Argosy, Vol. 122, No. 1 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

70 one making Andrew Maywell the legatee— is the one best bet.” ‘So suspicion points two ways,” sug- gested Vale shrewdly. ‘““T see you are able to put two and two together and make four,” rejoined his uncle dryly. Vale knew better than to ask a more per- tinent question. Uncle Dan would go just so far in talking of a case, then his jaws shut like a beartrap on police information. The nephew did not wish to be mangled in | that trap. He was as curious, however, as he could be. The incidents that had come under his notice were so ephemeral that he scarcely saw how they linked up with the Maywell will mystery, and not at all with the burglary. At least, he did not propose put- ting such undigested matter before his uncle and being laughed at for his pains. Yet intuitively he felt that he had got hold of the leading string of an important fact regarding the mystery. Nor was it a small matter that was at stake. The estate that had been left by the dead man for his relatives to quarrel over amounted to more than half a million. At least one crime had been committed—that of burglary—whether it was actually con- nected with the peculiar mystery of the three wills or not. And, as it stood, that awfully pretty girl ——** Allaine” was, too, the very prettiest name he had ever heard—was going to get none of the fortune. That is, if Mr. An- drew Maywell produced the will making him chief heir. Even in case Allaine’s brother was the principal legatee, the girl would only get what Allan was minded to give her. Nota very satisfactory settlement of property, in the opinion of Harry Vale. And how about that brother, anyway? Was he the “ Willy-boy,” as Vale termed him, the person whom the patrolman had spoken to outside the Maywell house the night the safe was robbed? Suppose An- drew Maywell should put it up to Vale to identify this same Allen? It gave Harry Vale serious food for thought as he went around to the station to report for the eight-to-twelve tour. There THE ARGOSY. was somebody waiting for him in the cap- tain’s room, and when the patrolman saw Mr. Andrew Maywell with the crotchety skipper he felt a distinct shiver in the region of his spinal column. “ Here’s Mr. Maywell says you know something about that crack over on Tre- vorth Street that you didn’t report, Officer Vale,” snarled Buffalo Griges. “You are riding for a fall, young man.” “Now, Captain Griggs,” urged the criminal lawyer, “I want you to blame me for any seeming error; not Harry here. It was only through questioning that I learned he might have seen a suspect in front of the house that night. I made him promise to say nothing to anybody else about it,” added Maywell glibly. ‘“ Iamily matters, you know, captain. We can’t be too care- ful. The whole business, when it is cleared up, May not amount to a hill of beans.” ‘Well, I demand that my men shall re- port anything suspicious,” growled the skipper. ‘ But don’t you see, my dear Griggs, that this person did not become a suspect until I had made inquiry about him of Officer Vale? It is all miy fault, I assure you, that the officer did not report to you.” “Huh! These young cops feel their oats too much, anyway,” growled Captain Micah Griggs. “And now,” Andrew Maywell went on suavely to say, “if you would allow Officer Vale to step over with me to a certain club- house on his way to his beat, 1 believe he may be able to clear up this mystery. I want him to identify the suspect in ques- tion, who will be there at this hour.” ‘All right, Mr. Maywell,” said the skip- per, swinging around to face his desk. “I can deny you nothing in reason. You're excused from inspection, Officer Vale. Go with the gentleman.” They went out of the station and walked in the direction of Trevorth Street. The lawyer had spoken of a club. Vale decided . it must be the Idlers’ Club, a rather good institution of its kind. This Allan Maywell must have belonged to it before he had left his uncle’s house, two years before, to seek his fortune. Uncle Dan had related all this at the supper-table that evening. cComiclbooks.com