Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

BING, “The charge against you,’ Spigot re- plied, “is attempted arson. The imforma- tion against you justifies your immediate arrest... Wait!’’ He rose and walked to a door that led to an inner room, opening it and beckoning within. ‘ Please step in here, gentlemen,” he called. In answer, five men emerged from the inner room and grouped themselves about the table at which Spigot again seated himself. Bert knew them all. There was Ellis Turner, the young man, Gadsby, who had written his insurance, Selectman Cass Bidwell, and two other men, whose names Bert forgot, but whom he recognized as members of the posse who had gone with him to the Majestic in search of Paprika. Bert rose to his feet and swept the line of faces with scornful eyes. ‘‘ So this is the bunch who accuse nie, eh, Spigot?” he asked, turning to the prose- cutor. ‘‘ Well, they’re just the ones I’d name if I had to guess who they were. «Turner, and his crowd of stool-pigeons!”’ “Sit. down, sir!” “ Mr. Turner, will you kindly repeat what you know of this affair?”’ “ Certainly,” Turner replied, looking at Bert, who remained standing. “ Last night Mr. Bidwell and I drove out to look over, some land of mine, adjoining the Majestic Hotel, on which I am about to build a power-house for the city.. We noticed that some one was in the hotel when we arrived, for the lights were turned on; and a short _time later we saw this man leave the hotel and drive away. He had turned out the lights when he left; but Mr. Bidwell and I noticed a flickering glow through one of the windows, just after Boom drove away. We investigated, and found that -a pile of rubbish in a corner gf the large room on the ground floor was on fire and was threat- ening to ignite the entire building. . We broke a window and climbed through, and managed to stamp out the flames before any considerable damage had been done. ‘‘ Now, Mr. Spigot,” went on Turner, “if was very apparent to us—and particu- larly to me—how that fire had originated, ' and why it had been set. The news that I intended to build a power-house next to - the hotel reached this young men early BANG, BOOM! Spigot demanded. 499 yesterday evening. It came as a blow to , because it ruined his plans for the op- eration of his hotel—which plan is famnliar to you. “The property into which be had sunk ten thousand dollars of borrowed money, besides his original investment, was ren- dered absolutely worthless to him after his ” plan of operation was spoiled. The only chance he had of getting any return at all from his investment was to collect the in- surance he had on the buildmg. Mr. Gads- by, here, wrote him imsurance for fifteen thousand dollars, about a month ago. Is that correct, Gadsby?” Gadsby nodded, and Turner continued: “TY can give you evidence, Mr. Spigot, that the idea of burning down the hotel had been in Boom’s mind for some time. The night that our detachment of the posse went to the Majestic after Blake, we all entered the hotel carrying torches. Some one gave a warning to take care lest ‘we set the building on fire; and Boom mentioned that It was insured, and so it made little difference if it was burned. “Of course, it was said in apparent jest; but I merely want to show you that the idea was in his head, just the same. Mr. Steele and Mr. Haskell were present that night, and they'll confirm what I said.” He paused. “ Briefly, that’s the evidence I have for you, Mr. Spigot.” . Bert listened to this accusation without making any attempt to interrupt er. To break m with repeated denials of his guilt would have been childish in its futility. He maintained his difficult silence until Turner had finished, and the prosecu- tor addressed him with: “Well, sir, you heard the evidence against you, in part, and you know what you stand accused of. What have you got to say for yourself?” ~~ ‘‘ What have I got to say?” Bert replied, the dark flush that overspread his face, and his rapidly rising and falling chest alone betraying his emotions. ‘“‘ Why—I haven’t anything to say.” ‘“ Are you guilty or are you not guilty?” asked Spigot. ‘. You know I’m not guilty,” said Bert. ~: Can you give me any reasons why you GONG OOo @ speak- UN S Colin