Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

496 ton ever since Craton had, through his defense of Mack, stepped into the limelight as a detective. The two men went around the house and into the old flower garden in the rear. Craton swiftly sketched the facts while Mack sat, stolidly silent, apparently unin- terested, but in reality mindful of every little point his master was making. ‘“Who’s with you?” asked Craton, when he had stated the case. “Dally and Sawyer.” “ Here’s a list of the things ‘IT want done,” he said, passing out a paper. “ Let Sawyer and Dally take those. I’ve some- thing else for you.” Jerry snapped his pocket flash on the page from Craton’s notebook. With a swift glance he read: Some one called from Needham’s erocery store in Stonebrook at nine thirty-five on tele- phone. They got the connection, but failed to — get an answer. Who telephoned? James Buckwell, Westland Apartments. Left here at eight forty-five—in his car. Any one with him? What time did he reach home? . 7 - Harry Akron. Servant at office. What do other servants say about him? His mother lives at 36 Lincoln Road, Yonkers. Is she — ili?» Did Akron go there this evening? Samuel Vrooman, 19 Cortlandt Avenue. Where was he yesterday? To-day? ‘Trace movements this evening in detail. The names of all men and women friends of James Sands. ° James Sands’s movements this evening. He reached Brookmeadow about nine, Any one with him when he left town? The time Mrs. Sands started to town in her car. Where did she go? Haven’t traced her by telephoning up to now. What kind of a dress did she have on? “Tf Dally and Sawyer find they can’t cover that by to-morrow noon tell them to put other men out. I want quick work.” ~ Craton watched the stocky figure of his absolutely reliable henchman roll away and got to his feet. “Walking into the upper part of the old flower garden, he paused as a signal came from back of him. He answered, and the next minute Jerry Mack was again at his side. “ Richt,” came the succinct report. Craton gave a nod and began to speak. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, a There were two, possibly three, women about here recently. Here passing over a slip of paper—“ are the measurements of their boots, as near as I can get them. One went out the gate at the upper corner of this garden. A man followed her—Sands’s secretary, I’m pretty sure, from a mark in the soft earth. He wears rubber heels— new ones put on his shoes a few days ago— and the trade mark is plain in the earth. He went past that gate up there a hun- dred yards or so and then came back. The woman went on. The rain yesterday makes it easy trailing. “See if you can follow the woman up, Jerry, and get back te me as soon as you can. Better take a good look at the boot prints of the woman who went this way. Two hundred yards above the house you’ll see where a car stood some time—oil on the grass—and a deep mark in the road, showing it left with a jump. Around that ire a numbe t of prints of this woman’s boots, and also a man’s.” = With rubber heels?” “ Different man out there.” Jerry turned and was gone into the darkness without another word. Craton went leisurely toward the house, but paused on the lawn to look over the collection of cars. A gray roadster stood apart under a big oak, and he walked over to it. Flashing on his pocket light, he reached in and picked up a woman’s hand bag. It contained a pair of gloves and a handker- chief. He buried his nose in the bag and drew a deep breath. There was a slight discoloration on the inside of the bag. He slipped it into his pocket and lifted the flap on the inside of the car’s door. A glance at the registration card satisfied him. When he reéntered the library Marsh turned upon him eagerly. “There are several things we want you to look into,” he exclaimed a little impa- tiently. “ We’ ve talked the thing over from every angle—” “ And arrived close to the truth, I hope,” smiled Craton. ‘‘ Where is Deston?”’ “T asked him to step out,” explained the coroner. “ He’s open to suspicion, of course, though I think you'll nS right — | (E©) comicbooks