Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

iis 4 THE BLACK TUBE. “fF can’t say. He went into the library and closed the door.” “ Cordial to Mr. Buckywell?” “ee Very short. Buckwell was on the ve- randa when we arrived,” “Then you think he had his mind made up as to what he was going to do to Buck- well before they talked at alle” “T suppose so.” ‘““Hadn’t they had a misunderstanding in some business deal and that was really why he broke Buckwell? What he said about his wife was just a bluff, wasn’t it?” “Y should hardly say so, but of course I can’t be certain.” Marsh passed Craton the list he had gone over, and the detective slipped it into his pocket. “ The next thing,” mused Craton, “ is ss me to make out a time card. You see” turning to Deston—“ TI always make ant a card for every person sg is In any way connected with a case. I set down what facts I gather and keep adding to the in- formation until in the end I have a pretty complete record about every single individ- ual who has anything to do with the affair. “Tt helps,” he added, crossing fo Des- ‘ton’s desk, “‘ because I can go over and over these cards, over and over the move- ments of each person, their reasons for doing as they did, their reasons for not acting differently until in the end—well,” with a shrug and a nod, “ somehow just studying the cards, when they are complete, makes it possible for me to get at the truth. The first card I like to make out is one covering the time different events happened. You can help me, Mr. Deston, if you will.” He sat down at Deston’s desk and drew a piece of paper toward him. “We will start with eight forty-five, the time you say Mr. Buckwell left. After that you talked with Mr. Sands—that was when he discharged you—and then you left here and went up to his house. What time did you leave here?” ‘““T should say it was about nine o ‘clock. I talked with Mr. Sands not over ten min- utes and then went to my room.” ‘Then we'll say you left the library at eight fifty-five and reached your room at nine. You didn’t stay there long?” 498 Deston shook his head and drew his chair closer to the desk. When the time was set down for the different moves Deston had made, Craton had a-list which read as fol- lows: James Buckwell left... cccceccesscseeceneeo--ee 8.45 Desten- left library. : 5 x...qiekemeteencccsss=s~ 8.55 lett: His-ro0m:........... 9,00 reached Sands’s residence............-. 9.15 back at house after looking for Miss Thurston in garden........ 9.48 Stopped at Garage........ccescecccccerereeees 9.50 met Miss Thurston by pond........ Oss left Miss Thurston..........:....:000-0--- 10.00" reached his rOOmM,........0:c.--esseeese0t+--10.25 Aart 9 Se’ Fe 3 oe eae ee 10.35 reached HDrary..ccc ween 10.37 _ carried Sands upstairs after pick- ing up revolver, running out front door and discovering James Sands’s body...........0-s-s:--- 10,40 coed Dr..vorbes. a ctesests 10.50 . called. Mr, Marshawn 10.55, Craton slipped-the card into his pocket. ‘Miss Thurston came back with you, I “believe?” Deston shook his head. “I eimoie pave her Mr. Sands’s message and left her. I was in a hurry. I wanted to pack and—get out.” “Naturally,” agreed Craton. “ I can un- derstand your feelings perfectly. Yet Miss Thurston evidently followed you.” | “T hardly think it is correct to say that she followed me, Mr.-Craton. I suppose when I told her her uncle wouldn’t be up at the house she decided to come and sée him. She could tell you better than I could.” “ Of course she could,” agreed Craton, as if it hadn’t occurred to him that he should question. her on this point. ‘“‘T don’t like to interfere,” put in Marsh, “but I'd like to know, Deston, what your idea is about your discharge. Why should Sands have done such a thing?” For once Craton welcomed the lawyer’s S interruption in view of. the question. He — sank back in his chair, his eyes on Deston’s face. | For a moment Mr. Sands’s secretary held _ silent. ‘ I—I hardly have given the matter much thought, Mr, Marsh,” he confessed — slowly. “So much has happened that niy own affairs have hardly been considered.” COMiIChOOKS.coO