
ILLUSTRATIONS
CHAPTER I. - A GRAPEFRUIT PRELUDE.
CHAPTER II. - MR. HOGG ENTERS THE LISTS.
CHAPTER III. - WHITNEY BARNES UNDER FIRE.
CHAPTER IV. - SMILES AND TEARS.
CHAPTER V. - WHITNEY BARNES TELEPHONES TO THE RITZ.
CHAPTER VI. - OFFICER 666 ON PATROL.
CHAPTER VII. - THE LITTLE BROWN JAP.
CHAPTER VIII. - ART, MYSTERY AND LOVE.
CHAPTER IX. - THE CURSE OF MILLIONS.
The story opens in the sumptuous lobby of a luxury hotel, where a handsome but oddly belligerent young man erupts into a chaotic tirade that lands him in a standoff with the stone‑cold house detective. His flamboyant scarf and a priceless black pearl catch the eye, but his real disturbance comes from a failed attempt at hypnotism that ends with a grapefruit splashing across a table and a chorus of startled shrieks.
Through rapid, witty dialogue the narrative paints a vivid tableau of eccentric guests—an aristocratic duchess, a prima‑diva’s pampered poodle, and the austere detective—each caught up in the stranger’s absurd antics. The prose balances slapstick mayhem with a light touch of the supernatural, hinting at a telepathic undercurrent that fuels the protagonist’s bizarre behavior.
As the detective drags the bewildered man to the front desk, the scene sets a tone of mischievous mystery, promising a series of outlandish encounters and clever repartee that will keep listeners both amused and curious about what lies ahead.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (356K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Oct 10, 2009
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1877–1962
A prolific early 20th-century journalist and editor, he moved easily from newspaper reporting to magazine publishing while also writing fiction and nonfiction of his own. His career touched everything from polar exploration news to farming, household magazines, and literary scholarship.
View all books1877–1928
Best remembered for the lively farce Officer 666, this Brooklyn-born playwright helped shape early 20th-century Broadway comedy with brisk plots and a knack for stage-ready mischief.
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