Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

130 “Oh, God, yes!” she cried. “I did! I didn’t mean to shoot. I didn’t mean to, so help me God, I didn’t mean to do it, but it went off.” ce Yes?” ‘Oh, I just flung down the revolver and ran, just ran,’”’ she moaned. CHAPTER XXII. BUCKWELL RETURNS. RATON and Homes were alone. ‘What do you mean by telling her . ~ she didn’t fire that shot and letting her go?”’ demanded the sheriff, a decidedly puzzled man. 3 ‘““How could she?” inquired Craton. “The bullet out of her revolver is in the wall. Sands fired off her revolver to at- tract attention, the position of the bullet and its upward course shows it was fired by some one lying on the rug. What she did was to fling her pistol at Sands as the shot rang out and then she ran, as she has said. ‘What we get out of her story is just this: Sands was shot pretty close to ten o’clock. It is obvious from what he said to Deston and Miss Thurston that he be- lieved—as did Miss MacKensie—that she shot him or he saw who stood back of the girl, and it was Mrs. Sands.” ‘“‘ But why are you so sure this girl didn’t have anything to do with it when she her- self, until you told her your theory, believed that she fired?” persisted Homes. ‘In the first place Sands wasn’t shot with a twenty-two caliber revolver. That’s enough, but look here.’’ Craton drew a paper to him and sketched the library and the position of the different characters. “This is the situation at the moment Sands was killed. Whoever shot him was in the front hall or doorway. He or she, i can’t say which, fired past the girl. She thought that she had fired, which was quite natural considering the nervous condition she was in. Undoubtedly when the shot rang out and the poor girl flung her pistol from her she was frightened enough to stand stock still for a second, her gaze fixed on sands as he crumpled at her feet. That ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. pause gave the murderer time to leap out the front door and get away before Miss Mac- Kensie turned and ran.” The sheriff bent to study the drawing Craton had made. He gave a slow nod as he pushed the paper aside. DESTON'S OF-EPC E ® LIBRARY 2 —— 3. Miss MacKensie 4. Murderer 1. Jim Sands’s body 2. Willet Sands “We are still up a tree,” he frowned. ‘We are getting along. We know that Mrs. Sands was at the house when Jim Sands arrived and hung around, only mak- ing off when Miss MacKensie started for the house.” ‘““ And she may have come back?” “She was there when Deston came through the garden, and it is natural to suppose she was close by from the moment Miss MacKensie went into the house until she ran away. In short, Mrs, Sands either fired that shot, Homes, or she should be in a position to say who did.” “By gracious, yes!” cried the sheriff. ‘And she’s not to be found. Looks bad for her now, doesn’t it?” ‘“‘ It looks as if she should be able to give us some mighty useful information,” ad- mitted Craton, drumming on his desk. He turned suddenly on Homes. “‘T wish you’d get back to Brookmeadow at once and get hold of Sands’s check books. I want them just as quickly as I can get them.” ‘““Sands’s check books? What now?” ““T’ve an idea there may be something there that will help us. Get them; I'll run out after them or phone you, and, sheriff, I’d hurry, some one else might want to lay hands on them ahead of us.” Craton swung in his chair as the door closed behind the sheriff and for a long time gazed at the view from his office windows. Finally he gave a nod, picked up his hat and hurried to the subway. CoOMmmicoooks (S@)