Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

846 library after dinner, and secreted him here?” Davidson weighed the point. Before replying directly he appealed to Glen. “You came here about five minutes after Mr. Lanson left us?” he inquired. “Yes. I just finished a cigarette, smok- ing not being allowed in this room.” ‘“‘ Well, that being so,” went on the other, “it is barely conceivable, though wildly im- probable, that Mr. Lanson admitted a visitor. JI do not believe there was a stranger in the house. In any case, the servants on duty in the hall would know of it—of the entrance of such a person, I _mean.” “ How was Mr. Lanson occupied when - you came in?” said Winter to Glen. “He seemed to be thinking deeply. His left hand was under his chin, with two fingers extended along his cheek. The right hand rested on some papers.” ~* Are those papers here now?” The younger man surveyed the litter on the table attentively. “J think not,” he said. ‘“‘ They were arranged in an orderly way, just as though _they had been taken from a file—one of “those box things, you know, with a spring clip—but nothing of the kind was visible. There was a richly bound volume lying near, but that has gone, too— You see,’ he added hesitantly, “I’m an artist, and couldn’t help spotting the wonderful pic- ture the old boy made, with his finely drawn ivory- -white face partly lighted by the read- ing lamp, and his black ‘velvet coat. The gold and brown binding of the book showed up vividly. It blended so well with the oak and mahogany.” Davidson walked to the bookcase which held the Balzac volumes. Stooping, he ex- tracted one of a set of books which oc- cupied two shelves about breast high from the floor. “ Was it one of these?” he said, bring- ing the book to the table, and laying it there. “The very thing!” exclaimed Glen in- stantly. “Well, as it happens, this is the only instance of deception in the room. You will notice the title: Litera scripta manet, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, Bac-Cre. ‘This is really a file, containing current correspondence, which is not cleared to the records room beneath for two or three months after date. It was my suggestion, and Mr. Lanson was amused by it. In a word, it saved time.” “Are you well acquainted with the con- tents of the whole set of files?” put in Winter. “Thoroughly, in relation to my own duties, and fairly accurate as to the gen- eral appearance of each file.” ‘““Any volume missing?” “ No.” “Will you open each, and say, after a casual glance, whether or not any bundle of papers such as Mr. Glen described, has been abstracted?” In little over a minute Davidson had ex- amined twenty files. The policeman re- turned while he was thus engaged. ‘These seem to be in perfect order,” he announced. Then selecting one, indexed on the cover “‘ Gov—Gre,” he took out its con- tents. “Is this lot like the papers Mr. Lanson had been consulting?” he asked Glen. “‘ Exactly,” said the other. “TI thought so. This correspondence deals with an application by the Greek Government for a loan—a matter which gave Mr. Lanson a good deal of trouble during the past few weeks.” “Would that be the business aca wanted to discuss with him?” said Winter. “T believe so. Most certainly Mr. Sevas- topolo is interested. It was what Mr. Lan- son and he spoke of at a quarter past ten. At least, that is what Sevastopolo told me less than an hour ago.” “Ah. Your memorandum will deal with that?” “Yes. I may as well explain now that Mr. Lanson, after encouraging, up to a point, the notion that he would finance a reform party in Athens, decided suddenly to have nothing to do with it, and was very angry with Mr. Sevastopolo for hav- ing tried to pledge him to it. ‘Polo,’ as we call him, was anxious to cp liie: his position to- nicht, but Mr. Lanson would — hardly listen, and cut him off curtly. The second call arose out of the first. It seems oO Comicbooks CO