The Masked Master Mind by George F. Worts

Gilbert Dollow, a young man in his early 20’s is not content with his lot as a lifeguard on the beach of the small town of Maple Hollow. He envies the life of old Constable Dench who seems to command the respect of the townspeople, young and old. But there was only one constable in this small town and so Gilbert must look elsewhere, all the way to Steel City. If he can get there, become a member of their police force, his future would be fulfilled.

One problem: Gilbert isn't the smartest cookie in the tin. Gullible, yes. Likeable even. But just a little short in the smarts department. But luck…now that was something else. Luck tended to shine her light on him all day long. He knew if he wanted to gain a position on the Steel City police force, he would need to earn his way. Thankfully, his astounding luck led him to find and capture a well-known counterfeiter, even though he had thought he was snagging a bigamist whose wanted poster he had recently seen. He was on his way at last.

Annie May Prine has her eye on capturing Gilbert’s heart although he seems immune to her charms. When Gilbert rides the success of his recent capture of the notorious counterfeiter all the way to Steel City, Annie May chases after him, knowing he’d be like a lost puppy in the big city without her. Indeed, Gilbert’s naiveté leads him to all sorts of trouble and being made fun of and the big city police force wants nothing to do with him. That is, until his incredible luck plays out again and he manages to capture a whole ring of criminals. When he accidentally repeats this with yet more bad guys, this time having fallen into some black paint that disguises his features, the Police Commissioner realizes he can use this young man. Thus, the “Man in the Black Mask” AKA the “Masked Master Mind” comes into being.

Despite the ongoing success-by-luck that Gilbert enjoys, he comes to believe he is being taken advantage of, just another form of being made fun of. He decides his dream was not meant to be and instead would prefer to settle down with Annie May back in little Maple Hollow, if only he could remember what she looks like. He searches for her across the big city while she searches for him. Surely, they will find one another, won’t they? These moments give the story an extra layer of sweet desperation and gives readers a greater stake in the outcome.

This pulp novel was first published serially across five issues of Argosy All-Story Weekly magazine in 1926. It’s a delightful story filled with humor and fun pulpy action with an underdog protagonist who you can’t help but root for. The author, George F. Worts, was a favorite of Argosy readers, with an easy-going style and a flair for humorous situations. He also wrote detective fiction under the pen name, Loring Brent, featuring the character, Gillian Hazeltine, among many other pulp series.

A non-traditional masked vigilante story to be sure, but one that I highly recommend.

South of Sulu by George F. Worts

This collection of five short stories revolves around the character of Samuel Larkin Shay, otherwise known as “Singapore Sammy”.  Sammy is an American who has spent the last six years (1920’s) roaming around the Asiatic tropics, (the South Seas), trying to catch up to his no-good scoundrel of a father.  See, Sammy’s grandfather has left him a fortune in his will, but his father has absconded with the document, preventing the estate from passing on to Sammy.

Each of these five stories was a wonderful adventure yarn, packed full of exciting pulpy shenanigans.  An adventure in every port, you might say. Sammy isn’t afraid to let his fists do the talking when he spots an injustice.  Interestingly, each story is subtly different from one another.  For example, one is a heist story while one is a revenge story, and another is more of a mystery with supernatural elements.  But they all tie together in Sammy’s unending quest to catch his father and gain the upper hand.

George F. Worts was a prolific pulp writer, probably most famous for his character, Peter the Brazen. During the first World War, Worts was a wireless operator throughout the Pacific and later worked for Collier’s, visiting and writing articles on China, India, the Philippines, and Malaya.  The vivid landscapes he describes in these stories are evidence of his knowledge of the locations, the people and their culture.

These Singapore Sammy stories first appeared in "Short Stories" but the character eventually made his way into "Argosy" with another handful of stories, all of which were highly regarded at the time according to the Letters to the Editor.  I need to track those down now too, both for the sheer fun of reading them but also to find out if Sammy can ever wrestle away that only copy of the will from his father.