human
His luncheon, consisting of truffled patés and champagne, was found by a searching party, but De Lancy Smith has never again been seen or heard of. He was young, well built, handsome, and----
gpt
In excellent physical condition! snapped Mr. Trinkle.
human
That's the third Adonis you've described. Quit it!
gpt
But that is the exact description of those three young men----
human
Every one of 'em?
gpt
Every one. They all seem to have been exceptionally handsome and healthy.
human
Well, does that suggest any clue to you? Think! Use your mind. Do you see any clue?
gpt
In what?
human
In the probably similar fate of so much masculine beauty?
gpt
Wake up! he shouted.
human
Doesn't it strike you as odd that every one of them so far has been Gibsonian perfection itself? Doesn't that seem funny? Doesn't it suggest some connection with the present Franchise strike?
gpt
It _is_ odd,
human
You notice, bellowed Mr. Trinkle,
gpt
All right, all right--as long as you _do_ notice it, yelled the city editor,
human
Go on, William,
gpt
The fourth and last victim of the Adirondack wilderness disappeared very recently--May 24th. His name was Alphonso W. Green, a wealthy amateur artist. When last seen he was followed by his valet, who carried a white umbrella, a folding stool, a box of colours, and several canvases. After luncheon the valet went back to the Gilded Dome Hotel to fetch some cigarettes. When he returned to where he had left his master painting a picture of something, which he thinks was a tree, but which may have been cows in bathing, Mr. Green had vanished. . . . Hum--hum!--ahem! He was young, well built, handsome, and----
human
Kill it!
gpt
But it's the official descrip----
human
I don't believe it! I won't! I can't! How the devil can a whole bunch of perfect Apollos disappear that way? There are not four such men in this State, anyway--outside of fiction and the stage----
gpt
I'm only reading you the official----
human
All right, he said.
gpt
Show me, that's all I ask. Go ahead and find just one of these disappearing Apollos. That's all I ask.
human
We want two things, do you understand? We want a story, and we want to print it before any other paper. Never mind reporting progress and the natural scenery; never mind telegraphing the condition of the local colour or the dialect of northern New York, or your adventures with nature, or how you went up against big game, or any other kind of game. I don't want to hear from you until you've got something to say. All you're to do is to prowl and mouse and slink and lurk and hunt and snoop and explore those woods until you find one or more of these Adonises; and then get the story to us by chain-lightning, if, he added indifferently,
gpt
Good-bye, sir,
human
What an animal! observed Sayre.
gpt
If it wasn't for the glory of being on the _N. Y. Star_----
human
Sure, said Langdon,