A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 127: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FOOTSTEPS INVISIBLE “Tonight?” Caraden asked then, his voice harsh and so low that Jorman could _ scarcely hear him. “Tonight, man?” -“Tust a few minutes before you came by,” Jorman blurted. “I heard footsteps —his steps—shuffling by. The dog woke up and whimpered. They approached me slowly, pausing, then going on.” The Englishman breathed, “Go on, man! What then?” “They turned. He went down Seventh Avenue, going south.” Sir Andrew Carraden leaped to his feet, paced across the room, wheeled, came k *“He’s tracked me down at last!” he said in a tight voice, from which a note of hysteria was not far absent. “I’ve got to go. Tonight. Now. You say he turned south ?” Jorman nodded. “But that means nothing.” Carraden spoke swiftly, as if thinking out loud. “He'll find he’s lost the track. He’ll turn back. And since he passed, I’ve made a fresh trail. The rain may not have washed _ it quite away. He may have picked it up. He may be coming up those stairs now. Damme, where’s my bag? My passport? My money? All in my bureau. Excuse me. Sit tight.” | Jorman heard a door flung open, heard the man rush into the adjoining bedroom, _ heard a tight bureau drawer squeal. Then Carraden’s footsteps again. A moment after, a bolt on a door pulled back. 3 Then the door itself rattled. A pause, and it ~rattled again, urgently. Once in, _ this time violently. Jorman could ear Carraden’s loud breathing in the silence that followed. “The door won’t open!” There was an edge of fear in the Englishman’s voice as he called out. “There’s a key or some- ee thing in the lock. From the outside.” He came back into the sitting room with a tush, paused beside Jorman. “That message!” The words. came through Carraden’s teeth. “The one the bloody clerk handed me. I wonder if—” Paper ripped, rattled. Sir Andrew Carraden began to curse. “The fool!” he almost sobbed. “Oh, the bloody, bloody fool. ‘Dear sir’ ”— Carraden’s voice was shaking now— SELL MAE RUNS! GUARANTEED a. AGAINST : Amazing guarantee gives FREE nylons if eens hose runs or snags within guarantee : period to 3 months! All welghts, sizes ete. including sheerest 15 donier, Mot in stores. Nationally advertised tn Life, Ladies Home Journal, Saturday | Post, Women’s Home Companion. Awarded Seal of Approval by Good Housekeeping. Also complete tine Here's a Profitable BUSINESS FREE STOPS FOGGY WINDSHIELDS ‘NEW Chemical Mit SAMPLES FOR AGENTS vt May Cause Fatal Infection ‘tolis, KLEPETTE ‘Soo’, 0 Ut he Oe. ay You can cause serious infection by bhi pulling hair from nose. Ordinary GE typ ; scissors are also dangerows and // ]ir impracticable. No better way to f/ somove hait from nase and ears #/ fi than with KLIPETTE. Smooth, fj genilo, safe, efficient. Rounded / HOLLIS CO, + 45 Bruen Street, Newark 5, N. J. * Dept, 0-12 Enclosed is $1.00 for KLIPETTE. tf | am aot entirely satisfied, | may retuen ® within 10 days fos refund. Name a 127, comicbooks:com —