TTTE SUNDAY
flRPnnVTI "V TJAUTT A CT VATT-mm-nn
3be $e) cdentire d
COLIABORTION
4
Presenied'by'
1 oJ 0f
ml
s 2: i:m m-'-a m -m ma 6sv b
V V
0
WRITTEX BT
GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER
Author of "Get-RlcU-Qulck-Walllngford"
1 DRAMATIZED BY
CHARLES W. GODDARD
Builder of the World's Greatest Serials
IXTRODICIXQ
BURR McINTOSH ... J. Rufu, Wallingford
MAX FIGMAN Blackie Daw
LOLITA ROBERTSON Violet
(Copy rich t by The Star Co.)
TUB LILAC SPLASH.
'HEN you put on this crushed
eggplant display, you'll make
Gladys there look like orphan
Maggie out in the cold," declared
Blackie Daw, admiringly, as the plump
blonde model swished haughtily past
blue-eyed Violet Warden. "Girlie, bring
It back."
Violet flushed prettily at the frank
compliment, then she giggled; and the
plump blonde model swanned back
across the floor of the pink and gray
ealon with the cold blank expression of
a perfect lady. Violet, admiring the im
ported lavender creation, suddenly
stooped and picked up the hem criti
cally. "It looks as If it might have been
worn," she suggested, and, at that mo
ment Monsieur Perigord danced into
the room with his perpetual air of
having almost remembered something
urgent. Only the briefest flashing
glance between Blackie and Violet. This
was the man whom they had come to
study.
" 'You didn't borrow this for the
French model's ball did you, sister?"
Inquired Blackie loudly.
"No. monsieur," replied the girl in a
rich East Side accent, and she cast one
corner of her eye on Monsieur Perigord
who was hurrying toward them.
Monsieur Perigord, a dark little man
with black freckles and. a kinky beard,
was shocked to the very center of his
being. "Impossible!" he cried, both
hands aloft. "The house of Mondeaux
does not permit it! The costume is
new. It is exclusive, it is delicious!
With Mademoiselle's exquisite color the
effect is magnificent."
"The color harmony Is a cinch,"
agreed Blackie, smiling to Violet. "But
It looks to me as if this gown had
paraded an oceanview piazza or so."
The distress of Monsieur Perigord
was painful to observe. "Ah, Monsieur!"
he piteously implored, "you do not
know the house of Mondeaux! Ameri
cans always think first of clever little
tricks!"
"That's a knock!" decided Blackie.
"There's no money in clever little
tricks. Grafting is a sport, not a busi
ness." Perigord smiled wisely.
"One year in New York and I have
several thousand dollars 'on the side'
for Andre Perigord!" he exulted.
Another quick glance between
Blackie Daw and his pretty companion.
They knew where Perigord had secured
$40,000 of his "on the side" money; his
name was fifth on the list of that
clique, headed by E. H. Falls, who
had robbed Vialet and Fannie Warden
of their $5,000,000 fortune, on the death
of their father. And this amount
Blackie Daw and his partner, J. Rufus
Wallingford, had sworn to secure from
the members of the clique, for the beau
tiful orphans. Four names were already
crossed off that list.
"Somebody'H catch you-without your
license number, Andre," warned Blackie
dryly. "How about that lilac splash,
Violet? Do you like it two hundred
and seventy-five?"
"It's pretty." hesitated Violet.
"Send it up," ordered Blackie light
ly. "You can charge it to the expense
fund."
Before the "lilac splash" came home,
Violet and Fannie Warden were called
hastily out of town by the illness of
their Aunt Patty; and they were gone
five weeks. On their return the girls
made a bee-line for the shopping dis
trict, and Violet wore her exclusive
Mondeaux creation. As they stepped
out of the new electric, which had been
made possible by the half million or
more already recovered, a large lady
came up the avenue in a lavender walk
ing costume which was an exact dupli
cate of the "splash," panels buttons and
all! As the girls approached the big
dry goods store, they stopped, stunned.
In front of the show window. There, on
a lovely wax lady with a bright
toothed smile, was the same exquisite
lavender walking suit, panels, buttons
and all, marked "'$ 85.00!" In a Broad
way shop, at noon, they saw a throng
of stenographers admiring the central
display of a big show window; a lav
ender walking suit with the familiar
panels and buttons; $23.50! They start
ed back uptown in a hurry, and, as
they crossed Fifty-third street, saw a
large, flabby colored woman and a
highly peroxided white woman pass
each other with glares of undying ha
tred. They both wore cheap taffeta
lavender walking costumes, with the
exclusive Mondeaux panels and but
tons! In a show window on One Hun-dred-and-Twenty-fifth
street was a
lavender dress same panels and but
tons! It was made of gingham, and
the price was $4.9S!
When Horace Q. Daw and J. Rufus
Wallingford called at ths Warden home
that evening, they found Violet with' a
headache, and the demure Fannie sym
pathetically suppressing the twinkles
of amusement in her brown eyes.
"If you make fun of me. 111 pour
beans in your saxaphone." warned Vio
let, as she handed Blackie a large, flat,
pasteboard box. "This is the 'lilac
splash.'" and with bubbling indigna
tion she told them all about it.
"Harpooned on the lavender lemon"
grinned Blackie. "I guess the color
blinded us. - However it happened,
though, I'll take this box down in the
morning, and I'll bring you back your
two hundred and seventy-five or old
Paregoric's whiskers."
Wallingford had chuckled at first,
but now he was thoughtful.
"This may give us the lead we want,"
he speculated.
Moonlight flooded the Wallingford
and Daw bungalow and poured in at
the window where J. Rufus lay peace
fully snoring. A long, lean hand
reached into the patch of moonlight,
and a finger tickled Wallingford's ear.
Another snort, and the big sleeper
turned over. Another tickle. A gur
gling grunt and a flop.
Wallingford, slowly awakening, be
came aware that someone was whisper
ing in his ear.
"Jim!- Snore, you fool, snore! Jim!
Snore! Hush! Listen! Keep on snoring,
I tell you, Jim! There's a burglar in
the library. Snore! That's right. Now
listen," and Blackie, like a tall. lean,
gaunt ghost in his pajamas, carefully
detailed his instructions.
Shorty Tucker, working industrious
ly at the safe in the library, whirled
suddenly and picked up his gun. and.
with an unerring instinct for the di
rection of sound, covered the large gen
tleman who had appeared in the library
door.
'"Holler and I'll bore you!" hissed
Shorty Tucker, pointing his revolver
straight into Wallingford's scared eye.
"Hands nn!"
"All right," agreed Wallingford hast
ily, and stuck both plump palms
straight up. "I haven't a holler in me."
"You better not," warned Shorty.
"This trigger Huh!"
That "huh" was Jerked out of Shorty
Tucker as a long, lean arm shot out
from behind and snatched the gun from
his right hand, while another long,
lean arm wrapped itself in a vice-like
grasp around Shorty's thick neck!
J. Rufus flashed up the library lights,
and grinned at the spectacle of the
thick burglar being bent irresistibly
back into a library chair.
"Well," husked the burglar sulkily,
estimating that his chances of a fight
were -worse than useless, with his own
revolver in possession of the enemy.
"What are you going to do about it."
"Turn you up," replied Wallingford.
"Let's give him an even break."
Blackie's restless eyes had rested on
a deck of cards, and he picked them up
with a sudden whimsical idea. "Crim
inal, I'll play you one hand of freeze
out to see whether you go on your use
ful way or wear handcuffs," and, sitting
down opposite Shorty, he rapidly dealt
five cards apiece. "Get some highball
ice, Jim."
"All right." Wallingford, Bleep re
turning heavily to him, walked numbly
out into the dining-room, and Blackie's
amused eyes followed his stumbling
course. ' In that instant, Shorty Tucker,
his freedom at stake, took a furtive
glance at the top card of the deck.
His broad face brightened as he saw
the card, and he hastily switched it into
his own hand, dropping his discard into
a tall ash Jar.
"Cards," said Blackie briskly, pick
ing up the deck.
"One."
"You're too conservative." Blackie
cast a shrewd glance at his opponent.
"Now. me, I'll take all this hand will
stand:, and if I improve it. culprit, I'll
try to get you a cell on the sunny side."
and he dealt himself two cards.
There was a moment of silence, then
Shorty cleared his throat.
"I'd like to make a little side bet,"
he offered and dug into his pocket. He
produced eight dollars and forty-five
cents.
"Raise you a dollar flfty-flve," ac
cepted Blackie, opening the drawer of
the table and throwing down a ten
dollar bill, grinning as he saw Shorty's
regretful eyes glued on that drawer.
"I'm all in." Shorty looked at his
hand sorrowfully. "That's a twenty
five dollar gun."
"Raise me the difference?" and
Blackie, extracting the cartridges, laid
it on the money. "I'll see that with
this silver-decanter, and raise you a
gold-mounted meershaura pipe,"
A ring came off Shorty's finger.
Blackie produced a stick pin and the
kit of burglar's tools went up. Blackie
threw oft his pajama jacket and Shorty
tossed down his coat and vest
"Call you." he husked. "I got to
keep my pants. Look at these!" and
with triumph he tossed four jacks and
a deuce.
Laughing gleefully, he reached for
ward to scoop in the assorted stakes
and his freedom, but Blackie, holding
out a restraining hand, calmly spread
down four aces and a nine spot.
"All over, Jim." he called nonchalant
ly, as J. Rufus came into the room with
the bowl of cracked ice. "Call the po
lice." "Aw. say!" Shorty Tucker was the
picture of abject humiliation,
"If there's anything I can do for you
guys, you just call on Shorty Tucker."
"Sorry, sport, but we don't want
any burgling done, do we, Jim?"
"Not tonight," chuckled Wallingford.
"Ifs a crude, undignified method of
acquiring a profit on your energy,
and.", Suddenly, the .mile jcit JVal,
j I - xv &srt jsvrp wttL" : v iU- - . ! A - ' x- - 's1?
.' - .Y y-vv f -cir
. , - .-0 t ... . a tj iTA
J wwyvwtts&i - .Mt., -...' - v : : : v .'.:vi- -v 5 M
If ;" I " . ' I ' - " ' ' - i ' - - " , f
h 4 s - - t wi; - - . ? ?
Is 4 , - " i , w -1
P : - v . 1 - ! i ;
IE i - v " 5 - . 4 v. "SLv . ' x i ' h
1-'?? ; v::"' Ms'."- :'" k-iMk'' ' -
lingford's face. He stopped and
thought a moment, then his round, pink
countenance beamed with Joviality. "By
George, we have a Job for Shorty!" He
walked over to the table, opened the
drawer from which Blackie had ex
tracted the loose money, pawed ardund
for a little memorandum book, tore out
a leaf and tossed it over to the worker
of the night. "Do you suppose you
could get us this gentleman's private
papers?"
Shorty Tucker picked up the piece of
naper and looked at it. It contained
the home address of Monsieur Peri
gord! Monsieur Perigord was deeply re
gretful that the beautiful Miss War
den's lavender creation had been so
extensively copied. "It is because
Mademoiselle is so striking so attrac
tive!" he suavely explained. "Those
clever American manufacturers have
their designers everywhere.
"So that's the way it's done." mused
Blackie. "What do you think ot that
for pure gall. Jim 7"
Jim Wallingford's big shoulders
heaved. "It sounds like the explana.
tion for a black eye," he chuckled.
Monsieur Perigord was no longer
polite, he was no longer grieved, he
was no longer indignant; he was 'out
raged! "I an Insulted!" he charged,
slappinjj himself on the breast and
stopping to cough. "You insult also
the house of Mondeaux! I shall be
kind! I shall explain! Mademoiselle
has worn the frock for five weeks. Do
you not see? There has been plenty of
time for your clever American manu
facturers. Very well!'1
Blackie and J. Rufus looked at each
other and chuckled:
"Jim, he's a corking good liar." com
mented Blackie admiringly.
Monsieur f Perigord was no longer
able to control himself. "It is too
much!" he shrieked.
"Oh, hush, Andre," advised Blackie
kindly. "I've nosed around and found
two firms who get their designs
through you; and besides. Miss Warden
never flashed this dress until yester
day. Give me the money before I get
rough."
The change in Monsieur Perigord was
slow, but it was complete. His rase
melted into smiling suavity, in a beau
tifully graded transition of about one
minute. "Monsieur, x shall pay back
the money for the frock like an honor
able gentleman," he offered.
Wallingford, watching him witft
heavy-lidded eyes, smiled. "lis this a
regular Mondeaux trick?" he asked.
"Mon Dieu. no!" laughed Perigord.
"But the house of Mondeaux is in
Paris, and I am here."
"And tossing the bunk both ways "
added Blackie; "into your firm and
your customers, in one and the same
gentle operation; and working other
grafts besides. And without invest
ment" "One becomes clever In America."
boasted Perigord, with a self-satisfied
smile. "I have learned the little trick
to make money. Now i learn the kittle
trick to Invest with rapidness. With
fifty-four thousand dollars to start
viola!"
"Fifty-four thousand!" responded
Blackie glancing at J. Rufus.
Wallingford. at the window, sudden
ly wheeled and came back looking at
his watch. "I'm afraid I can't wait un
til you settle with Mr. Perigord," he
stated.
"What's your hurry, Jim?" protested
Blackie. "It won't take long now. When
people pass money they part"
"I have to keep my eye on a certain
rapid Investment," said Wallingford
impressively, "I'll so you tomorrow.
t I $ I oS ' ' " '- - - ' Y-"? - I
r M ' iv
.-A.V.. v.' ..J...... . , . ,i
at the office, and settle with yon for
the next pool. By the way, here's your
thousand- dollars."
"Oh, give it to a newsboy," laughed
Blackie, with a nonchalant wave of
the hand.
"I don't care what you do with it,"
responded Wallingford gravely, produ
cing a big red pocketbook. "My busi
ness ie to pay you this thousand dol
lars In return for the hundred and fifty
you invested with me yesterday." and
into the hands of the astonished
Blackie he counted a five-hundred-dollar
bill and five onchundreds.
"How much will you invest tomor
row morning?"
"The wad," Blackie answered prompt
ly, and started to hand back the
money.
"You know better than that." Wall
ingford reprovingly reminded him. "A
hundred and fifty is the limit in this
pool, as I have often told you,"
"Can't you let me go in for two hun
dred?" argued Blackie. "I don't like to
play for a piker bet like this."
"Then stay out." retorted Walling
ford. "I offered to let you in on a
fifty-thousand-dollar pool once, and
you failed to meet me at three-thirty,
so now you take the little pools. Wait
a minute," and he consulted a red mem
orandum book. "You can only have a
hundred today."
"All right." agreed Blackie 'reluct
antly. "Here's your bunded," and bo
banded it over.
4 Xrre; , Zr&:
"Good day," said Wallingford, taking
the money.
Monsieur Perigord looked after him
in stunned perplexity. "Impossible!"
he commented, "He Invested a hun
dred and fifty dollars for you yester
day and today he gives you back a
thousand."
"Yes. - confound him," grumbled
Blackie. He's sore at me and won't
let me in on his big game."
"Big." repeated Perigord in astonish
ment looking greedily at the money
in Blackie's hand. "Do you call this
small?"
"It's a tin-born proposition," scorned
Blackie.
"But how does he make It?"
"Wallingford won't tell," Blackie
half waisperingly confided. "He Is
one of our most clever Americans. No
body knows how much money he is
worth. Nobody knows how much I am
worth. I don't know myself,"
"And did Mr. Wallingford make you
all your money?"
"Every last million dollars," asserted
Blackie.
"Ah!" breathed Monsieur Perigord In
worship. "I also would become rich
quick! So rich that I could also say
of a thousand dollars, 'Give the tin
horn to the newsboy.' Monsieur Daw
would you truly give that much money
to a newsboy or was it what you
clever Americans call a joke?"
Blackie' eyes widened in astonish
ment that suca a fiueaUoa abpuu, be
teOD5: Emifi PIJHER5!
asked. "I'd give it to anybody," be
stated, with a flash of inspiration.
"Would you like to have it?"
"Nine hundred dollars!" gasped Mon
sieur Perigord in terror.
"Is it nine hundred? Why, so it is,"
counted Blackie negligently. "Here
Perigord, take it and buy yourself a
dinner." and, thrusting the bills into
the hands of the dumbfounded Perigord
he stalked out of the place.
"I" forgot to get Miss Warden's
check," explained Blackie the next
day, walking into Monsieur Perigord's
with a saxaphone case in his hand.
"It is ready, Monsieur." cordially
stated the importer, greeting Blackie
with the enthusiasm of 'an old friend.
He clasped his hands and bowed pro
foundly. He delivered the check with
a flourish. "It gives me great pleasure
to make myself again honorable with
Madamoiselle."
"She'll appreciate It" grinned
Blackie. "Thanks. Perigord. Good
day." and he started for the door.
"Pardon, Monsieur, one little mo
ment" began Perigord.
Blackie expecting that call, turned
with slow reluctance. He looked at
his watch.
"Your friend. Monsieur Wallingford."
insinuated Perigord. . "I am consumed
with curiosity to know how much he
gave you for your hundred dollars of
yesterday."
"Oh." returned Blackie, with a bored
expression, "I don't know. yet. Aa a
matter of fact. I hadn't thought ot
Inquiring about it He probably has
only six or eight hundred dollars for
me. "I'll Just let It go."
"Ah, Mons'eur!" protested Perigord.
"Even if it Is only a little money like
that to you who are so rich it should
be taken. Perhaps Monsieur would
like to give it to some friend."
"Very well." agreed Blackie. yawn
ing. "Wallingford's office hours are
from three to four. Would you like
to go over with mr
"I shall be transported!" exclaimed
Monsieur Perigord. In a flutter of de
light this being the boon for wUch
he had been eager to ask.
He ran. He brought his silk hat He
brought his gray gloves. Ho brought
his little cane. He brushed his kinky
beard. He tripped down the stairs two
steps ahead of Blackie Daw. Only
when they reached the office did he
hang back timidly.
That was a brand new office, in a
brand new skyscraper, and on the door
was the legend. "J. Rufus Wallingford.
Investments." Monsieur Perigord did
not notice that the paint waa still
fresh, for Wallingford himself had
carefully dusted and otherwise aged It
He had spent the morning on the Job.
Inside was a small anteroom In which
there sat waiting a totally bald-headed
man, and a man with a bushy beard,
and large red-necked man with a
mustache, one end of which had been
chewed to a tassel. A spider-legged
boy. guarding the entrance to the door
of the private office, greeted Blackie
with a nod and turned an unfriendly
stare on Monsieur Perigord. Beyond
the glass partition could be heard the
loud and angry voice of that peerless
investor. J. Rufus Wallingford.
"No, Mr. Pollet you can't get. on the
preferred list." shouted the voice. "You
have the gall of a burglar! I let you
have a twenty-five-dollar-a-day corner
in this little pool practically out of
charity, v You've made an average of
from two or three hundred dollars a
day out of your Investment, haven't
you?"
"Yes, sir," admitted Mr. Pollet "The
lowest you ever made me out of my 25
was a hundred. But I want to go on
your larger list Nearly all your cus
tomers are allowed to invest from a
hundred to a hundred and fifty dollars
a day. and they make from four to
aix times as much as I do. It Isn't fair."
"That settles It!" roared Wallingford.
at the limit of his patience. "You get
out! Your place on the list is vacant!"
The door opened suddenly and out
shot a chunky young man who wore
thick spectacles. Monsieur Perigord
noted that he had money in both hands.
He turned in the middle of the ante
room. "Go on out. you!" ordered the spider
legged boy, as J. Rufus Wallingford
himself slammed the door of the pri
vate office.
Mr. Pollet walked slowly out of the
room. The waiting investors looked
nervous and apprehensive. A little bell
rang sharply. The spider-legged boy
darted into Wallingford's room. He
bounced out again In a minute.
"W. O. Jones." he announced.
The totally baldheaded man shambled
in. casting a Jealous look at Monsieur
Perigord.
' "Hello. Onion Jones," greeted Wal
lingford suavely. "I have $1100 for
you. That leaves you a thousand clear
profit Pretty good, eh?"
Perigord's eyes glistened.
"Not the best day we've had, but I'm
satisfied," laughed Jones. "I bear
you're going to start a new pool. Mr.
Wallingford.
"Next week," returned J. Rufus.
"Any chance of my getting a share
in it?"
"I thipk not, Jones." advised Walling,
ford. ' I won't split that pool Into
shares. I plan to take in just one big
investor."
"All right" arreed Jones. "I'm tickled
with anything you do. How much can
I get in for tomorrow?"
"One hundred." stated Wallingford.
"Just give me that hundred-dollar bill.
"There you are," returned Mr. Jonea
contentedly. "Good day. Mr. Walling,
ford."
The bell rang. The spider-legged boy
darted In. Mr. Jones shambled out.
with his hand full of money.
Andre Perigord's breath came quick
ly. "W. W. Williams." sang the boy.
The full-bearded man went In.
"Good afternoon. Chinchilla," hailed
Wallingford cheerily. "You got in fop
a hundred and fifty, didn't you? WelL
here's $1650. I'll have to cut you down
to a hundred today."
"Sorry, Blr." said Williams. "By the
way, is Pollet dropped from the pool?"
"Yes," snapped Wallingford.
"I'd like to take .up his share."
"No," snapped Wallingford.
"Just as you say," hastily responded
Chinchilla Williams. "Lord, I don't
want you to get sore at me. toe."
"I guess I am a little grouchy." con
fessed Wallingford: "but every time
turn around somebody wants to band
me money. I'm tired of it"
"I know." admitted Williams. "You
have too much capital now. I guess it
you dropped about half of us the rest
of us could make more money."
"If I dropped you all, I could make
the entire profit for myself." Walling
ford reminded him. "That's what I'm
going to do on this next pool take
Just one live partner with a hundred
thousand dollars and split the profits."
"I'll dig you up a hundred thousand
dollars in a minute," Quickly offered
Williams.
"Nothing doing. Chinchilla," bluntly
refused Wallingford. "I have to have
a partner I like. He must be generous,
trustful, and agreeable, and you won't
do. Good day, Williams."
"Good day, sir," returned Williaru
sadly.
The bell rang as he came out with
money in his hands.
"Mr. Measen," announced the spider,
legged boy.
The red-necked man with the chewed
Concluded va Ci
rm loy.op