The Masked Master Mind is another in Altus Press‘ The Argosy Library. Written by George F. Worts, it was serialized in Argosy All-Story Weekly in 1926.
Worts is probably best known as the author of Peter the Brazen, under the pen name of Loring Brent. I haven’t read any of the Peter the Brazen stories, and am surprised by the fact that other than the first series (cobbled together into a novel), the rest of the stories haven’t been reprinted.
The Masked Master Mind is about a young man who confronts crime and defeats it. But if you are expecting something along the lines of the later ’30s pulp heroes, you will either be surprised or disappointed. But this is a fun read, if you keep in mind that it was written in the ’20s.
Right off the bat we meet some of the main characters in the story, and learn a bit about the setting. Gilbert Dollow is a young man with a keen sense of observation, living in the little town of Maple Hollow. He holds the second-most important job in the little village: lifeguard at the local beach. The most important job is that of the town constable. This is because during the summer, tourists come to Maple Hollow to visit the beach. The constable must direct traffic at the crossroads, and the lifeguard must ensure no one drowns at the beach.
Annie May Prine is Gilbert’s girlfriend, who we also met. Hopefully, they will marry and settle down in Maple Hollow, if Gilbert doesn’t get lured away by some fancy society girl.
But things take a change when Gilbert must cover for the constable at the crossroads. Soon he pulls over a girl in a fancy roadster for smoking (not allowed in public in this small town). Giving her a ticket, he notices her passenger is a wanted bigamist, and arrests him. The man attempts to bribe Gilbert, but it doesn’t work, and the town is abuzz. When detectives from Steel City, the “big town” nearby, arrive to take the man away, it turns out he is really a wanted counterfeiter! Impressed by Gilbert, they offer him a job on the police force of Steel City. And there is the matter of that girl, a young widow who appears rich. A society girl!
Soon, Gilbert is pulled to Steel City and comes up against the corruption there. To deal with it, he becomes a mysterious “masked man.” Sort of. You may be surprised by how Gilbert becomes the “masked master mind” and the outcome of the story once he succeeds in cleaning things up.
Overall, while the story is a little slow moving (like I said, this was written in the ’20s, not the ’30s), it was pretty good. I could easily see this done as a Frank Kapra-style screwball comedy of the period. While Gilbert is smart and observant, he is not worldly-wise and doesn’t always “get” things. Much of the story turns on Gilbert’s naivety. He may be observant, but at times too easily manipulated. Which is part of the charm.
So check this one out. I look forward to the next series in the Argosy Library. And I really wish more of the Peter the Brazen works would be reprinted as well.
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