Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 84: what you’re looking at

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curious about that. I was watching him very closely when you unlocked the bag. Vm not sure, but | think he was both sur- prised and relieved. Anyway, while he didn’t look very guilty before, he did seem relieved after you began oes: out har- monicas and things.” Lyons emitted another roar. “ How did he switch bags on us? I had that one-between my feet, all the way up.” He turned to Cassidy, who shook his head. “ He couldn’t have known we were com- ing,” said the less choleric but equally puz- zled detective. “ I was watching that blunt chinned puss of his when the butler slipped your nips on him. : hat and bag and brought them back to us. ft watched him. He ain’t in with this fel- low. He was with us strong, all the way.” “Give him his head, boys,” soothed the captain. ‘‘ Even if you don’t nail him in crime—if -you’ve prevented @ crime, that’s something. But until you get real evi- dence, just keep looking for it. Don’t get too close to him. He'll probably square it with the ladies. Help him, offer to help him square it. Then drop in that way to- night. He won’t blow before to-night, any- — way.” So, while perplexity ran rampant in the miracle room in police headquarters, it also haunted Arthur when his hastily arrived at - ‘the belief that Felice had shrewdly done him this great favor, was shattered by - Felice herself. He could only stare at her in the dim rosy glow of the spacious hall, as if he could not believe her statement. The mys- tification. that spread over his “ blunt chinned puss,” would have gratified that in- dividual greatly, had he been there to see. “Whatever gave you that idea, Arthur?” queried Felice with a perplexity akin to his CHAPTER XX. 3 CUPID AND THE COMPLEX, = PHY,” said Arthur, thought he heard a cautious step outside the window. —— ever to it, And the butler got the “ when I first + WY came in—” He paused. He ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. he looked out. thin veil of growing darkness. He saw only the sheen of the neatly There was no one in the — clipped sward, beyond the beds of flowers, _ and still farther back and well to the rear of the mansion, the lattice where he had sihouetted Felice with his camera, and, beyond the wall inclosing the estate, the sentinel-like figure of the big tree. He dropped down in the window seat by her side. ‘* When you first came in—then what?” asked Felice. “T had an idea when they opened. the bag,” he began, zs that you might have sus- pected. some mischief, because of the way you referred to Foster—prior to my arrest. The idea came to me when they took my keys and opened my bag, that you might have changed the things—just to fool Foster.” ~ Somehow this explanation seemed fright- fully lame, even to the speaker. Felice fell silent. Then: “Tt’s very queer. I don’t understand why you should have had that dand of an Arthur.” - “The camera,” he groped. “Tt had your picture in it, you know.” “ Oh, I see, nor.” Her relieved laugh broke the tense bond that suddenly rose up. “You were half right, Arthur. I saw @ man—a strange man—just after you came in, slipping past one corner of«the greenhouse. Of course, I was all alone. Mother was away, so was papa, and even Mr. Boyce—who is almost like one of the family—he’s father’s secretary. ““T didn’t know just what to do. I ran upstairs ”—her incredibly pansy blue eyes now emitted Httle flashes like a tube of — radium from a purple lined metallic case— “ and hunted high and low for papa’s pistol. That was the second time IF left you. I brought it back and put it -wnder these And you weren't here. “The next thing I knew, I heard voices from the library, and when I went in there Foster was smirking hke a chessy cat. Be- lieve me, if yeu hadn’t pleaded with mother so, when you telephoned back about it being all a mistake, mother would have sent him away, out of hand.” — oO Eomicbooks.co A)