Amazing Stories, Vol. 2, No. 1 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

42- your fingerprints,” said the scientist. “One set I got off the bottle with which Old Peter was slug- ged, the other I took from your fingers last night while you were unconscious. They tally exactly, just as Porter’s fingerprints tally exactly with others we obtained in Chicago, of a man who offered to sell me platinum and later sent me a sample. Now Elston what are you going to do?” The Final Confession Ro a moment the electrician, gazing at the pic- tures, was silent. Then—‘“I’m going to tell the truth and your machine there will prove it. This fellow Spinelli used to be a chemist at the plant AMAZING STORIES ’ As soon as you had bought the platinum, which you would not have done unless you were crooked too, Spinelli was going to steal it back again. se The scientist whistled in surprise, and Barry laughed outright. “You see,” Elston went on, “you couldn’t have made a holler about it without getting yourself into trouble, too, for buying stuff you knew was stolen.” “Ah, Elston, you have told the truth now,” cried Goodwin. “The blood pressure machine has shown only a-normal flutter while you have talked.” Back again on the island for a needed rest before returning to Chicago, Barry and Goodwin were dis- cussing the evidence which science had put into the detective’s hands. here. His job was to convert the platinum into “There is one thing that still puzzles me,” Barry sponge. He lost out when the plant was closed aid. “How did Elston get past those seals on the and he could get only temporary jobs in other vaults?” laboratories all over the country. Finally he got the idea of stealing the platinum wherever he was employed and he had to have someone to sell it for him. I don’t know where he picked up this fellow Porter. He was an American from somewhere down South who had been living in Canada and joined the aviation forces during the war. But he did some- thing, showed the white feather, I think, and was in disgrace and down and out afterwards. He’s crooked, all right, and he and Spinelli cooked up the scheme to get the platinum from Jackson and well, I guess you know the rest. They got to me, aa ait me great big money if I’d help them, and e 4 “I don’t mind telling you Spinelli is under arrest, too,” said Goodwin. “You see, I recognized the name when it popped up on that record. Spinelli. has been working for me for several weeks and—” “Are you Mr. Goodwin?” asked Elston, excitedly. “Because if you are I’ll tell you something else. “Just a minute,” replied the scientist. He dis- appeared, to return a moment later holding a com- mon electric light cord with a socket. To the other end was attached a wooden fork in the shape of a “Y,” like a boy’s sling. Both the handle and the prongs had been hollowed to permit the wires which made up the cord to run through them. At their ends the wires were connected by a finer wire. “When the current was turned on, this wire be- came very hot,” explained the scientist. “It was easy to slide it behind the wax seals and pull them off intact. When the vault was closed again, the seals were easily fused back into place.” “Everything you have done has seemed simple,” admitted Barry. “Yet I am still filled with admira- tion and surprise. Without you the platinum thefts would still be a mystery, the thieves uncaught. My methods did not have a chance to build up such a plain, incontrovertible case. When do we dine at the Drake and see that new show at the Cort?” THE END. =i Stories I Like | -_ bo — UFQVUANTOUAAUNHUETVOANUUAVANN USUAL | ~_~ e) — INTUYOAUVATUCAA UDOT Hl | ' TTT cc Readers’ Vote of Preference Do you like the illustrations as we have them now? Do you favor more illustrations than we have now? Would you rather not have any illustrations at all? = . TOMORE SE 5 AS slo ee Lo OT =| This is YOUR magazine. Only by knowing what = stories you like can we please dente Fill out this Address Sule €in'e ee 0 \e'.2 Ow Sts ego bat eee = =| coupon or copy it and mail to AMAZING STORIES, = 230 Fifth Lasts New York City. CONG als ahd kk Ue = EE UNUVVUVUV AVAIL UWIAA | ‘ Remarks aS .-Os PS 6. O'S ute 107s CO ay & 6 2.0.0. 8n0) OF Oe e's’ -S 9 8 1 9o a+@ <8. Ot. O50 -O re 2-46 -0..0 oe’ te FO? BO “O: pire... 6.'O?-4.-0).4* 9S: B.. 226 819-9 > +20... 8-2. £5" O76 6.2 .6,6.-S-20'9 6.8 Oe. 0/1 O 2.4 OO 2-8 2S 2.2 12 Ss -@,®° 68. £2 .6..0.-2° 6:18 ow 2.9 of: -6..0 2.8. © 6.6 PB 0.6 PLPC’ O-PS >See Bete: Oa et Ci. Oe 2. 29) 8, oO ©. U.S * 229 C59. 2.0 St. C7 ae * we CAC ee ,*6."C €. B.S 2 Gs0' @=0- 6 F.-Bwty. en” Dp Oe fe UIANVACISUOLAVEAAVOUEQVOYPEOEY TARANTO . “t> 5 - of « : fot ae . oP ~ -— A ivi nl MUU VUTEC A i i oo ITAA li | meomicbooks:c ——. ? be "$a , a o art a “ - ; ‘ : oe , CS deh eee oe! Eo ee « : f- , A .. ta ¢ .* om ge on a MF mw {ss y, 2 bd ” * “ <€ — ” 5 ~ * +S Kp < } er SO as ik te et a 8 res pee 7 a -