Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

CIRCUMSTANCES. ‘“* What was it?” asked Mrs. West in ‘¢ Fanny, ” he said tensely, “I saw the man going into Mrs. Spalding’s house.” “You did!” ‘‘ ‘When I was on my way to the station. - Remember, I took the night train Thurs- day.” West subsided im his chair and sat there biting his lips. “What did he look like?” asked Mrs. West breathlessly. ‘““ He was a tramp.” Mrs. West darted from the room. The next thing he knew, his wife was back and holding ont his hat. - ‘“‘What’s the idea?” asked West. “You must go straight down to police uarters.”’ West blinked. ““They’ve got a tramp locked up,” his wife went on. “If -you can _ identify him—” “ Wait a minute,” objected West, push- ing away the hand with the hat. ‘“‘ But it’s a murder case!”’ * Sure it is,” agreed West.- I want to go slow.” ‘You mean you're not certain you saw the man going into Mrs. Spalding’s?” “Of course I’m certain,” retorted West, “but I can’t afford to get mixed up in any- thing like this.” Mrs. Wem stared at him. “It ‘ll mean going to court,” continued West, “and losing a lot of time.” = Why, Sam West, what are you think- ing of?” “Well, see here, Fanny,” her husband replied, “ business is business.” ‘“* And murder is murder.” “That sounds good,” laughed West mirthlessly, “but if J don’t look out for myself no one else will do it. Who’ll take care of my trade? Anyway, it can’t bring the old lady back to life.” “ But murder!” gasped Mrs. West. might just as well have been me!” “ Don’t talk foolishness.” “Tt’s not foolishness.” “If it could help the old lady—” West was musing, when he suddenly found his One of his wife’s hands was on his shoul- e — “ That’s why “Tt = 439 der and the other was pomtng, | tothe door.”’ “See here, Sam, West,” she was saying, ““you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You go right down-town this minute and tell them what you know.” “ But, Fanny—” “ Because if you don’t,” declared Mrs. West, ‘I will—”’ When Sam West left the house his wife went right up-stairs and to the closet in her bedroom. Could she trim over her best hat so it would do, or would she need a new one for the trial? . And Sam West identified Madden as the man he had seen going up the path to the back of Mrs. Spalding’s cottage. . CHAPTER XI. IMPASSE. T was some time before Brent reached a decision. But with his mind made up, he went at once to Peggy Archer. * She was on the chatse-longue in the big front room up-stairs. The Chinese blue carpet had been scrupulously swept, and the ivory and blue table was without a trace of de- funct cigarettes. Brent suspected that. the girl had been crying. He went over- to the windows, scowled down at the street, then faced her as she studied the toe of a brocaded slip- per. ‘ ‘““Miss Archer,” he asked abruptly, who was the man who came to see you last night?” After a scarcely perceptible pause, the girl looked up in surprise. ‘““T know ‘there was a man here,” said Brent. ‘““How curious,” she. said, should know it, while J—” “Don’t deny it,” he said crisply; *“‘ there were the footprints.” The girl’s eyes flashed. ‘“ And if there- was a man here—” she challenged. ‘“What are you?” demanded Brent. ‘“‘'Wouldn’t it have been well for you to have found out before you brought me here as your guest?” Brent.was brought up abruptly. 9 “that you IO SoATE UNG EET TE UN GOOLKS. COM