Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

THE POINT OF THE NEEDLE. would bring forth on paper. When she had Her steps slackened as she approached linked up the last of the indicated needic Dr. Bransted’s bungalow again. She bad holes the professor exclaimed: ‘* How ingenious of you, my dear!” already telephoned his physician to meet her there and now waited till she saw him For the connected dots now showec a coming from the opposite direction. rather poorly drawn, but unmistakable Series of letters and numbers: UHL ASO 23. ‘“ But what would it mean?” Goldie asked after a silence. “What one expects to find on the neck- band of a shirt ‘that had been worm and washed—a laundry mark. Each’ laundry has its own individual mark and for every wash that comes in there is an individual mark, so that after the pieces- have been washed the laundry knows which linen be- longs together. ‘UHL ’bhm!” She pon- dered. Then she exclaimed: “ UHL would Stand for ‘University Hand Laundry’ which does the washing for most of the faculty— Harry, which would you rather do, go with me to the laundry or—what?” He brightened. ‘‘ Well, since you put the choice to me, Alice,” he said eagerly, ‘T'd rather finish up tabulating my results in nitrogenous feeding of adult myrmica rubra which I am encouraged to believe—” “Then I'll be back in time to see to your dinner!” Before he could question her on her er- rand she was gone. Professor Til. Mrs. Gotpre£ hurried down the avenue to where Meig’s City was becoming Meig’s University with a corresponding huddle of ‘shops and restaurants. Into the University Hand Laundry she went and holding out a slip of paper to the proprietor, asked: ‘Would this be one of your laundry marks?” “ Ves,” he replied after a glance. ‘Then please look up whose mark it is.’ He put the slip alongside of a big entry “ Dr. Corley, I want you to be waiting in the living room if I should need you,” she said. ‘What mischief are you up te, madam!” he bristled. But she did not see fit to explain. Enter- ing the bungalow she knocked on the sick man’s door and entered as he called in a barely audible tone to do so. A look from her sent the day nurse out of the room willingty. Then Mrs. Goldie turned gently to the man lying there with closed eyes and gaunt face. “ Dr. Bransted,” she began softly. “I’m going to take an unwonted but I hope not an unwarranted liberty, because I am. sure you will forgive me when I get through. May I?” His eyes opened and he stared at her. Something he saw in her face made him sit up bolt upright. ‘‘ What is it?” he cried hoarsely. Her hand gently kept him from rising. “ Nothing that need disturb you more than you already are— Dr. Bransted, I know that you had something—perhaps much— to do with that sad business of last night be- hind Engineering Hall—”’ He almost leaped out of bed, restramed only by the fact that he would have to knock Mrs. Goldie over to do it. “It’s not true!” he whispered. “T also know that you are incapable of doing anything that would not clear you, if you would only trust us enough. Won't you believe me when I say that?” “So you did come to snoop this morn- ing!” he snarled. “Ves, because I felt I could help you. » Won’t you give me the chance?” He flung himself on the pillow, face book. After some search in it he looked up. down. But not a sound escaped him through “This is the mark we put on the laun- the violent storm that tore through the tor- dry of Dr. Bransted of Bachelor Row,” he mented heart. Finally he calmed dowh answered. about?” “Thank you very much!” said Mrs. Goldie and hurried out of the place. “May I ask what it’s all. somewhat. Then he raised a haunted Jace and sat up. After all, what does it matter? One dies one way or another.” He was speaking like @ An Co 1A@OO SS Co