Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 156: what you’re looking at

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

146 been received as a friend, and -had said good night early in the evening and walked home under the snapping winter starlight with a mind somewhat freed from the sul- len, sodden despair that usually darkened it. He had not gone again. Almost every evening he found his way to the hotel and remained till late, almost unheeded by the other occupants of the broken armchairs around the stove, and paying very little attention to the news which was discussed or the stories which were told. A few others had attempted to discuss the affair which held the general interest of the community with the banker, some impelled by motives of curiosity, some of pity, but those who had come to the house had been warded off by Julie, and those who had sought him in the bank usually found him absorbed in financial calcula- tions, and quite apparently only to be ap- proached upon matters of business. The coroner’s inquest was held in a long, low, log-walled building which served -on every municipal occasion when it was neces- sary that two or more citizens should be gathered together. Upon the pine platform that occupied one end of the structure oc- casional troupes of professional entertain- ers did their acts, inwardly cursing the luck that made it necessary for them to visit a “ dead” town. At long intervals the hall was filled with the golden, if often ungrammatical, oratory of provincial poli- ticians. At other times it had served as a court-house. Here Edmund Scott came on the evening of the inquest and gave his brief testimony without emotion. His an- swers to the few questions that were asked him seemed to come mechanically from his lips, and it seemed as if only a small por- tion of his mind were occupied with what he said, and the rest were either dead or intent upon some matter foreign to the occasion. At the coroner’s request he in- spected the body of the dead man and iden- tified it as that of Hiram Swithen. Some wondering glances followed him to the door when he was dismissed. One gusty afternoon in late January two Strangers entered the International Bank, after having carefully knocked the dry snow from their overshoes on the stone step. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY: WEEKLY. Probably Edmund Scott was the only man in Mooseyard who was not already aware of their arrival there. Both these men were well dressed and polished in manner. Their business was quickly transacted, but they were in no hurry to end the interview, and the banker, to his mild surprise, soon found himself conversing quite freely with them, and in possession of their names and busi- ness addresses, though not of the object that had brought them to Mooseyard. The slighter of the two men, whose thin, anemic face seemed an inadequate setting for his strong, mobile mouth and his pierc- ing eyes, was Alexander Dodson. It was he who did most of the talking and who introduced himself and his friend, Mr. Lee Smith, whom he seemed to expect the banker to know by reputation. Mr. Smith said less, but imparted to trite remarks con- cerning the weather or the lumber market or the uncomfortable conditions of railway travel a vague impressiveness. His deep, rich voice seemed attuned for personal con- fidences and for the discussion of big deals. His neatly trimmed, tapering beard and grave eyes gave him the appearance of a professional man—a lawyer -or a doctor. When they left his handshake was genial. ‘We will see you again, I feel sure, Mr. Scott,” he said. “Of course we will, of course we will, sir,” said his companion briskly. “We would have to come here for business rea- sons, if not for others. Things may keep us in this town five or six days, or even a week, and Smith and I certainly couldn’t go that long without visiting a bank.” They left little impression upon the banker’s mind, but they came again the next morning, and this time their talk was chiefly concerned with the murder and the murderer—Victor Kent. They had read of the case in Montreal papers and been much interested. They found Edmund Scott uncommunicative upon this subject, and when he learned that both the princi- pals in the crime were personal acquaint- ances of the banker, Lee Smith, with an ap- pearance of great concern, turned the talk upon other lines. Edmund Scott was very glad when they left and he was able to return to the study of a complicated finan- comiclboooks C©