10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

a Odd I can’t recall your name, “Bennett—R. W. Bennett,” Race said casually. “Of course, Mr. Bennett. You must pardon my absence of mind. Now, if you don’t mind, one of my oddities is eating alone. Perhaps I got it honestly. I ate alone so many years, you know.” Race went to the library, selecied a magazine, turned to the story about Ley- more. He turned several pages fill he found the paragraph he sought, read: Roger Leymore might be called a recluse; perhaps a better way of putting it woeld be te say he is decidely uncomfortable in a crowd, even a small group. Perhaps he doesn’t want to file any more faces er names in his amazingly retentive mind; for the man was never known to forget a face or a name. Race lit a cigarette, grinned, said to himself, “Maybe he did dream I came to see him and never forgets a dream either.” CHAPTER iif ACE called Janice Darrow aside. “Miss Darrow, Il want you to do me a small favor.” “Why certainly, Mr. Bennett.” The girl looked curious. “What can it be?” “T.00k.” Race lowered his voice. “I want you to get hold of the butler; keep him away from his room for thirty min- utes, even if you have to faint in his arms.” Her eyes danced excitedly. “T’ll do it. When? Right now?” Race nodded and sauntered away. When he saw her call the butler aside, - he looked at his watch, slipped away and up the stairs. Reaching the butler’s room, he pulled out a bunch of keys. He was lucky. The third key did the work. Inside he relocked the door and went to work. Twenty minutes, and he had found ex- actly nothing. He was about to give it up when he spied an old hat crushed under a pile of dirty clothes. Under the inside band he found a torn fragment of news- paper clipping. It read: Now that Buckey is out, and free to circu- late without danger of a heavy hand falling on his shoulder, it remains to be seen whether the will tread the straight and narrow. Per- et * has 5S perbaps he used his cunning mind in pr. t cook up some new schemes ‘to Scam = unwary. Certain it is he SS go straight. Promising to reform is Buckey habit. es! clipping might have given the answer. The fragment only sweetened the puzzle, his hatband? Anyway, things were be- ginning to shape up. If Buckey was the butler, the tall guard had been his buddy. What was at Leymere had refused to tell the butler? What could it be but the location of Ley- more’s secret vault or safe? What else weuld Buckey be interested in finding? Race could think of nothing else. But wait. If the butler was Buckey, how was he fooling Leymore? How else could he fool him except by posing as an experienced butler and getting Leymore to hire him? In that case, what had hap- pened to the old butler? Or had there been a butler before this one? Race didn’t knew, and didn’t know anyone to ask except Leymore and that was out. Maybe the answer could be found im Leymore’s room, and maybe it couldn't. Anyway, it wouldn't hurt te take a look. He again called on Janice Darrow. “Miss Darrow, you're the only one I can press into service.” “Whose room is it this time?” she asked mischievously. “Roger Leymore’s.” The girl looked startled. “Get hold of him. Hold him thirty min- utes. Can you do it?” She nodded eagerly. “Okay. When I see you talking to him, I'll go into action.” He had a two hour wait. Fimaliy he saw the girl call to Leymore, saw the two start chatting. He slipped up the stairs to Leymore’s room. He tried several keys before the door opened; then he slipped inside and relocked the door. Easy chairs, bearskin rugs, bed in corner, big fireplace at one end. Race started with the desk. Five minutes and nothing of interest. He heard footsteps outside, a key grating in the Tock. He Slipped under the bed. The coverlet : oa Se ae comichooks.c