Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

316 of getting into a roadster I own and roaring over the country roads. It helps me think. Yesterday I took a ride up the river drive.” “* How long were you gone?” “IT got back to the garage around four or five, I believe. The mechanic can tell you. I spoke to him about a fouled spark plug. We mentioned, too, that I had gone just a hundred miles while out, and I said I wanted to check up the gasoline consump- tion—thought it was too great.” “Then what—” “Went home, bathed and dressed, went to the club for dinner and to loaf a while, then returned to my apartment. I retired early and got up at the usual hour. All this can be verified if you care to go to the trouble.” ‘Were you ever in Mr. Hadler’s rooms?” ‘“‘ Once—about three months ago. It was peculiar, too. For the first and only time in our lives, Hadler and I happened to be on the same side of the market. Neither of us guessed the fact until the time came for a showdown. I went to his rooms one evening with one of my brokers to decide with him how to handle the men we had caught short.” ‘‘ Haven’t been there since?” ‘“‘T have not!” Radell said. “Mr. Radell, we found some finger-prints in the room where the murder was com- mitted. As a matter of form—” ‘‘- You want my finger-prints?” Radell in- terrupted. ‘ Certainly!”’ Detective Sergeant Saul McGuire, his face inscrutable, motioned to the other officer, who happened to be a finger-print man. He went forward, carrying his little case. Oakes Radell submitted with a soft smile playing about the corners of his mouth. The fools! If they had found finger- prints there, they were none of his! Per- haps, when they found that out, they would rush away on some wild-goose chase. The finger-print man concluded his work and stepped back to the table. Oakes Ra- dell wiped the smut from the tips of his fingers and looked questioningly at Mc- Guire. But the detective sergeant was watching the finger-print man. Finally the latter turned to McGuire and nodded. The detective sergeant faced Oakes Radell again. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, ‘Now and then, Mr. Radell,” he said, ‘we find a man who imagines that he can plan and execute a crime in such a manner that he never will be detected. But there always is something, it seems, to point the finger of guilt at him. Perhaps it is Provi- dence. Perhaps it is because no human be- ing is perfect and hence no human being can make perfect plans. There generally is some little thing overlooked—some little thing that wrecks the whole.” ““T suppose so,” said Radell. He was almost at the point of laughter. The minor detail! The little thing! He had attend- ed particularly to the minor details. ““T believe that it waseso in this case,” Saul McGuire continued. ‘“ The murderer left the gun with which he committed the crime. And we also found a pair of gloves.” “A pair of gloves?” Radell said, still smiling. “‘ T’ll show them to you, Mr. Radell.” ‘Saul McGuire took a package from his pocket, unfolded it, and Radel saw the new kid gloves stretched on a piece of oiled r. ‘‘ Common, cheap kid gloves!” said Saul McGuire. ‘ New ones, at that. Ever see them before, Mr. Radell?” “TY searcely think so.” “They do not belong to you?” “‘ Certainly not!” Radell laughed. ‘‘ My Heavens, sir! Those are old-fashioned gloves—black kid of a style a dozen years old. Think that I’d wear a pair of gloves like that? If I did, it ’d be all over town that I was going broke, my loans would be called in, and I’d probably be asked to settle my club bill every evening.” He laughed again, but Detective Sergeant Saul McGuire did not change the expression of his face. For the first time, watching that face, Oakes Radell felt a twinge of fear. But he teld himself in the next instant that it was preposterous. He had planned well, and he had made no mistakes! ‘“‘Let me get this right now,” said Mc- Guire. ‘‘ You never saw those gloves be- fore?”’ “No, sir!” ‘“‘ They are not yours, and you never have touched them?”’ “ Certainly not!” comiclbooolx C©