Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

312 did not sleep in the apartment. Radell knew that. He knew, also, having found it out himself, that Hadler retired at eleven o’clock without fail. He was regular in his habits, because he had been threatened’ with ill health, and was the sort of man to obey his physician without question. Puffing at his black cigar, Oakes Radell forced his tumbling nerves to a state -of normalcy. He wanted to go about this thing in a methodical manner, as he would go about some business deal. There were just so many steps to take, so many things to be done in a certain way. So far, there had been no slip—and Radell determined that there should be none! ‘‘ A man who uses his brains can do any- thing and get away with it,” he muttered to himself. ‘‘ Not a chance for a mistake —not a chance! In a short time it will be over!” The clock chimed the hour of eleven. Oakes Radell tossed away the end of his cigar and went into his bedchamber. He dressed swiftly and carefully. He put on a cheap black suit that he had not worn in years, a dark cap, black shoes with rubber heels. Then he opened the small safe in one corner of his bedchamber and took from it an automatic pistol. The pistol was loaded and in perfect condition, and wrapped in a bit of silk cloth. Radell re- moved the silk cloth from the muzzle, hold- ing a handkerchief in his left hand so he would leave no fingerprints on the gun. With the piece of silk he polished the pistol well from muzzle to butt. He was taking no chances. He did not want a mark on the gun. Having polished the weapon to his com- plete satisfaction, he put it down on the end of the bed. He took the bit of silk to the fireplace and burned it. He did not want some detective finding it, saying that there were drops of gun oil on it, and that it once had been wrapped around a gun. When the bit of silk had been burned, Radell blew the soft ashes away carefully. He was smiling slightly as he turned from the fireplace. He was even careful to put the burned match in the ash tray on his smoking table. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ‘Minor details!” he muttered. “ Pay attention to the minor details and every- thing will be all right!” Now he got out the new gloves he had purchased, looked at them carefully, and started to draw them on. They were the size he had ordered, his correct size, yet they seemed small. Radell tugged at them, stretched the fingers, worked his hands into them and finally got them to suit him. They were tight, thin, yet gave his fingers free play. He picked up the pistol and slipped it into his coat pocket, buttoned the coat, and made sure that the weapon did not bulge the garment. Once more he smiled slightly. He was forgetting nothing—his luck was still with him! Radell was ready now. He found that he was not nervous at all, that he had Steeled himself for the deed. He slipped to the door, listened for a moment, then opened it slightly and peered into the wide corridor. There was nobody in sight. He could see the elevator diagram, and it told him that both cars were at the bottom. Radell stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him, listening for the spring lock to click into place. Like a shadow, he went along the corridor and to the rear stairs, used only by servants and tradesmen. Down the stairs he hurried, making not the slightest noise. At the bottom he hesi- tated to listen again. A moment later he was out in the dark alley. He had to walk a block, cross a well- lighted street, and then go another block through an alley to reach the rear of the apartment-house wherein Harrison Hadler resided. But he did not hesitate. When he reached the cross-street, a sort of danger zone, he found that there was nobody in sight. Luck still was with him! Presently, he was in the rear of the building he sought. Standing in the deep shadows, he looked. at the rear and side of it. He knew where Harrison Hadler’s suite was located, knew the windows that be- longed to it, and now sought them out. And now he found everything as he had ex- pected and hoped to find it. The window of Hadler’s bedroom was open half way. Hadler was a “ fresh air fiend.” Co DOOK AMC C©