Evening star., 1924-05-18


IN an Off hand manner. She first made
sure of her audience and her victim.
Zoe sat at the head Of the table in
Murphy's Eats Emporium, where the
performers were finishing dinner.
Til tell you what | think" an
nounced Zoe. and allowed her cool
gray eyes to travel menacingly about
the table. 1t was a definite command.
and silence fell.
Red Luke and Dauntless Harry My
rick were billed as plane Changing.
Wing Walking, Parachute Jumping
Death Defiers." 1t was over Luke and
Myrick, the latter especially, that u
bitter discussion had been raging.
IT think" continued Zoe, that there
is some things which amt to be for
gave" Her red lips curled angrily
and her voice was crisp And one
of them things eyes settled
upon Dauntless Harry Myrick. lis
being slow in the head
Myrick shifted slightly in his chair
and scooped up the last of his pie
la mode
'IS that so?" he muttered.
Zoe Snorted Indignantly. There's a
mimicked. "Dauntless Harry Wise
cracker
Bill Harrah, whose chief possession
in this world was a string of half
trained, sty-dispositioned leopards.
said, ''Aw, dry up, Zoe, Dry up"
Zoe de L.orme, who was nominally his
employe and actually his boss. turned
upon him. her gray eyes cleaning.
I'm salt you down too"
With grunt. Bill Harrah arose
and sauntered out into the evening.
Harry Myrick pushed back his
chair. If you was a man. Zoe he
said. slowly. you wouldn't be quite
so hard boiled. because you'd get it
kicked out of YOU
zoe's blond coiffure shook. and, cat
like. she spat out: IT'D take a better
man than you, You punk"
Dauntless Harry Myrick's eyes
went to his partner, Red Luke. who
was sitting at Zoes right. For a
long time il had been a case of Red
and Harry, right or wrong, against
the world. Regardless of their pri-
vate differences of opinion, they had
always presented a solid front.
All of that was changed now. This
and her red cheeks, had stepped in.
And Red was falling for her.
To Red Luke he remarked causti-
cally: An there you sit, like a slab
headed yahoo. listening to me get
run down. Me-"
The others leaned forward. taking
it in. Harry Myrick had had little to
say for him mself during dinner, but he
appeared to be taking a good run
ming jump now. The lesser fry at the
next table-mechanics and helpers of
one kind and another-cocked their
heads and listened
You" continued Myrick disgust
edly. You're so dumb it hurts you
to remember your own name. Any
snake charmer who wants you. can
have you, for all | care" He arose
and stretched indiferentIy.
TRAINER of leopards and lions does
not like to be called a snake
charmer. Zoe stiffened in her chair,
appeared ready to spring upon him
Are you talking about mee she de-
manded
Il don't argue with ladies'"
answered Myrick.
Red Luke laid a restraining hand
upon Zoe's arm, and she subsided as
though kindly trainer in whom she
had confidence had patted her
Red turned to Myrick. You better
keep your trap shut" he suggested.
you're tough, amt you?'' Harry
Myrick then took his hat from the
rack and put it on. I'm gettin' afraid
of you. Guess I'll go before | start
tremblln' all over an maxim show
Of myself. Always was afraid of guys
that fight" He gazed at Red and Zoe
de Lorme benignly, and whispered:
Loves young dream Amt it just
too sweet for words"
The laugh sounded pleasantly in
hrs ears as he stroIled from Murphy's
Easts Emporium Outside he found
Bill Harrah leaning disconsolately
against telephone pole, smoking.
Say, l know a place where we can
get some real beer" said Bill. Wan
ma talk to you
Sure. Everybody does"
This crisis in the affairs of Luke
and Myrick, professional death de-
hers, had arisen in The afternoon
the result or ali 4ccident which cost
them one of their two planes. The
audience had seer the plane, with
Harry Myrick plotting and Red Luke
standing far out on the lower right
wing, slip out of control in a sud
den lurch earthward: then. Just as if
was on the verge of spin the right
wing crashed into a standpipe of an
artesian well. The effect was to yank
the machine about, so that it crashed
hauy to earth-pancaked-i of
nosing in.
The noise died away, and the avi
ators arose from the wreckagA .nirac-
ulously unhurt.
Red beloved accusingly: You poor
sap-you tried to turn with me
down"
The rudder jammed." answered
Dauntless Harry Myrick
That was the subject of the discus.
sion into which Zoe de Lorme haC
thrown herself. which threatened tn.
dissolution of the firm of Luke anC
Myrick.
Myrick walked along beside Har
rah in glum silence. At last, in the
dingy back room of a saloon. Har-
-ah rs:d: IF l was you, l wouldn'
ss< am threw the hooks into me lik,
that"
''Um-m" Myrick wiped the sud!
from his upper lip, and in his eye.
there was a CLEAN reminiscent Of