Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

710 for two sent there that night. I was going through his suit before hanging it up when I found: a note in one of the pockets and I read it, sir. The top part was in his own handwriting, and it began without any name, so I couldn’t tell who it was for; but the meaning was plain enough. — It was a command for some one to come there that night and talk things over, and al- though it was worded politely enough, there was a threat between every line if you had eyes to see it! He had signed it with just one initial—‘ C.’—and the person who got it had written seven words under- neath and sent it back to him.” ‘What were those seven words?’ de- manded McCarty. “¢T accept. Expect me _ half past twelve,’”’ Hill quoted slowly. “I didn’t know the writing, and there wasn’t even an initial signed to the answer; but I stuck it in my pocket quick. I’d heard him tell Rollins and Sarah that they could clear out until next day, and I thought that meant — that I was to serve the supper, and my time had come at last! He said he expected a gentleman guest for supper, and ordered me to wait at the house and arrange the table and take the stuff from the caterer’s men, and then bring a freshly pressed Tux- edo to the club at eleven o’clock. I did, -thinking, of course, that I was to return, and I could have cursed him to his face when he told me I needn’t show up until the next day. “TI went home to the little flat where Ilsa was hiding, and we talked it over. The note that I’d kept was enough if it was handled right to make him clear Ilsa’s name by bluffing his wife some way and giving out that the jewels were found even if he couldn’t produce them; but if I knew -who the man was that was coming, I’d have Creveling so he couldn’t even squirm. He had put through more than one shady business transaction at those little mid- night suppers of his before, and I knew this must be nearer blackmail than the others if he wouldn’t have one of us there even to serve the supper. It meant I’d be discharged if he caught me in the house when he’d told me to stay away, but I made up my mind at last to go back and ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. risk it. It was almost three o’clock, but usually those conferences were all-night af- fairs, and I hoped to get just one Jook at his guest without being seen. ‘““The house was all lighted up, but I didn’t think anything of that, and let my- self in with my own key at the tradesmen’s entrance. I kept as quiet as I could for fear Mr. Creveling should discover me, and it was well for me that I did, for I heard heavy footsteps and men’s voices in the kitchen, and I had barely time to dodge into the scullery when they came out and started down -to the cellar; a policeman that I recognized as the one on night duty around that beat, and two men in plain clothes. . ‘“‘T turned cold, for it came to me right away that something had happened to Mr. Creveling, and the letter I’d found might be of no use in freeing Ilsa, after all! As soon as they had gone down the cellar steps I hurried around to the main hall and looked into the breakfast-room and then the study. There lay Mr. Creveling, dead!” ‘* Aaill,””’ McCarty interrupted the story, ‘did that gun beside him belong to Mr. Creveling?”’ The valet shook his head. ‘IT never saw it before, sir, and I didn’t notice it particularly then. I was staring down at him, and I almost went crazy for a moment, thinking of Ilsa, and that her ~ last chance had gone!”’ ‘What did you do then?” McCarty asked. ‘ Think carefully, Hill. ‘Did you touch anything in the room? Did you see any playing-cards or anything lving around ?”’ ‘I don’t have to-think!” the other re- sponded. - “ I’ll never forget that scene as long as I live! I didn’t see any playing- cards or anything except just Mr. Crevel- ing’s body, and I wouldn’t have soiled my hands by touching it for the world! I don’t know how long I stood there. with my brain whirling,.but it couldn’t have been more than a minute or two, and then I began to think fast. I saw I had two strings left to my bow, after all. One was | to find the man that had been there and shot Creveling and hold what I knew over C 6)(0)©) Conn S (CCO)INN)