Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 17, 1924 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

7 footsteps being covered by Georgia Frayne’s, and the sound of the window ‘slamming shut being smothered in the bang of the door.” ‘“ But surely,” I cried, “ this is all purely artificial guess work.” “Not at all. It is the only explanation that fits the facts. How else would you explain the running footsteps and the sud- den bang? How else would you explain the marks in the dust on the window sill? If Georgia Frayne entered the bedroom and closed the door behind her, then engaging in a dispute with her husband and killing him, how would you explain the fact that the door was open when the old lady dashed in? Note, also, in her excitement Georgia’s “voice was ‘ changed’ to the point of being unrecognizable—yet at the crisis of excite- ‘ment, when she screamed, her voice sud- denly returned to normal. And, anyhow, the shot, as I said, was fired by a left- handed person.” “ Perhaps Georgia Frayne happens to be left-handed.” “ But she happens not to be,” Z replied with assurance. “How do you know?” I challenged. “She sat in that chair with her left side toward me. I remember seeing the glint of the point of the bar pin at the throat of her blouse. Consequently, she had pushed the pin through with her right hand. A left-handed woman would have done it the other way.” I was completely silenced. I was speech- less in the face of this amazing faculty of observation and analysis. “ Perhaps you know, too, the identity of the murderess?”’ I at length ventured. “No,” she smiled. “I’m afraid I can’t supply that. But you remember the old problem of Mohammed and the mountain? Possibly we can get this Mohammed to come to this mountain. Write out this ad- vertisement and have it inserted in all the important afternoon papers. Ask the ed- itors to have the advertisement run in modest display on the same page with the Frayne case. Not too bold a display; that might excite suspicion. But it should be so placed that any one reading the Frayne story would be almost certain to see the 307 advertisement. Use a blind box number for reply.” At her dictation I wrote out the following advertisement: WANTED—Young lady capable of male im- personation to leave city at once with ly- ceum act; no cheap variety performer; good amateur of refinement preferred; troupe con- sists of family group, including children. Z leaned back in her chair, hands limp in her lap, and closed her eyes. It was her favorite position of reflection. “That ought to do the work,” she mur- mured, more to herself than to me. of all, she is sure to read eagerly all that the papers carry about the murder, so she will be pretty sure to see the ad. Her dis- guising herself as a man before calling on Frayne, and her care not to leave any finger prints on the revolver, indicate that she is an extremely cautious person. She has no desire to be caught. Consequently she must be anxious to leave the city. Geor- gia’s scream told her there were others in the house; she must be fearful as to what they heard or saw and what the authorities know that they have not divulged through the papers. She, therefore, is probably afraid that the police are watching all de- partures. ‘We can help this along by your asking the editors to include in their write-ups a vague line or two to the effect that the police are working on several other val- uable clews and all railway stations are bemg watched. Passing through the sta- tion, though, as a member of a respectable lyceum troupe, she would be above suspi- cion. Although she may never before have tried masquerading as a man, her one at- tempt will give her assurance enough to claim experience. The ad, therefore, will seem to her a godsend simply made to order for her desperate needs.” “Which,” I broke in dryly, “is exactly what it is.” : “Of course,” Z smiled. ‘ The line about the cheap professionals is to cover the un- usual procedure of running a display ad- vertisement for a job of that kind, instead of going to the theatrical agencies. The part about the children is purely a shot COmiclboooks ‘¢ First ~ (C@