Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. with a simultaneous impulse they turned - and dived for the cover of some bushes srowing wild by the side of the road. For a good ten minutes they crouched, scarcely daring to breathe until the excited baying died down and finally ceased al- together. Then George remarked: ‘It seems to me that explanations are in order all ‘round, and this is as good a place to talk as we’re likely to find at this hour. You’re a pretty fast worker as a stick-up guy, Phil, but it looks as though you'd pulled a boner both times.” “ T have, have I?” Phil exclaimed in high dudgeon. ‘“‘ Didn’t you tell me to grab this fellow, and how do you know he’s a dick? The whole thing may be a frame!” “You heard the dope Lucian got yes- terday about a certain crockery buyer named Christopher Radwick?” George asked meaningly, but his discretion was lost upon Phil. ' “Holy cat! The guy who chased Rich- ard Monckton over Europe?” the latter cried. ‘‘ Was that the job Cliff gave you— to find him?” | “Took here, boys. Suppose we get this straight?” Radwick interrupted. “I can prove my identity all right, but you have the drop on me. If you will feel in the in- side pocket of my coat you’ll find my per- mit, credentials, and a foreign passport which they forgot to collect at a frontier abroad. So you’re on the Monckton case? I thought so last night. Operatives for the Shadowers, aren’t you?” “Take him up on that, George!” Phil commanded grimly, ignoring the question. ‘‘]ve still got him covered.” George obeyed, and held the flash light while he ran hastily through the papers. ‘“Wicks’s Detective Agency, eh?” he commented. ‘‘ Radway Wicks, proprietor. You’re Wicks himself! .Our mistake, but we had to make sure. No wonder you stood aces high with that house dick at the Fresno, but he overplayed the hand you left him.” He returned the credentials, and Phil sheepishly pocketed his pistol. “Or else you went him one better.” Wicks laughed. “I thought I put you to sleep rather neatly last night and I don’t 6A d6L know how or when you got on my trail again, but it was good work! I'll take you on whenever you want a job.” “Thank you, Wicks,’ George replied with dignity. “My friend here and I are not operatives, but members of a firm our- selves—you guessed it—the Shadowers. I have my police pass here, to the Monckton town house—”’ “Don’t bother—I’ll take your word for it.” Wicks waved the suggestion aside. “T only wish I’d known it last night, for we seem to have interfered with each other. I’m on a delicate private mission that has nothing to do with the murder youw’re in- vestigating; I can’t go any farther than that, boys, but I wish you all the luck in the world.” _ He rose, and Phil asked suddenly: “Will you answer one question? I’m asking because maybe your game has some- thing to do with ours, after all, and we might be able to swop a little dope. Are you after that woman you call ‘ Scranton Luey. 7?” “Lord, no! I haven’t seen her in a couple of years and I don’t know what she was doing in the grounds of the manor, but she wore no hat and it looks as though she was working there. I had it on pretty good authority that she quit the game and ran straight after her husband was killed, but you never can tell about these crooks. I'll tell you anything you want to know about that dame!”’ ‘“ What was her line when she stood in’ with the gang?” “Inside stuff. Lucy was a manicurist in a hotel in Scranton when she got stuck on a good looking guy who stopped there for a while and threw his coin around like a prince. A theatrical company was there at the same time with a star more famous for her jewels than her acting. They played Scranton two nights and on the second this million dollar kid—he called himself ‘ Reg- ner ’—disappeared. So did the star’s spark- lers and—Lucy. “That was about four years ago, and for the next two she helped to ‘make things hum. She learned hairdressing, picked up a few French phrases and an accent, and her lay was to take a job as Jady’s maid with oO EComichbooks - ey Wists ae ae he ¥ Slee ORR Oe Manes