Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? be detained in town last night, Mrs. Crevel- ing says.” “'Y-yes.”” The light-blue eyes were _lowered and his full under-lip protruded sullenly. ‘I met a man I know, and he invited me to a supper-party in his rooms; we whooped it up until after five this morning, and when the crowd had broken up I turned in there for a few hours’ rest. My host is a good fellow and all that, but he’s not quite the sort I’d take to my own home or introduce to my wife, and the party wasn’t a stag affair. “ You understand? When I woke up I was disgusted with the aftermath, and on m impulse I phoned out to Mrs. Waverley to ask her to run into town for lunch, as I told you. She informed me of the mes- sage. summoning Mrs. Creveling, and I called up their house.”’ “This man who invited you to supper in his rooms—you met him before you phoned out to Long Island yesterday af- ternoon, Mr. Waverley?” — “Naturally. I gave Mrs. some trivial excuse; I told her I had to attend a business conference with some out- of-town people here at the Belterre last evening, and it might be a late session. I intimated that if it were I would take a room here for the night.” He spoke with evident reluctance. “When I called her up this morning and she told me of the supposed accident, I realized she would take it for granted that I was here, and might try to get me later to find out what had happened to Crevel-- ing. That was why I told you I was stopping here and then hurried down to meet you.” “T see.” McCarty nodded. ‘‘ Who is the man that gave the party, Mr. Waver- ley? What is his name?”’ The other hesitated, and then replied in a lowered tone: ‘ Mr. Samuel J. Venner.”’ McCarty stared. Sam Venner bore a reputation that was far from savory even among the sporting element of the city, and his activities had more than once come — under the scrutiny of the authorities on the lookout for new forms of confidence- games. How could he possibly have wormed himself into even a nodding ac- Waverley 553 quaintance with a man of Waverley’s social standing? “You fellows have heard of him, I im- agine.” Waverley shrugged in his turn. ‘“ He’s quite a character around town, but I don’t believe you ’ve ever had anything on him.” ~ “ Pve heard of him,” McCarty admitted briefly. ‘‘ Did you spend the whole eve- ning with him, Mr. Waverley? After you accepted his invitation and phoned out to your wife, what did you do?” ‘“{ went up to my town house, climbed into some dinner clothes which I had left there, and dropped in at the club.” As if anticipating the inevitable question, he ex- patiated: “The Cosmopolitan Club. It was dead as a door-nail; nobody there I cared to talk to, and I drifted down to Sharp’s chop-house for a bite, and then dropped in for the last act of ‘ The Girl from Paradise.’ ’”’ “All by yourself, Mr. Waverley? You were alone from the time you left your house?” “Quite alone. I took a taxi directly from the theater up to Venner’s apartment on Riverside Drive.” “Who else was in the party there?” Again Waverley hesitated. He had been speaking more and more slowly, as though choosing his words with care, and now he raised his eyes half defiantly to those of McCarty. ‘““Isn’t it enough for you if Venner cor- roborates my statement? There were other people present who would find themselves in just as awkward a position as I should be if the thing came out.” “The ladies or. the gentlemen?” Me- Carty asked. \ ‘““ Ladies ’?”? Waverley leered. ‘ They were show-girls from the ‘ By-by Baby ’ company. I imagine they wouldn’t object to a little free press-agent stuff, though Venner—”’ He caught himself up sharply as though regretting the admission, and rose. ‘T’ve nothing more to tell you. You can find out from Venner himself whether or not I was in his rooms from a little before midnight until an hour ago; and as for that little row with Creveling—Lord! THE OHIO ) STATE L DOOK CO