Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

CIRCUMSTANCES. 159 outs” before he saw the trap. “ Don’t know,” he said. ‘I didn’t see him after we split.” “ When did you get the feed?” “ Don’t know.” “ Was it six o’clock?” “Don’t know.” “ You’ve got to know,” said the captain, leaning toward him. ‘“ Was it six?” “Later than that.” ‘Was it seven?” . ‘“T ain’t got no wrist-watch, cap.” ‘Was it seven?” the captain roared. ‘Before seven,” muttered Madden. “ Between six and ‘seven, then, you ate.” Madden nodded awkwardly. “And you didn’t see your partner after you started looking for a handout?” ‘“ That’s right,” said Shufflin’ Joe. As Madden spoke the captain half raised out of his, chair and snapped: ‘“ But a man looking out of his window saw the two of you together at ten minutes of eight.” ie Madden shrank from his accuser. had noticed the man watching them, and had suggested to Genroe that they had better be getting on. But the captain got no result, although he was right in his guess that Madden was one of the men Sturgis had seen. Shufflin’ Joe declared: ‘‘ No one seen us together at ten minutes of eight, because we’d cut away from each other nearly two hours before that.” The captain scowled at Madden, then turned to Collins. low in?” he asked. “ Brady did,” replied Collins. ‘“ The inspector sent out for him some time ago, and he ought to be here any minute.” The captain turned back to Madden and studied him. — “How did you get the tobacco?” he asked. “* What tobacco?” “The tobacco you were chewing,” said the captain. ‘“‘ Where did you-get it?” Shufflin’ Joe knew that at all hazards he must keep them from finding out that he had sneaked anything through the search. Otherwise he stood a strong chance to lose his twenty dollars. é He. “Who brought this fel- ‘“Say, captain,” he said, ‘if you’re try- ing to hook my partner up on that murder charge, I don’t know nothin’ about it.” The attempted evasion failed. ‘““Come on, now,” roared the captain. ‘““ Where’d you get that tobacco?” ‘The janitor gave it to me,” Shufflin’ Joe said desperately. ‘The janitor doesn’t chew,” retorted the captain. Madden blinked. He start- ed nervously when the captain declared: “You sneaked it in!” “What did they find on him, Collins?” asked the captain. ‘Usual junk,” answered Collins, refer- ring to the memorandum he had made ee the police blotter. ‘Well, he got in with the tobacco,” said the captain. ‘‘ Maybe he slipped something else by. Better give him another going over—” There was.a knock at the door. ‘* Later,” finished the captain, as Collins, opening the door a few inches, turned to say over his shoulder: ‘It’s Brady.” “Good!” said the captain, and called: ‘“‘ Come in, Brady.” The officer entered. The captain motioned him to be seated and turned back to Madden. ‘“Now, when you and your partner flopped for the night—” he began. ‘““T told you I didn’t see him after we *split to look for the eats,” Madden re- minded him. : ‘Well, where did you sleep?” “Tn a stable.” ‘Where was it?” “Don’t know.” “Far from where you ate?” ‘“‘ Not very.” ‘Where did you eat?” “In a brown house.” ‘“* What street?” : Shufflin’ Joe shrugged his shoulders. ‘“Do you mean to say you don’t know what street it was on?” ‘““T never was in this town before.” ‘You got a ‘ sit-down,’ didn’t you?” Madden nodded. ‘‘ Was there ever a bum who didn’t take care to remember the location of any place he ever got grub? What street was it?” Co NOOK ©