Adventure Magazine Cover — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

- } aid burned a lewliitle tines 1 wanted to get rid of, my mustache among them. The next day a messenger delivered a package to Mrs. Ellis. It came “from one of Steve’s friends,” so a scrap of paper with it said.” : She was a wise woman and did not take - me into her confidence; that is, she said nothing about the “‘open sesame” having mysteriously arrived. Maybe she wondered what it contained, but there was no way of getting into it without going to a locksmith, and it was a solid little affair. Besides, for her purpose she did not need to get into it. She must have notified Cornwall that he had better use his influence or it would be turned over to Walsh, who would be glad to use his influence. The same scrap of paper that told her it was “from one of Steve’s friends” advised her to take the matter up with Walsh in case Cornwall did not show sufficient interest. _ [hadrealized—perhapsa little too late—that Walsh would probably think she had cheated him if she did call this attention to the box, for [had tampered a little with the contents. USUALLY I spent my evenings down in Commercial Alley, over a poker table, just idly playing and having a little secret sport in making tin- horns wonder why their plans went awry. One hot, sultry night I left early, went home and, having a down-stairs bedroom, left the hall door open to get a little more air. I shot the man who threw the glare of a dark lantern into my face from the door- way. I had an impression that there were two men—that is, I was sure I heard the rush and clatter of amanrunning. It wasn’t the one I shot at. He was buried, after be- ing identified as a shyster lawyer. Perhaps he thought it better to go direct after loot than more safely to take it second-hand from his larcenous clients. Mrs. Ellis vaguely told me and the police that the thieves must have been after ‘‘some papers.” She kept her own counsel as far as I knew, and I asked no questions. [I left Salt Lake almost at once, since I did not care for the attention that was coming my way, though, of course, the coroner did not — hold me in the least responsible. I went back to San Francisco. I did not know what had happened in the case after I left, for I was kept rather*busy _ with personal affairs of my own. “Rick: Crooks \daughter 3 But now the Cornwall brothers, after == having told me about Steve Ellis, sat up as if jerked by wires when I inquired— “What ever became of Mrs. Ellis?” For a moment or two, bony, loose-jointed Daniel looked as if I had hit him with a club, and the emaciated Joseph up- set his glasses from off his nose in a quick dash to adjust them so as to peer the harder at me. “Mrs. Ellis!” Daniel exclaimed with a suddenness that had a suggestion of alarm in it. “How did you know—’” the other Corn- wall began and broke off chokingly. “Any time a man is vengeful, you can make sure there is a woman’s shadow on him,” I said smoothly, as if unaware that I had plucked at a veil they did not care to have disturbed. ) “But how did you know?” Daniel in- sisted with a sort of tentative suspicion, taking up his brother’s question. “Ten chances to a half of one, always, that it’s a wife. If not a wife, then the “Daughter!” Joseph’s voice was excitedly high-pitched. “Daughter,” I repeated, nodding. Daniel was staring at‘me. He did not know what to think. I became aware that Joseph Cornwall, trembling from uplifted arms to his knees, was standing and was, almost speechless in his emotion. “T tell you Steve Ellis is a mean scoun- pret he shouted hoarsely. “A brute, sir! e killed his wife as surely as a man ever killed anything! I adopted Cora Ellis, sir. Made her my heir. If he bothers her he ought to be shot down like a dog, and I would like to do it!” . He ended with a fit of coughing. The man was grotesquely pitiful. He looked about as dangerous as a sparrow. His emotion was far too great for his body. He shook from weakness. I looked at him for a long time. If that was acting it was ex- tremely good acting, but I was not con- vinced. ‘Joseph is tender-hearted,’’ Daniel put in as if explaining something. I won- dered what he thought he was explaining in such a tone of half-apology. “You didn’t want me to do it,” Diets almost flared. “And see what it’s got us into!” 2 ‘ “ A : a a om Sie ee ee Cc ; 1 V4 £ = COMICHOOKS.cor J —=5 Re