Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? apartment building where he lives was not asleep as he theught.”’ “Well, sir, ‘twas remarkable the way you led up te it all, and Ill be waiting my- self to hear from the inspector whether the old gentleman breaks dewn and confesses or not. Come, Denny, we'll be getting along.” McCarty edged toward the door. ‘““T am glad to see at least; McCarty, that you have an open mind.” Terhune shook hands cerdially. ‘It will be rather humiliating to the inspecter, I am afraid, but he will have to admit that he was on the wrong track.” . “ Yes, sir.” McCarty laughed. “I teld you I’d net be surprised if he had to let Hill go again! Geoed night, Mr. Terhune.” A drenching April shower was falling as they gained the street, but they trudged on beneath their umbrellas in_ silence. Finally Dennis remarked disgustedly: “And so you’ve fallen for Terhune at last! Think shame to yourself, Mac! That little he-goat with the beard may have been selfish enough to sell his niece to the black- guard whe by all accounts is better dead, but he never killed him! He wouldn’t soil his hands!” “No mere he did,” McCarty agreed pla- cidly. “Still, it amused Terhune and there’s no harm done. He mest likely teek the pistol te blew his own brains out with if Creveling kept his word and teld how he’d made away with the meney left te Mrs. Creveling and where he ceuld have been when the sheeting teok place is more than I know, but ‘twas not there. I'll call the inspector up later and get the truth of it.” ‘“‘So you were just kidding Terhune into ‘explaining about the word test?”’ demanded Dennis, bewildered. ‘‘ What did yeu mean, then, about the inspector having to let Hill go? What man was it who murdered that guy, anyway?” “IT meant what I said,” responded Mc- Carty firmly. “ And that’s the last word you'll get eut of me this night!” He parted from Dennis at the fire-house and proceeded to his own: rooms, but he had scarcely turned on the light when the telephone rang. ‘ Who ts it?” he demanded cautiously as he lifted the receiver. 541 ‘““Druet speaking, Mac. Say, of all the blunderers in this world that scientific—”’ “TIT know, sir,” McCarty interrupted. “Old Alexander’s as innocent as a babe; I could tell that with half an eye. Did you find the pistol?” “Yes. He’s hidden it under the bath- -tub in his suite and Grayson came down and identified it. The old boy meant te kill himself rather than face disgrace.” ‘And his alibi, sir?” ‘He has none,” the inspector replied. ‘“ His story rings true, though; he says he couldn’t sleep with what was on his mind and he. went out and walked the streets. He hasn’t any: clear recellection of where he wandered and he didn’t meet any one he knew who ceuld testify for him, but in about twe hours he found himself at Colum- bus Circle and took a taxi home. He re- members that the chauffeur was an ugly- leoking customer with a deep scar on one side of his face and that ought to help. Ceme down-town to-morrow morning and we'll go over thoroughly the evidence against Hill.” But when early on Sunday morning Mc- Carty presented himself at the outer office of the homicide bureau he was met by Martin, who greeted him with an air of ill- concealed jubilation. “Mac—sir!” He corrected himself in belated acknowledgment of official manners in the possible hearing of superiors, but his eyes danced with excitement. ‘“ Who do you think is in there this minute. closeted with the chief?” He pointed toward the inspector’s private office and McCarty eyed the door thought- fully: “Well, now,” he observed at last, “ it wouldn’t knock me off my feet with sur- prise if twas the Hildreth woman.” ‘ What-t!” Martin expleded. ‘“ You ceuldn’t have heard! You must be ir league with the devil himself! She came in. here not ten minutes ago and gave her- self up; walked deliberately right into our hands! ”’ ‘“T expected it, though not quite so soon,” McCarty remarked placidly. ‘“ ’Tis no devil I’m in league with, Martin, my lad, - but I make some use of the head the Lord COL G DOOIX S Colin