Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? be!’’ Dennis ejaculated devoutly. ‘So you got nothing out of this Waverley, except that there was another woman in the case with Creveling?” ‘“‘ That, and a flash at his cigarette-case.” McCarty rose. “I'll be getting on down- town now; I want to go home and clean up and see a couple of people before I report to the inspector.” “T’m off duty at six,” Dennis announced wistfully. ‘If so be you want me—”’ “Tl give you a ring,” McCarty prom- ised. ‘‘ Terhune and Inspector Druet and me being in this already, we might as well make a quartet of it, like old times. Have you got a dress suit?” Dennis eyed him askance. “TI have not, and never another will I hire after the one I rented for Molly’s wed- ding! It might have been the stuff they used to clean it with, but then again it mightn’t, and I’m _ taking no _ more chances—”’ . “ Never mind; I’ve none myself,” Mc- Carty said hurriedly. ‘‘ You’ll hear from me before six.” He strode off toward the modest bachelor quarters which he occupied over the antique shop of M. Girard, but upon reaching his ‘own corner he halted abruptly. On the step leading to the apartment entrance _ stood an exceedingly long-legged young man who twirled his hat on the head of his cane. His red head glowed brazenly in the sun and he looked up with a boyish grin as McCarty advanced reluctantly. “Hello, there, Mac! I thought you’d show up for a shave and a clean collar now that you’re moving in society. If I had your luck in falling over news I’d be city editor by now. What’s the good -word in the Creveling case?”’ “ There’s none,” McCarty retorted as Jimmie Ballard, most ubiquitous of re- porters, prepared wninvited to ascend with him to his rooms. ‘“ Creveling was found dead with the gun beside him; that’s the long and short of it. You’d better be see- ing the inspector—” ‘““Not a chance in the world, and you _ know it!” Jimmie laughed. ‘“ Come, now, Mac, be a sport! We've got the obituary - salted down at the shop, of course, but I’ve got to have a double column for the first edition of the afternoon rag. Usual stall at the house: Mrs. Creveling prostrated, couldn’t see any one, and had nothing to say for publication. “All I know is that you and Officer Clancy nabbed a burglar creeping out of the house and, investigating, found Crevel- ing’s body. Of course, you’re retired from the force, and you’ve nothing to do with the investigation, and you’re only a private citizen drawn by your own curiosity into the case?” “You’ve got me right, my lad.” Mc- Carty threw the butt of his cigar out into the middle of the street and turned to in- sert his latch-key into the door. “Well, then, you old fraud,” Jimmie made his point gleefully, ‘ there’s no reason why you can’t give me your private opinion! Do you think that young crook shot Creveling?”’ McCarty sighed, and then his eyes twinkled with sudden inspiration. ‘“There’s no getting away from you, Jimmie! Come on up if you want to; it’s no good denying that I’m interested in the case, for all I’m a back number, and my -Curlosity that you were talking about is still working. You started in as a society reporter, didn’t you?”’ ‘‘Uhuh,” Jimmie admitted as they went up the stairs. ‘I’d rather do the sob- sister stuff any day. But what about that gangster you caught crawling out of the _ window?” “Ts he a gangster?” McCarty asked cau- tiously. ““ Surest thing you know—one of ‘the ‘Lexington Avenue Blackjacks, though he’s only a kid. What little nerve he had is gone, and he’s bleating down at headquar- ters now that it was the first job he ever tackled and he only did it to prove to the rest of the gang that he was as good as any of them. He declares he found Creveling dead on the floor and that you can swear to it. How about it, Mac?” “Well, there was no silencer on the gun we saw lying beside the body, and the one I found on the crook when I frisked him was loaded to the full,” McCarty replied slowly, weighing each word. “I saw the __ Original frome) amie 600) 4 THE OHIO STATE UNI Huy | 559° CO