Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

THE BLACK TUBE. 183 ty successful for a while. Then I got into financial difficulties and—well, I couldn’t get money at the banks.” ‘“So you went to Sands. put in Craton. ‘Yes, I went to Sands,” nodded Buck- well. “ I met my payments with him until recently. Then, having to fall behind, I went to see him to ask for an extension. He refused me. He had heard then—so I understand now—that I had once been in love with his wife, although, gentlemen, I want to say this to you, I had never seen Mrs. Sands from the day she was married until a month ago. However, failing with Sands, I tried Mr. Marsh, his attorney. I had to do all I could to save myself. Marsh listened to me where Sands wouldn’t, and agreed finally to do what he could. | ‘“ He notified me a week after I saw him that I could make payments every six months instead of every three, and it would be all right. I did so, sending the money to Marsh, as he instructed me to. Of course, I had nothing binding on Sands, and I knew perfectly well I was in a posi- tion to be closed out any day if Sands saw fit to move. Marsh, however, had shown him clearly my position, and I think satis- fied Sands I had never seen his wife. 1 think he went so far as to assure Sands I cared nothing more for his wife. If he did, that was his way of getting Sands to give me time; it wasn’t the truth, though what my feelings were I kept to myself. ‘““ However, Sands sent for me yesterday. IT went out to see him, and he told me I was done for—that he was going to close down. I was shocked, I assure you. I was angry, raging mad at him when I got my senses back after the truth struck in. I held back my feelings pretty well, I think, but when I left I told him he’d gone too far this time and he’d get his. I was bit- ter” “Just what did you mean by that threat?”’ demanded Craton. “JT don’t just know,” admitted Buckwell. “Tt was the yelping of a beaten man more than anything else, although I was wonder- ing if there wasn’t some way. for me to force him to live up to the agreement I had made with his attorney. I wasn’t thinking very Go ahead,” clearly just then, for I tell you it’s a stag- gerer to be told you are wiped out all in -@ minute, and I knew Sands would do it; he was that kind. ‘““J] went to my car. As I started to climb in Mrs. Sands came running toward me. She had been listening at the window and had heard all that was said. She told me then that she was going to get a divorce from her husband; that she had the evi- dence, and that she would go ahead at once, unless he retracted his statement to me. “T can’t see that there is much gain in my telling you all we talked about. I got mad with her; I told her I’d have no woman standing between me and my fate, and a lot more. She left me suddenly, and I drove away. I came straight back here to my rooms. “T think, in view of what has happened, that is the one main fact that interests you. I didn’t go back and fire that shot, though God knows I could have done it; I'll admit that. I came home. Mr. Marsh came to see me this morning. I agreed to come here to meet you, Mr. Craton, and at the time I didn’t know what had happened. As I was about to start I had a telegram from Mrs. Sands. She asked me to meet her at once at the Circle on a matter of life and death. I went to her instead of coming here. “She was very excited, and while, at first, she didn’t make it clear to me, what she thought was that I had gone back and killed her husband. She insisted upon my going with her, and I got into the car. We drove to Stamford. On the way I got the full facts of what had occurred and un- derstood that she thought I was guilty. I assured her { was not, but—this is her story now, Mr. Craton—she insisted she had seen me fire that shot.” ‘“She was at the house at the time it was fired?” “She was. She had started to town in the evening, but first she drove to the office to see her husband.” “Just a minute, Mr. Buckwell. This is to be, if anything, a frank statement of all facts. Did Mrs. Sands say she drove to the office?” Buckwell made a quick gesture of impa- CoTpmiclaooks (S@) 5}