Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 166: what you’re looking at

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D40 by all means, but guard him well, for you will find that he is the guilty man!” CHAPTER AXIX. INTO THEIR HANDS. HEN the defiant Alexander, accom- panied by Mr. O’Rourke and In- - spector Druet, had departed, Nich- olas Cutter rose. “Mr. Terhune,” be began smoothly. “ You must not be annoyed with our hot- headed young [Irish friend for his ill-ad- vised interruption of your test. I do not presume to express an opinion in the case, but I shall await the outcome with the keen- est expectation and I want to thank you for a most interesting evening. It has been indeed a privilege to have been present, and I trust that at some more propitious time you will permit me to drop in on you and learn how you prepared the word test. Good evening.”’ As though taking leave of his host at a purely social function he bowed himself out, and the criminologist, his equanimity partially restored by the tactful if ambigu- ous speech, turned to McCarty and Dennis. Basset had shown the others to the door, and the three were alone. “Well, McCarty, you did not hear the confession I promised you, owing to the interference of your compatriot and the stupidity of your superior, but has my little experiment given you food for thought?’’ “Tf the old gentleman has got the pis- tol—”’ Dennis was beginning, but stopped and side-stepped quickly when a heavy boot descended suddenly upon his own. “ Tf he has, it’s no proof he’s not guilty) ” McCarty declared heartily. ‘“‘ That other one might have been left by the body as a blind, and there are about three million army pistols kicking around the country. Mr. Terhune, sir, it was wonderful! Never did I see the beat of the way you worked it out! Now, if ’tis not too late, will You be after telling us what you doped out from the association tests?” Dennis stared at his friend amazement, and Terhune beamed. “* J always told you that there were pos- in blank ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. sibilities in you far above the ordinary rank and file of the department, my dear McCarty!” he exclamed. “I will explam the test to you with pleasure. Let us take each one in order. I shall not bore you with the technicalities of the vibratoscope record as thrown upon the projection sheet, but merely give you the result indicated. Mr. O’Rourke’s reckless, pleasure-loving, impulsive character was clearly shown m his reactions: ‘life’ to him, meant only sport, and money, debts.” ‘ He loves his wife!” murmured Dennis. “He had no emotion at the remembrance of Creveling’s death, but denied the possi- bility of scandal in connection with it,” continued Terhune. “ His only thought of grief concerned the dog. Now we will take Waverley. He was doggedly determined to impress the theory of suicide upon us, and his motive was plain; he feared that he himself might be regarded with suspicion because of his recent quarrel with Crevel- ing which the butler overheard, and he rushed away in a pretense of fury before he learned how groundless that fear was. Cutter, too, insisted upon suicide as the explanation of Creveling’s death, but that was only from a conservative gentleman’s natural distaste for being brought, however remotely, into the notoriety of a murder in- vestigation. You can, I think, follow the Steps of the test in Alexander’s case.”’ McCarty nodded. ‘That was all true about the brother’s will, and the niece’s money, and the mar- riage and all?” he asked slowly. ‘" Yes. Mrs. Creveling bitterly reproached her uncle for forcing her into the marriage and said that the very odor of orange-bles. soms stifled her; that evidently remained his thoughts. I have had access to his pri- vate papers and account-books which proved the state of his financial affairs, and the office-boy can. testify as to his actions with the pistol on Wednesday and Thursday.” Terltine spoke with grim sat- isfaction. ‘‘ You heard him admit taking the pistol and also bemg absent from his rooms at the tame the murder was com- mitted, although I did not need his confes- Sion ; the night elevator-boy in the bachelor COMME DOOKS I learned from her maid that } Colin