10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

54 —__—___—_—_—_—10-STORY DETECTIVE “Just to show you that I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Alice,” Belden began laughingly, closely scanning the seal on the bottle, “I’m going to take you up to Lake Mahoga over the week-end. See that picture up there on the wall? Was looking at. it tonight and thinking how great it would be if just you and I ran up there in the ear, say start at noon Saturday and eome back Sunday night. Rough it a bit. We both need it. What do you say ?” “Splendid! Pd love it, Everett,” re- plied Alice, the drowsiness in her eyes giving way to a sparkling exuberance. “Just like another honeymoon, you dear old thing. I'll order things from the grocer tomorrow.” Everett Belden did not hear the rest of his wife’s excited chattering. His eyes stared at the embers of the fire and in them he saw a face, the face of a dark-haired, beautiful woman whose smile had haunted him for weeks, whose eyessburned with an un- fathomable flame, whose red lips beckoned. He rose mechanically to his feet as he felt a touch on his arm. “You’re tired to death, Everett. Come, it’s time you were in bed.” His wife’s words seemed to come from miles away. Friday night found the Beldens en- joying a quiet evening at home. Every- thing had been made ready for the trip. starting at noon on the following day. At a secretary in one corner of the room Alice Belden was busy writ- ing a letter. Her husband sat in his favorite chair apparently absorbed in a detective thriller, the inevitable cigar in his mouth, an empty highball glass. at his elbow. At length Mrs. Bel- den looked up and broke the silence. “Everett,” she said; don’t you think it. would. be wise to. ask Arthur Mallory to buy ten. shares. of Amalga- mated Rails instead of five as. we had planned? It’s acting very well and—” “Of course, dear,” answered Everett Belden, absently, without tak- ing his eyes from the page before him. “Of course. Use your own judgment. Give Art my regards.” Another prolonged silence punctu- ated only by the occasional scribble of Alice Belden’s pen and the rustle of papers as. she delved into the intricate business of keeping the Belden finan- eial affairs straight. She looked up at the sound of glass clinking against glass. Her husband was preparing an- other drink. A slight knitting of her brows, an enigmatic smile, and she went to work again. Her eyes suddenly rested on a slip of paper. “Horrors!” she exclaimed. “Everett, I have just averted a- catastrophe. I have just discovered the notice that your insurance premium is due. If anything had happened to you —oh! I hate to think of it. Little Alice would have had to go out and work by the day—” Belden smiled and turned back to his reading. T NOON. the following day Everett Belden and his wife loaded provisions and a small canvas tent into the back of their roadster and started for Lake Mahoga. As the ear rolled out of the drive, their neighbors, the Waynes, waved to them from their veranda. A few hundred feet down the street Everett stopped for gas and exchanged pleasantries with Ed Akers, a business associate, whose car was ahead of his at the tank. Five minutes later he drew up alongside a curb and hailed Bill Ad- ler, who was hurrying home from his office. It seemed that Belden had for- gotten the quickest route to Lake Mahoga. “Hope you and Alice have a good time, Everett,” said Adler after im- parting the desired information. “Sky seems kind of overcast, though. Bet- ter let Alice handle the canoe if it gets choppy. She’s an expert, you know.” “Surest. thing you know, Bill,” grinned Belden, patting his wife’s hand affectionately as it rested on the wheel in front of him. Everett Bel- ——