Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

T22 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, I’m out of me own class, an’ I ain’t opened me trap about him, not even to de gang, till now.” ‘Much you know about who his pals are!”? McCarty jeered provocatively. “ If we weren’t on to his game until just lately how could you wise yourself up?”’ “‘ Well, I had a steer, didn’t [?’’ Bodan- sky retorted. ‘I’d spotted him an’ I laid low an’ watched his joint. Dere’s a couple of odder fences dat I knows—by sight— an’ I lamps ’em goin’ to him an’ right dere me dogs gets kind of frostbit, for I’m wise dat his dump must be a sort of a clearin’ house for de rest an’ him de king-pin of . dat partic’lar bunch, but I didn’t know dat he was de main guy of all—de head go- between for Bromheim himself—till I sees~ Spanish Lou an’ Diamond Harry sneakin’ in de side door.” A quick glance pregnant with meaning passed between McCarty and his chief. Bronheim had been the most notorious fence on the East Side and long and fruitless had been the efforts of the police department to locate the go-between they knew must exist. . | ‘“‘ Bronheim’s doing a stretch now up the river!”? McCarty asserted. ‘“‘ Sure, but he gets out in t’ree mont’s, an’ dey’re roundin’ up de organization again.”” Bodansky pulled himself up sud- denly. ‘‘ Say, I don’t know dat, I’m just talking t’rough me hat! I ain’t got not’in’ on Kosakoff, at dat. It ain’t a crime for a swell guy to go over to de East Side to sell de fam’ly jewels, an’ as for Spanish an’ Harry, dey might have reformed an’ gone dere peaceable, like I done, to buy somet’in’ for dere goils. I only got cold feet like I told you, an’ laid off de whole works. You can’t prove not’in’ by me!” “"You’ve gone too far to stop now, Joe!” the inspector said sternly. ‘“ You come through with the whole business or we'll put you on the stand against Kosa- koff. Who were the other fences you saw?” But Joe Bodansky’s suddenly aroused suspicion that, in his own parlance, he was being “ played for a come-on ” had crystal- ized into certainty with the eagerness of the inspector’s attitude and once more he slumped in his chair. A film seemed to glaze his close-set eyes and when he replied it was in the singsong whine of the habitual crook. “ Ain't I told you I only know ’em by sight? One of de gang—I forgot which— pointed ’em out to me once, but he might have been kiddin’ me! As for Harry and Spanish, I never lamped ’em before in me loife; I just got a hunch it was dem from- seein’ deir mugs in de poipers when Bron- heim was tried. Honest t?’ Gawd—”’ “Send him back, sir,” McCarty urged in a rapid undertone to the inspector. ‘‘ You'll get nothing more out of him this day, and we've got a good lead as it is.” Late that afternoon McCarty presented himself once more at the Creveling house and to his request for an interview with © Mrs. Creveling the butler brought an af- firmative and even cordial response. “You can go right up, sir. I think Mrs. _Crevelmg was about to send down for your inspector, anyway, for there was a scene this morning between ’er and that Mr. Ter- hune that-I couldn’t ’elp ’earing most of, and what I missed Yvonne, the maid, told us at lunch. She ain’t satisfied with ‘ow ’e’s conducting of the case, to put it mild, sir, and she told Mrs. Waverley as ’ow she would find what progress you was making.” As before, McCarty found Mrs. Crev- eling in her boudoir, but this time she was pacing the floor restlessly and a faint spot of color glowed in either cheek while Mrs. Waverley, curled up on the window-seat, watched her with an inscrutable look in her long, feline eyes. “IT am glad you have come, Mr. Mc- Carty.” Mrs. Creveling gestured imperi- ously toward a chair. ‘‘ You were here yes- terday, I understand, but the doctor had counseled absolute rest for me. I cannot rest, I shall not, until I know who killed my husband! Have you come with news for us?”’ “ News of a kind for you, ma’am,” Mc- Carty responded with a deprecatory side glance at the figure in the window. “I’m sorry, but I'll have to see you in private.” “Have to?” Mrs. Creveling raised her eyebrows. ‘You can say whatever you wish before Mrs. Waverley.” (C(CO)INN) (C 6)(0)©) KS (C(O) nn