Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

310 other man’s expression was as inscrutable as ever, but there had seemed to be a thin- ly veiled double meaning in his last remark. Why had he been so obviously on the de- fensive since the beginning of the interro- gation? He was shrewd and intelligent above the average of his class; surely he must realize the equivocal position in which he stood with the inspector after his open defiance and refusal to state where he had himself been during those crucial hours! McCarty tried another lead. “This house has a kind of a new look to it, in spite of all the old things Creveling collected,” he observed. ‘“‘ When was it built?” “At the time of his marriage, sir; he built it for his bride. There’s not a resi- dence of its size on the Avenue to compare ~ with it.” ‘And ’twas him vit up that high blank wall at the back?” asked McCarty. 6< Whye”’ “I never heard him say, sir. I suppose he preferred it to the back courts of the side street houses.” The reserve deepened once more in Hill’s tones. “It may have been Mrs. Creveling ‘who suggested it; I cannot say.” “Did anybody ever die here before?” McCarty’s own tones had lowered. ‘““ Die?” The valet started nervously. “In this house, I mean. Has there been a death here since it was built?” “No, not until this!” “ That’s funny. I never heard of a new house with never a death in it that sported a ghost before.” McCarty-seemed again _ to be reflecting aloud, and for a moment there was silence while the other eyed him askance. At length he resumed: “ You used your own latch-key in coming in a while ago; who else have Keys to the house?” | “T don’t know.” The valet spoke in evident relief. ‘ Rollins, of course, and his wife. The rest of the staff were sup- posed to turn theirs in to the housekeeper when they left, but they may have had duplicates made. The housekeeper went back to Scotland a month ago when the es- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. tablishment was closed and Mrs. Creveling started visiting, but I don’t know what be- came of the keys.” | ‘“T suppose you do know, though, what youre letting yourself in for by refusing to tell where you have been since eleven o’clock?” inquired McCarty. ‘ You are the last so far as we know to have seen Creveling alive, you had a key to come and go as you please, and you won't try to make out an alibi for yourself. It’s liable to go hard with you.” “ Maybe,” Hill commented without bra- vado; but there was a peculiar glint in his swiftly lowered eyes. ‘If you’re on this case, Mr. McCarty, it’s for you and the inspector to prove that I was here after eleven, not for me to prove that I wasn’t. I know American law, sir.” In spite of his respectful tone there was a covert challenge in it which McCarty grimly accepted. “‘’You’ve had reason to, maybe,” he re- torted significantly. “ You’ve nothing more to add to what you’ve told the inspector and me? Then we'll just go back—” A heavy, dull thud sounding from the main hall broke into his sentence, and with a common impulse both men turned to the door. McCarty reached it first, and open- ing it, stepped mechanically outside just as the inspector and Mr. Alexander issued from the breakfast-room. ° Across the rotunda, flooded with a ming- ling of pale sunshine and the more brazen electric lights, the four men beheld a figure which momentarily held them spellbound. A few steps from the main entrance doors which had just closed behind her a woman - stood looking from one to another of them. Ash-blond hair above deep violet eyes peeped from beneath her motor hood and tall, statuesque form, swathed in a long satin coat which revealed rather than con- cealed its splendid lines, was drawn up to Its full height as she regarded them for a long minute in a silence which none of them seemed inclined to break. At last her lips moved: “What is it, please? pened to my husband?” What has hap- This story will be continued in next week’s issue of the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, the consolidated title under which both magazines will appear hereafter as one. _ a Digitized by Go ogle iginal Frere OOS. oor =. "GO