Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

=e a nod fer Craton, “sound damaging, put it is the truth.” _ Go on,” sighed Marsh, and got to his feet. ““T went to my room and then up through the woods following the path out of the old flower garden in the rear. Miss Thurston was not in the house. JI looked for her in the garden, and failing to find her leit the message with the butler. I started back and I—I met Miss Thurston in the path, J—I think—you see, there are several paths that converge just below the pond—they come from different parts of the ground, I think—that is, she came out of one of these side paths, the one that runs off around the pond toward the east side, where* there is a large grove; yes,” with a nod, “that is the path she came along. i gave her Mr. Sands’s message and returned here. Entering by the rear door I went straight up to my room and had not been there long—I was packing—when I heard the shot. . “T raced down the back stairs, through the dining room, and found Mr. Sands as I have already told you. I picked up the revolver and had hardly done so when Miss Thurston came into the room. Is that in sufficient detail, Mr. Craton?” “Why did you pick up the revolver?” came the calm question. “Why?” Deston frowned and a rather mirthless laugh touched his lips. ‘I can’t say unless it was right at my feet. I think I nearly stepped on it.” “You recognized it; isn’t that the rea- * Recognized that snapped Deston. -Craton considered a moment, not at ail unconscious of a slight hostility in Deston’s manner. “Miss Thurston—by which door did she enter?” “From the side hall, the hall between the library and dining room.” ““ She was in the house then?” “ Certainly not. Of course she wasn’t. She undoubtedly came in the side door— these three doors are all together. She came in the side door and right into the library. Yeu enter one and you are at the other.” revolver! No!” ~ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, “You saw her enter == the veranda?” = “ No,” admitted Deston hesitatingly, s “and yet—now that I come to think about jt—I am very certain I heard her steps on the veranda floor. I did not see her, how- ever, until she pushed by me.” ‘“T think I understand now,” admitted Craton, with the slightest hint of apology for not grasping the facts more quickly. “Do you fancy, Mr. Deston, Miss Thurs- ton could have heard the shot? Isn’t it just possible she was attracted by the sound of your footsteps on the stairs as you raced down the back way? You’d have come on the jump, of course.” “Surely. I cleared the stairs three at a time.” “And you mould ie made considerable noise. No,” with a shake of his head, ‘‘ I’m afraid I’m wrong there. You wear rubber heels and that would have deadened the sound of your steps.” Deston turned one foot sidewise and Cra- ton bent forward. “To be sure, rubber heels, but not rub- ber soles. Well, perhaps the point is .im- material. Now what followed?” “IT stood dazed, dumfounded, incapable of doing anything for the moment.” “Natural condition,” synipsieed Cra- ton. “When I did = my senses I leaped across the room and ran out the front door, which stood open.” “Was the back door open when you re- iurned after searching the flower garden?” Deston shook his head. -“ The doors in ® the front of the house were, but that is not an unusual condition, for Mr. Sands always keeps the doors and windows open, despite Mrs. Sands’s warning.” “ Warning against what?” “TI can’t say. But I have heard Mrs. Sands tell him he should pull down the ~ ghades.” “ Lately?” “No,” confessed Deston, “some time ago; quite a while ago, in fact.” “Then ‘quite a while ago’ we are to assume Mrs, Sands had reason to fear her husband stood in some danger?” “] have heard her tell him he knew that he had a great many enemies.” cS (E() m . Gomiecboo