Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

ANNIHILATION. dead in the street, I understand. _ It means nothing to any one except Mr. Orbit, who has lost an efficient servant!” Again the inspector sent a hurried glance at McCarty, who ignored the indignant young man and turned to the master of the house. “Mr. Orbit, have you any notion what relations Hughes had?” ‘None, in this country. He was the son of a blacksmith in Cornwall, and went to London when a lad and took service as a bootboy. From this he rose to the posi- tion of valet, and when he came to me he was, as Mr. ploane has observed, a most efficient one.’ “ Then See “pelle musingly, as though to himself—‘ there’ll be no one to notify about the funeral arrangements.”’ ‘J shall assume all responsibility, of course,” Orbit announced. “I will arrange with an undertaking establishment to send for the body at once, It has been removed to the morgue?” McCarty nodded. “To-morrow 7Il do, sir. There’ll have to be some formalities, permits and such. The inspector will let you know.” Together with his two companions Mc- Carty had remained standing since the re- entrance of Orbit with his guests, and now he signaled with lifted eyebrows to his former superior and nodded almost imper- ceptibly toward the door. Inspector Druet nodded in response and turned to the four gentlemen collectively. “We won’t trouble you any further, and if we can obtain the information we want elsewhere it will not be necessary to ques- tion the servants of any one living here in the Mall. Good night.” The inscrutable Chinese was waiting to show, them out, but McCarty lingered for a moment after the others had preceded him. “'You’re the butler here?” The other bowed in silent affirmation, and McCarty went on: ‘How many other servants are employed here, and what are their names?” ‘Andre, the chef; Jean, the houseman; and little Fu Moy, the coffee boy. That is all except Hughes.” The reply came 815 without a pause in the falsetto singsong monotone. ‘Hughes is dead,” McCarty said ab- ruptly. Again the Chinese bowed, and when he raised his head his expression had not changed an iota. Aiter vainly waiting for some remark in response, McCarty asked: ‘You were all in to-night? Did any one leave this house since afternoon except . Hughes?” ? “No-one.” There was a suggestion of finality in the oddly chanting tones now, and the discom- fited questioner shrugged and rejoined the inspector and Dennis, who were waiting on the sidewalk before the many turretted house next door. All the lights had been extinguished except one on the top floor which gleamed down upon them like a sin- gle wakeful eye. ‘““What were you getting out of that Chink?” Dennis demanded as they started toward the eastern gate where the watch- Bae waited. “Not a living thing that I wanted eX- cept a list of the other servants of the household and word that none of them but Hughes had left the doors this night,” McCarty responded disgustedly. ‘ What he got out of me was my goat! I sprung it on him quick that Hughes had croaked, and he never turned a hair nor uttered a word, but just waited politely for me to go along about my business!” “Tt is conceivable that Orbit told him when he went to bring his guests,” the in- spector observed dryly. “Did he strike you as being the sort that would stop then to talk to one of the servants? He didn’t me,” McCarty averred. ‘He may tell this Ching Lee, as he called him, after his three neighbors go, but it ‘Il be only so that he can break the news to the others before the morning papers come out. ‘Twenty-two years this Hughes has been with him, and Orbit knew no more about his affairs than the day he hired him! "Tis unnatural that never once in all that time did they talk together as man to man, and yet I don’t think Orbit lied, at GEomicwiooks CO