Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

MISS MYSTERY. as the door opened wider, they saw 2 man step back. A pale, tall man of middle age, whose eyes were set in desperate circles. And as he stepped back he accidentally struck the elbow of an arm which he had held behind him, against the woodwork, and a blue automatic pistol fell to the rug. He did not speak, nor move—merely stood staring, nerveless, dumb, at the weapon. Not until Miss Mystery sighed, “—with some quick wondering relief, did H. G. Clemmons look up from his dull stare at the pistol on the Oriental rug. Then he raised wide, bloodshot eyes to them. “T thought,” he whispered in a listless voice, ‘‘ it was—the people from the Coast. Yes—for me! But I couldn’t use the gun —I tried—I tried just a second ago when I heard your footsteps. Who— who are you?” “ Well—” Hildreth looked uncertainly m at the splendid suite with the sleet beat- ing across Lake Michigan on the front win- dows——the bitter gale out of which they had drifted. ‘‘ I—we—the point is, Mr. Clem- mons, did you lose anything to-day?” “Lese anything?” He started forward mechanically, nerveless. ‘“‘ The money— you don’t mean—the thirty thousand?” “Yes. What sort of a wallet was it?” “A black, silk-and-leather lined. Twen- ty bills for a thou— Oh, my God! You don’t mean—” He staggered to Hildreth’s side, put a thin, white hand on his wet sleeve and stood muttering wordlessly. And then, with a laugh —clear, mis- chievous —- perhaps madly indiscreet, little Mps Mystery stepped forward. ‘Here it is! Is that it? Of course it must be!” “You see ’”’—muttered Hildreth—‘ we know alf about it. We’ve been on a mad chase all night. Funny, isn’t it? Oh, man —sit down—you’re weak!”’ But little Miss Mystery had the tall, frail man by the arm and was leading him to one of the great leather chairs before a real open fire. The raindrops, turning from sleet, still sparkled on her flushed cheeks. ‘“ Never mind, Mr. Lionel! Mr. Clem- mons is the man! If he isn’t, he’d be a wonderful actor! Oh, a most wonderful chap for the movies!” 389 And the two adventurers stood with their steaming clothes by the fire and watched Mr. Clemmons sit staring at the money on ¢he table. He tried to finger it—and failed. Then he sank apathetically into his chair and was still. He remained that way so long that they felt uneasy, as if his spirit was passing. “It’s all right,” said Hildreth. ‘“ Bully! Right-o! Even Milly must be kind of happy somewhere, somehow! Oh, yes—in- deed!” “I wonder,” whispered Clemmons at length, ‘‘ if you hadn’t better call them.” ‘Call them? Who?” ‘“ The police. I was tired of it. I wanted my kiddies—and Edith. It was just them that kept me all night from—from—just my kiddies. But when you rang I stood there—with the—gun and—then a girl laughed just outside the door—just happi- ness, like a child—or mountain water fall- ing—and I—couldn’t!”’ They looked at him in the warm silence. Hildreth reached to brush the wet snow from the girl’s hair. “ That’s her name,” he murmured, “ and yet I can’t remember it!” Then he looked uncertainly to the storm-lashed windows. “T think we’d better be going—it’s a rot- ten night.” The tall, frail man sat higher, pointing at the bank-notes on the ebony table. ‘You brought it back. I don’t just know how I was robbed. I drank a bit with a man, and I never do such things—home. Then up here in my rooms I missed my money—everything.”’ ‘Well, why didn’t you raise an alarm? That’s the one mystery remaining to clear up—except—Aileen! If youl tell us why you lose thirty thousand and say nothing, we'll go quite cheerfully.” ‘It’s the bank,” muttered Clemmons slowly. ‘‘ I—took it. I was in a fix with my irrigation project down in the San Joaquin. Oh, what folly! My friends wired me this moming that I could come back— restore the money, and the bank, for rea- sons of its own—would say nothing. Then —this afternoon—I lost it!” ‘And you never said a word?” ‘How could I? If the papers and the CELDOO© = O) Co S Co mM