Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

304 “When you entered the bedroom after the shot and found her standing beside your son’s body—she didn’t have gloves on at that time, did she?” ‘No, she didn’t have any gloves on,” Mrs. Frayne cried impatiently. “ What’s that got to do— She murdered my poor boy,” she broke forth in wild lament, * and here you sit and want to know what clothes she had on!” Her sobbing filled the house. Mrs. Zea ignored the outburst. “You saw her go past the kitchen door,” she continued her examination; “ could she have gone to any other place than to the bedroom—are there any other rooms in that part of the flat?” “Just my room,” came the muffled an- swer. ‘ There’s just those two rooms past the kitchen.” ‘““T believe you said your son shut the door of the bedroom when he went into it after dinner. Was the door closed during their dispute when Georgia returned?” “Yes; I’d have been able to understand their words if the door was open.” “Did you hear Georgia open the door and close it again when she went in?” The woman’s head came up at this line of questioning. “T didn’t pay any attention particular- ly,” she answered. “Then you didn’t actually hear the door?” Z persisted. “No, I didn’t!” Mrs. Frayne cried. “Why would I be sitting listening to doors!” “You didn’t see enough of Georgia as she passed the kitchen door to see whether she appeared particularly agitated, did you?” “No. She just went right past. But she must have been real excited. Why, her voice was so twisted, she was so angry and excited, I wouldn’t have recognized it!” “ Twisted—how do you mean?” “Well, you know how a person is when they’re awful angry, how their voice changes—- Well, hers was so changed that if I hadn’t known it was her I wouldn’t have recognized it.” “‘ Had you ever heard her voice in anger or excitement before?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “No; as I said, she and Charlie had never quarreled. Of course, before dinner they quarreled in their room, but not so bad as later on. Her voice was quieter the first time and not twisted like it was afterward.” ‘““When you rushed out of the kitchen after hearing the shot you didn’t see any- body in the hall or outside the bedroom?” “No. There wasn’t anybody else in the house. I ran into the bedroom and found her standing next to him.” “The bedroom door was open?” << Yes.” “Did you notice whether the door of your bedroom was open?” “T didn’t notice. Usually it’s open.” “Did you rush in immediately following the shot?” “ Well, for a few seconds I was stunned— I didn’t realize what it was. Then, of course, I rushed in.” “There was the sound of their arguing, your son’s sudden exclamation, then the pistol shot and Georgia’s shriek, and then you heard no further sounds?” ‘* Well ”’—Mrs. Frayne knotted her heavy forehead puzzledly—‘ it did seem like I heard somebody running a few steps, and there was a loud bang, like—well, like furni- ture being bumped together, or something like that.” “You mean like furniture being turned over in a struggle?” “No. There was only one bang, like you'd hit something once, hard. The furni- ture in the room was all right when I ran in. But it was all sort of indistinct and “blurred. I guess it’s just my imagina- tion.” “ Perhaps,” agreed Z mildly. “ Was the shriek after the shot in your daughter-in- Jaw’s natural tones, or was it still in that changed, excited voice?” ““ Well, it was more like her own voice. Of course, I wasn’t paying attention to de- tails like that, but as I think back now, it seems like it sounded more natural.”’ Mrs. Zea reflected a few minutes. Then she turned to me, “T think Mrs, Frayne has given us all the help she can at the present time, Mr. Cosgrove.” 9A COMMICLMOOokKks (C@