Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 7, 1925 — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

ae ms SSF = ’ Se, = 5 <>< > . a : — “ = = +f > ; — . 2 > a = sr — <= aie —_— : = aoe <— ¥ Los me = ~*~ TAL OTe tt eee, ew eee BY sy epee nO HI ere ‘ } . Ff > / } ) “Oh, what a blessed relief!” sighed Mrs. Sterry, handling her precious tiara. “I have almost come to hate it! It is such a responsibility.” ‘“F quite hate it,” said her husband bluntly. “ But what are we going to do? We can’t sell the thing— This is a veri- table miracle,” he went on, with 2 won- dering glance at my mistress. “ How did it come inte your hands?” “Tt was recovered at four o’clock this morning from the person of John McDan- jels, whom I was watching in oe" to other matters.” Husband and wife exchanged an odd look. ““McDaniels?” said the former. “ You don’t mean the well-known detective?”’ ‘“None other,” said my mistress. “Well,” said Mr. Sterry, ‘“ this gro-vs: qjueerer and queerer. My wife and I have already been to McDaniels’s office, and we found it closed.” — “Ves,” said Mme. Storey dryly. “It would be.” ‘He enjoyed a considerable reputation among people we know for his success in recovering stolen valuables,” said Mr. Sterry. ** Naturally he could get them back, since it was he who had stolen them,” said Mme. Storey. “ Incredible!” “ What about the girl who entered cur house?” asked Mrs. Sterry. “¥ can’t tell you anything about her,” said my mistress coolly. “‘ One of McDan- iels’s many tools, E suppose. f content my- self with brcakine up: the traffic.” “And may we take it away with us now2” asked Mrs. Sterry eagerly. “ Certainly. If you will give me a re- ceipt to hand to the police.” The conversation became general then, and Mr. Sterry led the way around grace- fully to the question of Mme. Storey’s fee. = “Not. a cent!” she said, when she saw what he would be after. He insisted. He would not take no for an answer. “T could not rest easy under such an obligation,” he said. ee ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. c “Well,” a aid Mme. Storey in her large way, “ what is i it worth to you?” “ Say, twenty thousand?” “Too much. Halve it, and send a check to my friend Katherine ‘Couteau Cloke for her work in the prisons. That’s the wor- thiest cause I know.” “Tt shall be done,” he ‘said. should come as from you.” — “No,” she said firmly, “vou don’t owe me a cent in this case, my dear sir.” As the Sterrys were leaving, Mme. Storey said casually: “ By the way, have you dis- charged the valet?” ‘Not yet,” said Mr. sterry,. << but of course I shall.” = “ But, consider,” said “ But it hae. Storey. “This woman, w hoever she may have been, was evidently a high-class thief and a past mistress of the art of fascination. How can you blame a simple youth for yielding to the blandishments of such a one? If he is a satisfactory servant in other respects, I’d think it over. This will have taught him a lesson.” : “Very well, I will think it over,” said Mr. Sterry. “That was the least I could do for poor Alfred,” said my mistress, smiling, when the deor closed. Soon afterward Melanie came down- stairs. The girl looked lovely. To be sure, she was still thin and hollow-eyed as a result of her horrible imprisonment, but a touch of make-up in Grace’s skillful hands had done wonders—that and happiness. Mme. Storey’s pretty clothes became her wonderfully. As I have remarked before, Melanie had an instinct for nice things and knew how to wear them. She was still shy with us, and said very little, but her eyes were eloquent. “We're going to have lunch up at ny place,” said Mme. Storey. “ Let’s go.” It had previously been agreed be- tween my mistress and I that it would be impracticable to bring about a meeting be- tween Melanie and "George at the office, since George must know that that was Mme. Storey’s address. “Y’ve got an errand uptown,” I said. “TH jom you later.” : Mme. Storey and Melanie went off in — EOMICHDOOKS-com