Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 150: what you’re looking at

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716 time, sir; but I’li buy my own chips,” McCarty said with a chuckle which cov- ered his own satisfaction at having gained his point. ‘If I lose I'll not be squealing at headquarters about it, but raising the rents again on my tenants. By the way, you played there last Tuesday night, didn’t your” ‘Yes. Why?” O’Rourke asked. ‘‘ That was the last time I saw Gene Creveling alive.” “Mr. and Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Baillie Kip and Mr. Waverly were there, too, weren't they?” persisted McCarty. “Yes.” There was a puzzled look in O’Rourke’s gray eyes. “ That made eight of you, all told.” “Yes: but we didg’t all play. I mean, not at the same time,” O’Rourke amended. ‘“ Creveling dropped out early and Waverly took his hand.” “1 see. - Then they didn’t sit in the same . game together. Have they, for the past couple of weeks?” “J don’t remember. I don’t think they have, at that. What the devil are you get- ting at, Timmie?”’ “Just this, sir. Did they speak at all to each other on Tuesday night?” McCarty asked bluntly. ‘‘ Have you heard nothing about there being bad blood between them lately?” 7 ‘“ Why—no.” O’Rourke paused refiec- tively. “I’ve heard nothing about any quarrel, and they were usually thicker than thieves, but it’s funny about Tuesday night. They did not speak at all, now that I remember! Creveling was away ahead of the game, but he threw down his cards and cashec> in just after Waverly came. Cutter was banking, of course, and while he settled up with Creveling, Waverly talked to. Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Kip. Then when Creveling had said a general good night and gone, Waverly dropped into his chair and the game went on. I say, though, _ you don’t mean that they could have had a serious quarrel! That any one has been trying to connect Waverly with—with what happened to Creveling? it’s utterly absurd— ‘“Oh, no!’’ McCarty sneemonted hastily. ‘¢We know where Mr. Waverly was all ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, promised?” she asked. ‘e. "= Thursday night, even if there had been any suspicion against him. ‘There’s been some talk of a quarrel, though, that in- volved somebody else, and we had to look into it, of course. Well, I'll be getting along, now, sir. If Mr. Cutter and. the other gentlemen don’t mind, I'd like mighty well to sit insone of their games. “Twould be something to remember.” “Oh, Cutter ‘ll be glad to have ‘you: you'd be a friend at court, ,you know, if your colleagues at headquarters got inquis- itive about what was being pulled off, and if a friend of mine from the old country wasn’t welcome to play with the rest, I’d quit the game myself!” O’Rourke laughed. “But come and say hello to Margaret be- fore you go; she’s writing letters in her own little sitting-room, but she’ll not take it kindly if you leave without a word with her.”’ . The apartment into which McCarty was ushered was hung all in pale, cool greens, with great bowls of jonquils standing ail about, and Lady Peggy appeared to his en- raptured gaze very like a spring flower her- self in her softly flowing lavender robe as she looked up from her desk and held out her little hand with 4 smile of welcome. ‘“Good evening, Mr. McCarty. When are you coming to dine with us as you “We've years of friendship that weren’t lost but just mis- laid to pick up again, you know, and I’m wee for a talk about the home people home land.” McCarty flushed rediy and his eyes fell. It was a mmute before he found. his voice. “ Thank you kindly, Lady Peggy. I’d be honored to come some time when you’ve an evening to spare and my work is done,” he stammered. ‘“ There’s none of my own left in the old country now, and. ‘tis long - since I stopped writing, so I’ll¢nave to ask the news of you.” — “Tl have plenty for you!” she smiled. “Do you remember Father Culhane? [ hear from him regularly, and he gives me all the gossip of the parish, from the price of pigs to the jatest baby!”’ Ten minutes of pleasant chatter followed and then McCarty tore himself determin- edly away to get to the shop beneath his nn) (C 6)(0)O) (C(O) S (C(O) nn