Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

— 770 proved the undoing of even the most hard- ened criminal? He thought with an agony of intentness.- Then he knew. He had told Carston that he was going to his woods by Dead Men’s Curve for a walk. Carston had recognized Cranhouse’s writing on the letter—knew its importance. He had even seen him poring over it, his face black with anger. Mightn’t that point an absolute finger of suspicion at him and weaken -his- carefully arranged accident alibi? | Rainham grew worried. What a fool he had been to mention where he was going to Carston! But how should he know that Cranhouse would be trespassing on the land he had doubtless come to inspect as his own. property! Damn him! | Irresolutely Rainham paused. The. old fear returned. Yet there must be some way out, some way to dust the ever-vigi« lant and suspicious eyés of the law. Then he laughed harshly. For a way had daringly presented itself. in my machine. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. car go over! Horrible! I shall never for- get that crash!” Shakily he took down the receiver. He, called the police department. ‘Another car has gone over Dead Men’s ° . Curve,” he announced—* All right. What ‘do I know? I was driving above the curve —I saw a man tinkering at the rear wheels —of his car. As I drew nearer he ,jjumped in—and started the engine. Soon he was moving at a furious pace. He approached the curve like the wind. He must be a stranger in these parts—or else something was wrong with his brakes.. breath in, horror, creeping along the grade As he struck the curve his car went over with a fearful crash. Mechanically I pulled out my watch to mark the time. I heard the crash at 8.10. Yes, 8.10. Case for the ambulance, prob- ably, poor fellow! If you want me later _ for a witness, you can find me at my house. Tam Rupert Rainham. Very good.” Limply he hung up the receiver. He jumped into the seat of his car and started the motor. He backed out at a furious pace. He tore home recklessly, congratulating himself on the bold stroke he was cutting. Absolutely safe too. police couldn’t suspect him- now. And Dead Men’s Curve was at a most isolated “spot. There was no other witness to the vanished car and its gruesome burden. It might be hours before anything was dis- covered——unless he chose to notify the au- thorities, when the time was ripe. .Then it would take them at Jeast an hour to make the run from the city. Excellent! He would have them hoodwinked. At 7.35 Rainham sat down with Carston for dinner.. He left the table at eight o’clock without tasting his dessert. He stated that his head still ached and that he would take another spin in the air be- fore attending to the neglected letters. Shortly he was speeding away again. Fifteen minutes later he burst into the room where Carston was working, His hair was wild and his hat crammed on the back of his head. He. had worked himself up to a convincing fervor. “ My God!” he shouted hoarsely, “ An- other accident at’ the curve! Just saw a _had been working late. a man in uniform and another in plain- - ‘clothes. The Four hours later a short ring on the door- bell’ pealed through Rainham’s house. He _ Carston ushered in Then he shut the door after the two callers and returned to his work. _ As Rainham saw the two he was again oppressed by a mighty fear. Yet he strove to conquer it. Perhaps they only’ required his formal testimony. “Mr. Rainham?” inquired the man in uniform. Rainham nodded. “ Sorry to disturb you. to get your affidavit about this distressing accident at the curve.” ~“T have already told the story,” sug-~ gested Rainham. “YT know. Sotry to seem a nuisance. It is &@ mere matter of form, you know. Be- sides, there may be something you wish to change—”’ Rainham considered carefully. , No,” he decided finally, “ my @xgmnal statement stands.” Then he repeated his first story with painstaking exactitude. The man in uni- form took it down word for word. I held my I merely called © ~