The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 230: what you’re looking at

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

216 ‘It’s certainly been a big card for me,’ confessed McConnell one day about a month later when Ramsdell happened to be calling on him, “ al- though I never have felt exactly right. about taking the credit which rightly belonged to you.” ‘TI got the cash,” laughed Ramsdell, ‘ which was all I wanted. You're per- fectly welcome, commissioner, to all the credit that’s going.” “And you absolutely refuse to do any more work for the department? ”’ urged McConnell. “I'll make it well worth your while.” But Ramsdell only shook his head. “Couldn’t think of it, commissioner. I only went into the thing to get money for scientific research, you know; and I am having all the research I want now since I have taken my new posi- tion with the Vorhees Optical Com- pany.” He hesitated a second, and then in- dulged in a rare burst of confidence. ‘* Besides, commissioner,’ he went on, “I might as well tell you that I would no longer be worth my salt to you. My spectacles are broken.” “Your spectacles? What had your spectacles to do with your success as a detective?” “Everything. You accused me jokingly of working magic once or twice, commissioner; but you were nearer the truth than you imagined. It was magic that I was working, sci- entific magic; for to those spectacles even the most solid substances were as transparent as glass. I could see into the interiors of buildings, down into the earth, right through a stone wall. “You see,’ he elucidated, “by a THE ARGOSY. peculiar property of the glass they re- fracted light far beyond the ordinary range of human vision, and so—” But McConnell was not interested just then in the scientific explanation. “Great Heavens, man,” he ejacula- ted, “ you’ve got a wonderful thing in your hands there! Go right ahead and make some more of those spectacles.” “T can’t.” 66 Can’t? ’9 “No. The result was purely an ac- cident which occurred in the course of another experiment. I don’t know how it was obtained myself, and, as only enough of the glass was secured suffi- cient to make two small lenses, that single pair of spectacles was all that was ever made—perhaps all that ever will be made.”’ “ And just to think,” mused McCon- nell regretfully. “ They were’ never used on but one case.” “No; on two,” corrected Ramsdell. “They were also of big service in the Vorhees matter.” “Ah! So you were back of that girl’s returning home, eh? I always suspected there was more to be told than the family gave out. Did you get a reward out of it?” “No, I’m waiting for that. You see, commissioner, I’m hoping that some day I shall marry Miss Ethel.” After his visitor had gone the com- missioner sat thinking. “Well,” he said, “that guy is cer- tainly taking no prizes in a beauty show, and he isn’t much bigger than a minute, and he’s got a voice like a girl; but at that I’m betting he wins out. He sure has a way of getting -what he wants.” THE END. ~ A DISTINCTION. FAME’S very sweet, yet we should careful be That it is fame, not notoriety; "Tis satisfaction small, none can deny, To be a cinder in the public eye! Carlyle Smith. oO MICLOOOK CO CO