The Argosy, March 1907 — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

732 enough to allow personal prejudice to govern his decision?” she cried indig- nantly. “Yes, I do. I think that fellow would be small enough for anything.” “Well, why not go to Mr. es and tell him how things stand? ”’ Tom shrugged his shoulders. “Smiley probably wouldn’t believe me,” he said. ‘‘ It wouldn’t do any good, my dear girl.” Two days later Tom and Cecilia paid a visit to Manager Smiley’s office. ‘““We have come to inquire about our play,” said Cecilia apprehensively. ‘‘ Did Mr. Bates report favorably on it?”’ The theatrical manager’s face turned very grave. “Mr. Bates did not read your play,” ‘he said. ‘“‘ Mr. Bates will never read another play. He is dead.” - “Dead!” cried Tom and Cecilia in a horrified chorus. ‘Yes,’ said the manager sadly. ‘“‘ He died yesterday, poor fellow. Didn’t you read about it in the newspapers? ‘The police say he was murdered.” ‘“Murdered!” gasped Tom, his face white. ‘Yes. Some cowardly wretch sent him a box of cigars anonymously through the mails. The coroner says that the cigars .were poisoned. Look out for Miss Vivian there, she’s fainting!” Tom was just in time to catch Cecilia, who fell limply into his outstretched arms. _— ‘A glass of water, please!” he cried. “Thanks. See; she’s coming around all right. The unpleasant news proved too much for her, I guess.” “Weak heart?” inquired the manager sympathetically. “Yes. I guess her heart is not over strong. I’ll take her out into the air and she’ll be all right. By the way, Mr. Smiley, what about our play?” “T’m having Somebody else read it,” replied the manager. “ Poor Bates never got a chance even to look at it.. I hope that the police will succeed in catching the miscreant who sent him those poi- soned cigars. Hanging would be too good for him. I'll let you know about the play in a few days, Mr: Grey. How do you feel now, Miss Vivian? You're all right, I trust?” ’ , i 4 . re Se he aan sor Fu eat paige ne Aa tae ~~. = j ens ee Ba ae eet pene Fit i eee ee & . ° THE ARGOSY. “Yes, thank you,” answered the girl feebly. “It was foolish of me to display such weakness, I’ll be all right when I ‘get out into the cool air.’ | Two days later they received a letter from Smiley containing the news that he had decided to accept their play and that he desired them to call at his office to arrange terms. \ tt Two months later~ Detective-Sergeant Phineas Butts, of the Central Office, paid a visit to the office of Manager Smiley. Mr. Butts was a man of interesting personality. He was not much to look - at, being short of stature and homely _ of features; but he possessed the reputa- tion of being the cleverest sleuth on the force. “I suppose you’re pretty busy, eh?” he remarked to Smiley, as, uninvited, he ' seated himself in the manager’s private office. “Busy? I should say so,” replied smiley. “ Our new play opens to-night at the Gaiety, you know. I’m up to my ears in work. You know I’m always glad to see you, Butts; but if you’ve just dropped in here to make a friendly call, I’ll have to ask you to postpone it until some other time. This play I’m pro- ducing to-night is going to make my fortune, I believe. The curtain goes up at eight-thirty and I can’t spare a minute until then.” “Well, this ain’t exactly a social call,” drawled the detective. ‘“ You know, Smiley, I’m working on that Cyril Bates case, and somehow or other I can’t get a line on it. There’s no doubt the man was poisoned by those cigars, but for the life of me I can’t get a clue as to who could have sent them. What I’m search- ing for isva motive. Now you were an intimate friend of the dead man, Smiley. It seems to me that you ought to know somebody who had reason to wish Bates out of the way. Can’t you think of any person who was his enemy?” The manager shook his head. . ~ “No,” he said. “I knew Bates very well, but I’m afraid I can’t help you out, old man. Of course the poor fellow had his enemies, but I really don’t know | of anybody who hated him enough to seek his death. Perhaps if you come ™~ Eomicbooks.com — t-te &