Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 2, 1922 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

596 So it was the Sixty-Seventh Street house that Garry called, and when, presently, a servant answered the phone, he asked for Ellen, Katherine’s personal maid. At first the elderly butler, Manners, hesi- tated about calling her, but when he under- stood that it was Garry who called, he has- tened to summon the maid. The servants all knew him, of course. They had been with the Kendalls long enough to know all the friends of the fam- ily; and they speculated, as servants al- ways do, about Katherine’s suitors. The society periodicals are read more interest- edly in the servants’ quarters than they are above stairs! Ellen answered, at last, from the attach- ment in Kathcrine’s room, where she had been dozing. Having been Katherine’s nurse, in the beginning, she was a person of some importance in the household, and enjoyed privileges; she likewise rendered service that no ordinary lady’s maid would have considered. No matter how late Katherine was, Ellen was always at hand when she came in, to brush her hair, lay away her clothes, and tuck her in. Again and again Katherine had protested, object- ed, even scolded; but Ellen was always there. She made up her sleep in naps at odd hours. As she got older, she found that she really didn’t need much sleep. “ Hello?” she called now, in some alarm. Just waking out of a sound sleep, she was a little confused, and could not immediate- ly grasp who was calling and what purpose was behind the call. “ Hello,” said Garry. ‘ This is Garret Carpenter speaking. Is that you, Ellen?” “Yes, sir,” said Ellen. ‘Oh, Mr. Car- penter! There’s nothing wrong with Miss Katherine, I hope?” “No,” said Garry hastily, realizing that if he told her the true state of affairs, Ellen would either faint or have hysterics, and would therefore be quite unable to answer questions. ‘“‘ Miss Katherine has a slight headache, and she wondered if there were any more of her headache powders about!”’ ‘Headache powders?” repeated Ellen. ‘““What headache powders, sir?” “ Miss Katherine’s. The kind she ai- ways takes,” said he. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Headache powders?” said Ellen again, wonderingly. “ I’m sure I’ve no idea what you mean, sir. I don’t know anything about any headache powders. I’ve never known Miss Katherine to take one, sir— not in all the years I’ve been with her. She almost never has headaches at all, to tell the honest truth, sir. Did Miss Kath- erine ask you to phone me, sir, about them?” “Yes,” answered Garry. ‘I guess she thought you knew about them! Perhaps she got them only lately. ~Has she been suffering from nerves or insomnia, do you know? Has she been to see her doctor?” “Why, no, sir—not that I’ve heard of,” answered the maid. “TI think there must be some mistake!” ‘Well, maybe,” said Garry, “ although it doesn’t seem like her to play this kind of joke. You are quite sure she has not been in the habit of taking any small white pow- ders? You haven’t seen any about?” “Oh, no, sir—I’m quite sure,” said El- len. “And I would certainly have seen them if they were here, sir! I do everything for Miss Katherine, you know.” “Well, never mind, then,” said Garry. “T’ll go back and speak to her again. If I’ve misunderstood, I’ll call you back!” “Very good, sir,” said Ellen, and he hung up the receiver. So Katherine was not in the habit of taking headache powders! If she had been, Ellen would surely have known. You can’t keep things like that from a personal maid or valet. Besides, you don’t try to! Lots of people take headache powders! There is no wrong in it, if you are willing to take the risk entailed. So the powder hadn’t been a simple headache powder! He shuddered at the only explanation left him now. Had she deliberately taken poison? And if so, where had she obtained it? Surely she would not have had it against such an emergency? Surely she had not meditated Da Costa’s murder! And yet she had not left the restaurant! She could not have got the powder outside. She could not even have sent for it after Da Costa’s death. She must have had it about her! comicliooks.corn