Made By Standard Oil
NEW YORK. Feb. 2.—Employes at
all the refineries of the Standard Oil
Company of New Jersey have volun
tarily accepted a reduction of one
half their cost-of-living bonus, ef
fective February 15, it was announc
ed at the general offices today. The
' reduction is equivalent to a ten per
cent cut in wages.
Mme. Bernhardt To Be
Honor Legion Officer
PARIS, Feb. 2.—The promotion
of Mme. Sarah Bernhardt to be an
officer of the Legion or Honor will
be announced shortly. The promo
tion will be in recognition of her
I work in encouraging French art
abroad.
i
2,000,000 Feet Os
Hardwood Destroyed
ABERDEEN, Miss., Feb. 2.—Ap
proximately two million feet of hard-
I wood lumber in the yards of the Per
kins Company here, was destroyed
iby fire this morning. The lumber
was insured for about SIOO,OOO.
4 POLICE AMBUSHED.
SKIBBEREEN, Feb. 2. Four
policemen were ambushed last night
at Dromoleague, County of Cork, by
a party of twenty men. One oficer
was killed and one seriously wound
ed.
Ing over her next engagement
Mr. Randolph flushed, rose hastily,
and possessed himself of hat stick and
gloves.
“I mustn’t keep you,” he said, “I've
got an appointment tn about five min
utes myself.”
She rose, an absent-minded look in
her eyes, and accompanied him to the
door of the room. He opened It and
took his hand from the knob to shake
good-by. Her hand reached out to
ward his listlessly, as though it had
become Infected with the selfsame
droop that had assailed the corners
of her lips.
"May I —er —call again?”
“NoT cried Pamela, snatched back
her hand, threw both arms up against
.the doorjamb, dropped her curly head
upon them, and burst into tears.
Mr. Randolph’s platinum-headed
cane fell with a clatter; his gloves
fluttered to the floor, and his new top
hat, emitting a clucking, mirthful
sound, hurtled across the room. In
less time than it has taken to de
scribe these simultaneous events, he
had seized the sobbing girl In his arms
and was babbling as follows:
“Miss Tho —Pamela —Pam, you
dearest and sweetest of all the little
women in the world 1 Oh, darling,
don’t cry; but If you must, then cry
on me —so! That’s right, my precious;
put y«>ur arms round my neck and
hold the dose. S —strangle me, b—
but never, never let me go."
He stooped gradually, picked her up,
and made for the couch. Just before
he got there, he reached a small
prayer rug of Persian design and of
great value, one of many such oases
In the large expanse of beautifully
waxed flooring. The specified rug
seemed to take sudden offense at Mr.
Randolph's rude footfall. It took to
Itself, wings and flew from under him.
The crash of two of the choicest bits
of Manhattan’s humanity was terrific.
Above the din of scattering furniture
could be heard the peal of a girl’s
1 clear laughter, and presently a voice
ringing merrily through half-swale
lowed sobs:
(To be continued.)
JUST IN
NEW LINE
OF
POTTERY
OF ALL KINDS
WALL VASES,
JARDINIERES
ETC.
HIGHTOWER
BOOK STORE
MEDAMTimiS
FOR SALE . LOST AND FOUND
I AM READY to give you my best i
effort to make settle with your
pasX due accounts. You have them.
I need the work, so send them to'
me. F. W. Griffin.—2o-30t.
FOR SALE—Ford roadster in good i
condition. Phone 788.—2-6 t.
FOR SALE—Dananas; large bunches
at 75 cents. 317 Hampton street.
2-3 t
OR SALE Budded Pecan Trees;
several varieties. Write to W. B.
-amar. Park Front, Thomasville, Ga.
12-Mchl
ORANGES From my grove di
rect to you. Don’t buy inferior
fruit and pay high prices, send me
five dollars and I will send you a
box of fine Oranges delivered free.!
If you are not satisfied I will re
turn you your money. If you are j
satisfied then tell others. This price
is good until Feb. 15. Theodore
Krumm, R. D. 5, Box 46, Tampa,
Fla.—26-12t.
FOR SALE Robe Rails for Ford
cars. About 3 dozen. 75c each as
long as they last. Chappell Machin
ery C0.—30-4t.
FOR SALE Nice Jersey cow,
third calf. J. A. Clements, Ameri
cus, Ga., Rt. D.—2B-6t.
IF YOU WANT first-class machinery
repairs, call or bring to W. D. Ivey,
at the Farmers Cotton Oil Co. Phone
92. 9-ts
PRICES CUT on stove wood. $2.00
per load. John Sheffield—l-3t.
FARM LOANS—Low interest rate
and good terms. W. W. Dykes.
Between 1880 and 1907 the annual
per capita consumption of all liquors
in this country rose from 10 to near-1
ly 23 gallons.
tp Princes
ik Marj
11
1 rngkEdgarßiceßtiffowjlis
Illustr a t io n. •
by
IRWIN MfEW
/ fli B
/jT STORY of another
u 1 curiously cap-
.. '•S tivatingin its roman
wk' tic qualities and in the
n | | originality of its concep-
Jiijljllife I tion. The spirit of ad-
R venture carried beyond
eartil > * nto the realms of
No one but the author of
the “Tarzan” tales has
an imagination sufficiently bold to create such a
narrative and make it charming. It is weird, be
wildering, fascinating. So unusual are the characters
and episodes that the reader falls under their spell
and finds himself viewing as it were, a pageant of
happenings in another sphere.
The Most Exciting Story Yon Ever Read—Soon to
Appear as a Serial in These Columns
PAGE FIVE
LOST—One (red) Irish setter dog. I
will describe and pay reward. Da
' vid Jennings or J. E. McCrea, Simth
| ville, Ga. 30-4 t
I LOST—Black velvet handbag, con
i taining four $1 bills and some
j small change, Saturday afternoon,
on Lee street between Church and
Finn. Notify Mrs. Stewart Furlow,
Phone 705, or 118 West Glessner
street. i_2t
WANTED—MISCELLANEOUS
WANTED—You to know I am per
sonally on the job from 8 to 5 do
ing the best guaranteed dental work
at reasonable prices. N. S. EVANS,
Dentist.—26-ts.
THE HIGHEST Musical authorities
! in Americus endorse my work oa
Pianos. Phone 17.—1-3 t.
WANTED—Your claims for collec
tion ; prompt and efficient service.
J. N. Carter, J. P. 12-30 t
fOK prompt transfer sen’ce and
heavy hauling and coru'iy trips,
telephone Clara s I ransfe., rft)3. 4-ts
WANTED—The public to know that
I don’t do anything, except Wash,
Polish and Grease Automobiles. Call
Georgia Motor Co., ask for Mr. Jus
tice. 16tf
FOR RENT.
FOR RENT-—Wood yard, right ad
jacent to the Seaboard shops. Been
run as wood yard for years and good
business already established there.
Chas. L. Ansley.—l9-tf.
FOR RENT Furnished or un
furnished rooms. 2’o South Jack
son street Phone 594—2-3 L
FOR RENT—Three unfurnished
rooms; upstairs; reasonable rent.
i 133 Lee street South, or Phone 755.
I 2-3 t
