Flurrie pinched his nose shut with the
fingers of his left hand. “Smells like
the stock yards to me.”
“Stock yards, iron products, distilleries,
railroad hub to the west, and on and on.
Flurrie, this is the largest city west of
“One would think
“No, at least for now
“That will be the day, Mr. Surrey.”
“Gentlemen! Gentlemen!” a very tall, very thin,
middle-aged man shouted, rushing towards them.
He was outfitted in a smart riding outfit consisting of a navy blue
coat, gray trousers tucked into glimmering black boots, a white shirt and
ascot, all topped off with a black felt derby.
“I have a hansom cab waiting for you out front. I’ll transport you wherever you wish in the
As he brazenly captured the suitcases
they were toting, Adonis and Flurrie glanced at each other and broke into
mutual smiles.
“I take it you are a cab for hire?” Adonis
blandly asked.
“To gentlemen only,” the driver affirmed,
glancing at their expensive attire with obvious delight. “I’m Monty, and I am here to see to your
auxiliary needs for your entire stay in thriving
“We require a hotel suite,” Adonis
ordered.
“The White House Hotel is for you,” Monty
stated, almost rushing them to his shimmering hansom cab parked just outside
the station. “The hotel is very
exclusive and you gentlemen will be separated from this common riff-raff. Don’t they just make your skin crawl?” He motioned to a sea of people cramming the
streets before them, on wagons, afoot, women dragging children behind them, men
leading work horses and oxen who were in turn pulling Conestoga and other
assorted freight wagons. A haze of
gray-brown dust hung in the air making breathing difficult. “Let’s hurry, gentlemen, before we become
physically ill.”
Monty placed their luggage on the carrier
behind the cab as Adonis and Flurrie seated themselves inside the cab, pleased
to close the doors from at least some of the dust strewn air. Monty then removed a towel from the rider’s
perch and Adonis and Flurrie watched in amusement as Monty hurriedly dusted off
his proud, reddish-brown stallion. He
then grumbled under his breath, hurriedly climbing onto the driver’s bench and
they began moving in and out of the traffic pattern.
“I’ll steer us down the side streets where
there is less activity,” Monty shouted down to them, communicating by sliding a
lid open and closed on the roof of the hansom cab.
Flurrie leaned over and near-whispered to
Adonis, “I wonder if Monty might be
useful to us?”
“He certainly appears to be the type,”
Adonis agreed. “He’s aggressive, and knows his way around
“May I be of aid, gentlemen?”
“Monty, after we check into the White
House Hotel we would like you to drive us through the mansion row section of
“Pride
will be delighted to show us about.”
“Pride?” Flurrie inquired.
“My stallion. We have been together for ten years now. A finer mate a man couldn’t find;
hard-working, intelligent, respectful.
He only collapses during the mating season.”
“Don’t we all?” Adonis quipped.
“On my dad’s farm up in
Adonis quickly slapped Flurrie on his
knee, startling him, and cutting his speech short. “He is a handsome beast, Monty!”
“We thank you,” Monty shouted down from
his perch atop and behind the cab.
“We’ll give you the royal tour!”
Flurrie then quickly spoke up, “Monty, who
is the leading industrialist in
“That would be John Meyer. He owns mining interests and an iron smelting
plant south of town. They make pig iron
or some such thing down there.”
“Monty,” Adonis shouted up through the
hole in the roof of the hansom cab, “as railway stock and bond salesmen we are
of course interested in gathering as much information as possible on the local
Barons and cognoscente to later contact for possible sales leads.”
“I understand,” Monty shouted back. “I’ll give you the grand tour after I check
you into the White House Hotel.”
“Excellent,” Adonis exclaimed. He then glanced at Flurrie and nodded his
head affirmatively. Flurrie winked at
Adonis. “And we would also be very
pleased to exclusively utilize your hansom cab service for our entire stay in
“We are yours to command, gentlemen!”
Monty joyfully shouted back.
“To start out, tell us all you know about
the ten richest individuals in the area.”
Monty moved Pride at a slow gate as he leaned over the roof’s communication
hole and lectured Adonis and Flurrie on the names, address, quirks, deeds, an
misdeeds of the local hoi-poilo.
The three-storied White House Hotel now
regally loomed before them in the exclusive
Monty deposited their luggage in the
parlor. “Do you prefer to freshen
yourselves, or take the tour of mansion row right off?”
“Let’s do the tour!” Adonis
exclaimed. “Business first, at all
times.”
Flurrie hurriedly removed his sketchpad
and several pencils from his luggage.
“Be right with you.”
Adonis motioned to Flurrie. “My partner is also a budding artist, and a
very good one at that.”
“Excellent! There is an art gallery just a block away
from here. I’ll point it out to you as
we drive by.”
“An art gallery!” Flurrie exclaimed,
dropping two pencils, and then scrambled to pick them up as Adonis and Monty
made their way into the hallway.
“I see the hotel does not have a dinning
room,” Adonis stated. “I also assume
there is no room service of any kind?’
“Not to worry,” Monty stated with a broad
smile. “There is a German cuisine
restaurant two blocks east, and just before that is Aunt Molly’s English
Pub. It is frequented by many members of
St. Louis leading business community.”
“How convenient,” Adonis responded as
Flurrie finally caught up with them.
“What say we take time out for lunch before our tour of mansion row?”
Adonis said to Flurrie.
“No argument here,” Flurrie agreed,
licking his lips. “I’m dying for a cup
of warm soothing tea.”
“This way, gentlemen,” Monty pointed, as
they exited the White House Hotel.
“Right down the block. For lunch,
Aunt Molly’s Pub is number one in the city.
She has roast beef sandwiches that melt in ones mouth. The bar is stocked with beer, ale and
wine.”
“Who is this Aunt Molly?” Adonis asked.
“I only know she came from London, England
about three years ago.”
Flurrie chuckled as he watched his
business associate beam with delight, his bored eyes now alive with the
anticipation of ensuing amour.
“Is she married” Flurrie teasingly asked,
quickly glancing from Adonis to Monty then back to Adonis.
“Her husband died fighting for the
Confederate cause,” Monty resounded.
“How old is she?” Flurrie continued.
“Hard to say… Early thirties…”
Adonis now broke into a large contented
smile. “But why would she leave London for Midwest America?” he then queried as
they approached the purple painted, leaded glass façade of the pub.
“Why are any of us here in frontier Middle
America?” Monty philosophically responded.
Monty then paused. “Pride and I
are conveniently housed in the coach house behind the White House Hotel. We do have something of a thriving business,
but will do our best to be immediately available for you.”
“Fair enough,” Adonis agreed, reaching
into his coat vest pocket and removed a wad of ten-dollar bills. He peeled off one ten and then gazed into
Monty’s anticipatory expression. He then
removed another ten and handed the cash to Monty who was now beaming in
absolute delight.
“Gentlemen, do notify me at the hotel when
you are ready to take the grand tour of the mansions. Remember my office and quarters are just
behind the hotel in the coach house building.”
He then pocketed the money as he opened the pub door. “Please be kind enough to mention my name to
Aunt Molly.”
The pub was medium size, with mahogany
paneling, a small entertainment stage at the far end, and a running bar with
about a dozen stools at the right side of the room. The remainder of the pub contained several
short dining tables and half dozen booths along the front windows.
Since it was ten in the morning the pub
contained only a few elderly men reading the local newspaper and sipping
tea. Adonis and Flurrie settled into the
nearest window booth and glanced around at the huge paintings adorning the
upper walls. Just above them was a wild
boar being ridden down by two hunters holding spears. The rest of the paintings were also hunting
scenes of one kind or another, except the paintings over the back of the bar
wall which held three very large renderings of Napoleonic battle scenes.
The swinging kitchen door suddenly opened
and a near plump, about thirty year old, very attractive, brown-haired woman
entered. Her hair was pulled back into a
bun behind her head and she wore wire-rimmed spectacles balancing about half
way down the bridge of her nose. An
oversized white ruffled apron covered the entire front of her body.
She stared at Adonis and Flurrie with
obvious delight, and hurried to their table.
“I am Aunt Molly. How may I serve
you lovely young lads?” she asked, with a teasing English accent.
“Adonis Surrey here,” Adonis said, gazing
up playfully at her delicately featured face, and piercing hazel eyes. He then motioned to Flurrie. “This gentleman is my business associate
Flurrie Peoples. We are railroad stock
and bond salesmen.”
Flurrie swept his right hand around in the
air, motioning to the paintings. “The
oils are magnificent.”
Aunt Molly beamed with delight. “They were painted by my late husband,
Brandon. He was a local architect and
building contractor, and in his spare time he loved to sketch and paint action
scenes.”
“They are alive with motion and
atmosphere.” Flurrie responded. “I am
something of a novice artist.”
Aunt Molly smiled. “An artist!
Excellent!”
Adonis continued staring up flirtatiously
into her hazel eyes and it was obviously making her uncomfortable.
“Perhaps you’ll allow Flurrie to sketch
you as you work?” Adonis asked.
She shyly smiled and now focused her
complete attention to Flurrie. “Our main
luncheon fare is a man-size bristling hot, one pound beef sandwich dripping in
a special sauce of mine. The first glass
of ale to new customers is gratis.”
“I’m game,” Adonis responded with a hungry
grin.
“That will be fine,” Flurrie absently
mumbled, opening his sketchpad and removing a pencil from his coat pocket.
Aunt Molly now smiled down approvingly at
Flurrie who was busily sketching her amused face. “You remind me of Brandon. He was forever drawing something.”
Flurrie glanced up into her delighted
expression. “I am honored.”
Aunt Molly’s face became flushed, and she
quickly glanced away. “There is a dart
board next to the stage, if you are so inclined. On Saturday nights we have entertainment;
Irish folk music and singers. You are
welcome to join in. Your sandwiches will
be ready in a few minutes,” she then added, spinning around and scurrying into
the kitchen.
Adonis smiled and winked at Flurrie,
peeking at the quick sketch of Aunt Molly taking form on the sheet of
paper. He then approvingly swept his
eyes around the pub. “This will be a
perfect setting for a branch of Adonis Surrey, Esq.”
Flurrie continued sketching, barely
hearing Adonis words.
Just then two large, heavyset, obviously
intoxicated young men entered and sat at the bar, banging on the counter
top. Aunt Molly rushed out from the
kitchen and furiously stared at the noisemakers. “I told you two to stay out of here!”
They glanced back defiantly at her. “We demand service, you old crow!”
Adonis arose and strode over to the
troublemakers, holding his silver wolf headed cane at the ready. Flurrie followed closely behind him. “Apologize to the lady and then leave.”
They moved their blurred eyes up and down
Adonis tall lean body, and then Flurrie’s short, skinny frame and broke into
laughter, again pounding on the bar top.
Flurrie tapped one of the men on his bull-like
shoulder. The man spun around and
growled. Flurrie took a bare-knuckle
boxer’s stance, squarely planting his feet on the floor. The man again broke into laughter. Flurrie swiftly and viscously punched the man
twice in each eye. The man sat still for
a minute and then fell off the barstool and onto the floor. The second man started to arise and Adonis
violently struck him atop his pate with the silver wolf’s head of his walking
cane and he collapsed to the floor.
Aunt Molly broke into nervous
laughter. “My heroes!”
Adonis and Flurrie then lifted one limp
body and moved it out onto the street.
The three elderly gentlemen, chortling in delight, then gathered up the
second body and deposited him in the gutter next to his companion.
Aunt
Molly proceeded to kiss Adonis, Flurrie and the three elderly customers on the
cheek. “You are all my heroes! Chivalry is not dead!” She moved behind the bar and poured them each
a generous brandy, as Adonis and Flurrie shook hands with their aged
counterparts.
The elderly men then moved back to their
tables, holding very pleased grins, and returned to reading their
newspapers.
Aunt Polly leaned over the bar, staring
gratefully into Adonis and Flurrie’s eyes.
“That was fantastic, and Flurrie here disabling that one brute with four
swift eye punches. Incredible!”
“It’s all in the stance.” Flurrie
related. “My brother was a bare-knuckle
champion in Ontario and taught me how to defend myself since I was the runt of
the family litter.”
“I’ll be back directly with your
sandwiches,” Aunt Molly said, spinning around and heading for the swinging
doors of the kitchen.
After eating their lunch, and discussing a
battle plan to assault the sequestered treasures of St. Louis finest families,
they made their way down Washington Boulevard towards their suite at the White
House Hotel.
“Let’s seek out Monty and have him give us
the grand tour of mansion row,” Adonis stated.
Flurrie suddenly stopped short and pointed
excitedly across the street. “Look! The
Pale Artist Gallery! This is
incredible. Let’s stop in and take a
look.”
“Let’s,” Adonis agreed, delighted to see
his associate and friend brimming with excitement.
Flurrie shielded the bright sunlight from
his eyes as he stared through a small clear glass panel surrounded by leaded
glass in the showcase window. “Hmm,” he
mused. “Animal sketches and paintings. Wonderful!
I have an oil of my pet Terrier Harry
in my luggage.”
They entered the gallery and strolled
amongst at least fifty sketches and paintings of dog, cats, and riding
horses. Adonis glanced at Flurrie who
was obviously in animal heaven, and made his way to the back of the shop and to
an open office door. He peeked in, and
then knocked on the open door. A very
thin, attractive, fortyish appearing woman was seated behind a desk and was
reading a book. She slowly slid her
eyes up and down his athletic body and then rested her gray-blue eyes on his
handsome face.
“What did I do to deserve this?” she
quipped while smiling. “I haven’t been
that good a girl.”
Adonis chuckled. “Adonis Surrey here. My artist friend and business associate
Flurrie Peoples is admiring your animal exhibition. He has an oil he did of his pet terrier back
in Canada, and would like to add it to your excellent exhibition.”
She arose from her desk chair and her very
thin and long body proved to be the same height as Adonis six foot one inch
frame. “Felicity Remington here.” She then inquisitively gazed into Adonis
playful steel-gray eyes. “You wouldn’t
per chance also be an artist’s model? I
might be able to use you. I am looking
for a nude model of your stature for a Greek God exhibition I have planned.”
Adonis playfully lowered his eyes. “Please Madam, you are making me blush.”
Just then Flurrie poked his head into the
office. “There you are!”
“Ah, here is my friend, Flurrie
Peoples. May I present Felicity
Remington, the proprietress.”
Flurrie gazed upwards into her amused
face, somewhat astonished by her height.
“My pleasure.”
“Adonis said you have a painting of your
pet terrier. Please do bring it in, and
if you care to I would love to see all of your work. Perhaps tomorrow morning at ten?”
Flurrie beamed with joy. “Excellent, excellent.”
Adonis chuckled at Felicity’s amused
expression as she stared at Flurrie, now brimming with excitement. “Monty, the hansom cab owner, is now going to
drive us about town to familiarize us with the local persons, places and things
of note so that we might introduce our railroad stock and bond agency round and
about.” Adonis then paused, pointing
with pride to Flurrie. “My associate is
also a portraitist of note, and has painted and sketched the leading citizens
in each town we have visited. I’m sure
he would condescend to do the same here in St. Louis.”
“Wonderful!” Felicity exclaimed. “I have a very good feeling about this, and I
will be pleased to showcase Flurrie’s art, and act as his agent to obtain
sittings for him.” She then paused,
stroking her thin protruding chin. “Mmm,
and railroad stocks and bonds,” she cooed, “I just might be able to help you
along those lines with my many social connections. For a consideration of course.”
“Wonderful,” Adonis agreed. “Dinner this evening?”
“You railroad stock and bond salesmen
waste little time in becoming acquainted.”
“We are very friendly.”
“My quarters are directly up stairs. I’ll be available at seven.” She then glanced
at Flurrie. “Do bring your sketches and
paintings around tomorrow morning, when convenient.”
“My pleasure,” Flurrie responded.
Adonis began to exit with Flurrie, but
then paused at the front door to playfully glance back at Felicity and tipped
his fedora, and she blew him a kiss.
The next morning at about nine Flurrie was
gazing out the window of their hotel suite, busily sketching, when the hallway
door suddenly swung open. He didn’t
bother turning around. He then found
Adonis peeking over his right shoulder as he continued sketching. Adonis positively reeked of cigar smoke
permeating from his clothing.
“You smell like an all night poker game.”
“Very perceptive!” Adonis exclaimed.
“Very odoriferous,” Flurrie replied,
opening the window a bit. “I hope you
were courteous enough to return my art dealer, Felicity, back home at a decent
hour.”
“Felicity, who?” Adonis quipped, and then
sensing his partner was genuinely miffed he quickly added, “I had her home by
eleven.”
Flurrie released a sigh. “Thanks for that. Once I set my art exhibit up with her, and my
name travels about as the new artiste in town, I will be able to hold
portrait sittings for the local elite in their mansions, and draw my little
secretive floor plan sketches for our use in future possible heists of their
valuables.”
“Good man.
I must admit I am anxious to return to the excitement of the purloining
fray." He paused to set his silver
wolf head cane aside, and then removed his fedora and cape. “Monty was able to get me into a poker game
last night at the Executive Club.”
“How did he manage that?” Flurrie asked
while continuing to sketch.
“It appears he and a few other select drivers tell each other what is
going on in the upper echelon circles on a nightly basis. He confided to the personal driver of a local
beer Baron that we were in town and selling railroad stocks and bonds, and
through him I received the invitation to join in.” Adonis paused to remove his shoes. “I lost more money than I had to, but I met
five excellent leads for us.”
“A night well spent,” Flurrie confirmed,
reaching for several colored pencils.
“Do you think we will be utilizing our golf lesson scheme this time
around?”
“Certainly. I don’t wish to get caught up in midnight
poker games anymore than I have to. I
crave fresh air and sunlight, enjoyed whilst instructing others in the manly
game of golf. Actually, I have a golf
game exhibition set up for eight this Saturday morning at “Tricky” Jaeger’s
estate. He deals in liquor and beer distribution up and down the Mississippi
River.”
“Will you require my assistance?” Flurrie
half-heartedly inquired, not looking up from his sketching strokes.
“No, no, you will be busy enough with your
art exhibit preparation with Felicity.”
Adonis then slung down the suspenders from his shoulders and dropped his
trousers to the floor, then stepping out of them. “Time for me to bathe and go to bed.” He then removed his shirt. “By the way, Felicity is actually quite
pleasant. Don’t let her gruff exterior
bother you.”
“Thanks for that,” Flurrie said, placing
the finishing strokes on a Federal design building located at the end of
Washington Boulevard. “I’ll be stopping
by Felicity’s Pale Artist Gallery at ten to drop off my paintings for her to
peruse for the possible showing in her gallery.”
“Good man,” Adonis acknowledged, heading
for the bathroom. He paused at the open
door. His eyes then suddenly lit up in
concern. “I hope you left the gas heater
on under the bath water tank!”
“I certainly did, my liege, and fresh soap
awaits.”
“There’s the lad,” Adonis chuckled, and
then paused. “By the by, I have a
potential job for us tonight at about two am.”
“Wonderful,” Flurrie mumbled, reevaluating
the drawing he had just completed.
At One AM Adonis gently knocked on
Flurrie’s bedroom door. “Anyone ‘ta home
in there?” he whimsically asked.
The door swung open and Flurrie was
nattily dressed in a business suit, white shirt with ascot, and all topped off
with a black fedora. ”Open for
business,” he quipped, tipping his hat.
“Hope I’m not underdressed,” he teased, seeing Adonis was nattily
attired in tie, tales and top hat.
“I’m just in from dinner and cards with
Bentley Morgan, he owns several tanneries up and down the Mississippi. Before I met with him Monty gave me a full
report on his operation. Morgan is
ruthless, and the death rate among his workers slaving in the tanneries is
alarming, especially in the heat of summer.”
Adonis paused, “A prime candidate for a heist. I have a good mental layout of the first
floor of the mansion, and am almost sure he has a wall safe secreted behind a
very large painting of an elk in his library.”
“Sounds routine,” Flurrie nonchalantly
replied, following Adonis out the suite door and into the hallway.
“Morgan mentioned his wife and daughter
were doing Europe, and since he is elderly I’m assuming he will be fast asleep
by the time we pay his valuables a visit.”
“Surely he must have a houseman or butler
around the estate?”
“True.
His houseman lives in the stables out back, and he too is well along in
age. I don’t think he should be of any
concern to us.”
Flurrie followed Adonis from the hotel,
and about a half-block down the avenue they entered a dark alleyway. Two
saddled, beautifully groomed black stallions were tethered to a post. “Meet Thor and Lightening, our transportation
for the night.”
Flurrie was somewhat surprised. ‘We are not using Monty’s hansom cab
service?”
“Quite frankly I don’t believe we can
trust him for aide in our auxiliary pursuits.
He is something of a gossip, far too loose with his information, but we
will continue to use him as our cab driver.
He does seem to have his ear on the heartbeat of St. Louis.”
They saddled themselves and stealthily and
silently began to move through the side streets of St. Louis, and to a
neighborhood of elegant homes. They tied
their steeds beneath a grove of oak trees.
Adonis broke the silence. “It’s time for our inebriated act. The German Revival Romanesque mansion just
down the block is our destination. Let’s
stumble along with an arm over each others shoulders and I’ll waive my walking
cane in the air before us as if I am clearing a path for our intoxicated eyes
to meander.”
Flurrie chuckled, “If someone would see us
they would write us off at two youthful gentlemen returning to their quarters
after a long night of debauchery.”
“Don’t we wish,” Adonis said, shaking his
head negatively. “I am personally long
past due for a stint of debauchery, amongst other things.”
“Oh, come now,” Flurrie teased. “Adonis Surrey long past due?”
“I have been spending my efforts in polite
society; sipping tea, trading quips, flirtatious glances, taking inventory of
the local femmes and their jewelry. I
now crave a weekend of unadulterated lust.”
They stumbled as drunks up the Morgan
mansion’s driveway, thru the porte-cochere, and to a side alcove containing a
set of French doors. Adonis removed a
sliver of metal from his right boot, skillfully slid it in the center slit
between the doors, and popped up the latch lock on the doors.
They entered silently, and then stood
still, adjusting their eyes to the moonlit library room of the mansion. Adonis pointed to the huge painting of an elk
hanging on the near wall. Flurrie
carefully moved the painting aside, revealing the anticipated wall safe. Adonis removed a small key ring from his coat
pocket, selected a key, placed it in the keyhole of the safe, and the near
silent sound of a click brought a
smile to each of their lips.
Adonis reached into the black hole of the
safe, groped about, and his adventuresome expression soured as he extricated a
golden Aztec sacrificial dagger from the abyss.
“What!” Flurrie blurted a bit too loudly,
gazing wide-eyed at the shimmering golden knife.
Adonis quickly replaced the dagger inside
the safe, and further searched the interior retrieving a brown leather
pouch. He quickly opened it to reveal
about a dozen loose diamonds, sapphires and rubies. He slipped the pouch into his coat pocket,
and then closed and locked the safe door.
Flurrie returned the elk painting into its proper position and they
swiftly exited the mansion.
The horse ride back to their hotel was
silent of speech. Flurrie worried over
the wrinkled brow and unusually serious expression of his friend. They tethered their steeds to the post in the
alley where they had found them, and remained silent as they walked down
Washington Boulevard to the White House Hotel.
In their hotel suite Adonis poured each of
them a large brandy. They sat at the
desk in the parlor of the suite. Adonis
removed the leather pouch of gems from his jacket pocket, opened it and poured
the gems on the green ink blotter on the desk
“Flurrie, I must admit the Aztec
sacrificial daggers are beginning to get on my nerves.”
“You are not alone!” Flurrie
responded. “Who are these people, and
why are we running into the daggers in this part of the country only?”
“As I alluded to in the past; I believe they are some sort of amalgamation of the local very wealthy perhaps banded together to take control of this part of the United States. I have heard of these arrangements before and especially now after the Civil War there is much confusion and general unrest in this area.” Adonis paused. “Perhaps they wish to control the lower Mississippi River travel and shipping, that sort of thing.”
Flurrie nodded, now greedily running his
hands through the assorted gems. “At any
rate we have a lovely assortment of baubles.”
He then paused in thought. “Another
point; doesn’t there seem to be an awfully large amount of loose gems in most
of our host’s safes? One would expect
rings, earrings, bracelets, and such all encrusted with jewels and not all of
the stones by themselves.”
“Remember,” Adonis replied, “the United
States has become severely economically depressed after the war. Some fear the American dollar will be
rendered almost useless for quite a long time.
The rich turn their cash into gems at the first hint of a depressed time
and the gems can later be sold for their true market value as required anywhere
in the world.”
Flurrie shook his head in understanding. “Fantastic!
They have all the angles covered, haven’t they?”
“Not all,” Adonis answered, now broadly
smiling. “They didn’t count on us
pilfering their safes.”
Flurrie broke into a deep, wicked, guttural laugh. “Quite so! We are the chink in their armor!”
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