Under His Thumb — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

24 UNDER HIS THUMB. furtively watch the expressions of the other through his spectacles. “Why not, sir?’’? Mr. Blain demanded. “On account of our encounter of this morning.’’ “You were discourteous, and I was hasty.’’ “IT was outspoken, that is all. I gave you a fair chance to tell me the truth, but you persisted in an out and out falsehood.’’ The detective’s tones were mild, but his words were blunt. No one ever dared before to use such language to Julian Blain. ‘You tried to entrap me,’’ the latter declared, an angry tremor in his tones. ‘I tried your veracity, and found it wanting, sir.’ ‘“*Did you come here to insult me?”’ ‘“T came to have a plain talk. You will gain nothing by flying into a passion.”’ ‘““T claim the right of resenting insult.” “Of course you do when you are insulted. But since you have admitted your fault, I fail to see where the offense on my part comes in.”’ ‘‘Never mind, let it pass. What do you wish to know?”’ ‘‘In the first place, do you wish this mystery to be solved?’’ ‘“By all means.’”’ ‘‘Are you willing I should take the case?’’ ‘You are privileged to do so, but I shall not under- take to keep other detectives from working on it.’’ “Of course not.”’ Croly bent slightly forward and rapped the table which was between them with his forefinger. ‘‘Mr. Blain, where were you when the fatal shot was fired?’’ he asked. comicboo cs co