Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 161: what you’re looking at

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

WATCHING STEPS. the older man dryly, “ you proceeded to waken me by not watching your step.” ‘““ My step?” “Yes; creaking on the stairway.” “Gee! Is that what got me in bad?” “Nothing else.” The man’s dark smile returned. ‘So you see, you overlooked about everything, including the way out!” For the first time, the intruder ventured to smile; and it was a thin smile. ‘You've certainly handed it to me,” he observed in an embarrassed manner. “ And you’ve taught me several lessons.”’ ‘I hope watching your step is one of them?” remarked his eccentric host. ‘‘ And that goes for banker or burglar.” ‘‘'You—you seem to know a great deal about burglars?” ‘“T do,” replied the householder with a queer smile. ‘Have you met many?” ‘Quite a number,” again answered the older man with that same queer smile. “Could I ask you one more question?” ‘“ Fire away, my. young friend.” ‘“ What is your name?” The householder regarded the serious face opposite him. for a moment; then he _laughed lightly. : “What would you say if I told you it was Boody?”’ A startled look came to the young man’s face. ‘“ Not—not Detective Sergeant Boody?” “The same!” _For an instant the intruder appeared to be struggling with some emotion. “If you are, I-would say it was a mir- acle,”’ he answered, with a rising inflection to his voice. ‘A miracle? I don’t understand!” “Tf you’re Boody—as you say,” was the measured reply, ‘then you must be an astral body!”’ ‘““What’s that you say?” barked the householder as he leaped from ‘his chair. His emotion did not appear to affect thé young man. ‘“‘T said,” he emphasized ‘“‘ that you must be his astral body, his spirit—” “Explain that!” The gray-haired man’s words shot out like so many bullets. ‘““T mean that Detective Sergeant Boody 631 _has been dead—for some hours!” came the staccatolike reply: ‘‘ Body. found on lawn —front of home!”’ Not a muscle of the householder’s face moved; but his eyes bored into the young man’s like gimlets. ‘How do you know that?” he jerked out. ‘It’s my business—to know things!” was the matter-of-fact announcement. Then the voice of the speaker hardened and his eyes narrowed. ‘I know that he was clubbed to death—probably with a black- jack—by some one who wanted him out of the way in a hurry; and I know—” There came:a buzzing sound. The house- holder’s gaze traveled to a telephone instru- ment on the buffet and then quickly back to the young man. ‘You know what?” he demanded. As his tense tones reached the young man a mask seemed to drop from the lat- ter’s face. His eyes encountered and held those of the other man. “TI know,” he stated steadily, ‘“ that the man who killed him hired a taxicab which he dismissed after the job was over at Greeley Square. Of course he called an- other taxi as soon as the other was out of sight.” He stopped with a hard smile. ‘That looked curious to several of us who were sitting in a dairy lunch,” he went on relentlessly, ‘“‘ so when we got the news of Boody’s death shortly after we didn’t lose much time in going after that driver!” . As he finished, the gray one’s features contorted strangely. “ Then you ‘re one of those damned newspaper—”’ ‘ Reporters!” finished the young man— and found himself gazing into the muzzle of an automatic for the second time that . night. curled. ‘A fat lot of good that ‘ll do you,” he remarked scornfully. ‘You'll need an arsenal to get away!” : His open contempt and cock-sure words caused the other to hesitate. ‘“T don’t get you!” he snarled. The grating laugh which greeted his words brought a murderous look to his face. “You'll have to bump off about a dozen Though his face went white, his lips mM G QO) NOOK