Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. if he knew its voice, that was a Duplex Special motor and high-geared, at that. What was it doing with a soap-box flivver body and tin wheels? Lucy wrinkled her nose at the stale, musty odor within and he lowered the win- dows and then turned to her. ‘“ That’s better, eh? Tell me, Lucy, is it on the level? Have you cut out the old game?” ‘Tt wouldn’t be any use to try ‘to con- vince you.” She shrugged. “If you know as much as you seem to, you'll remember that the ladies I worked for as maid were all very fond of entertaining and dress— and jewels. Is it likely that I would have stayed for more than a year~in the house- hold of only one old gentleman?” “Well, it isn’t up to your former speed,” he admitted. “Still it’s funny how bur- glaries always follow in your wake, isn't it? Even now!” “But not murder!” Lucy twisted her hands together and the horror in her voice was unfeigned. ‘‘ There was never any rough stuff—” She halted but Phil Howe nodded quickly. “T know; not until the time Regner was bumped off, and he started it then.” “Tt was the end for me!” she cried in sudden passion. ‘“ I only—did what I did because of him, and nothing could ever be fastened on me; he saw to that! You can’t frame me for what I’m saying now! It’s all over long ago and nobody can connect me with this awful thing!” “JT don’t want to, but how about the other guy, the one who grabbed you in the grounds last night? Did you recognize him? It was pretty dark.” “Not till he spoke, but the stars were out and it was bright enough for me to see his face. I couldn’t mistake that, it was the man I told you about; the one who came three times to see Mr. Monckton.” “Sure, it was!” Phil relaxed a trifle, erinning. ‘It’s lucky for you he didn't happen to spot you last year, for he knew you all right!” ‘“‘Ts he one of the Shadowers, too?” Lucy tarned wide eyes upon him, and he shook his head. 133 ‘Nope; he isn’t a bull, either.” “Of course not, or Mr. Monckton would never have talked to him about his son. It’s all true, what I told you! He did say that his death would some day be laid at his son’s door!” “And why were you listening, if you hadn’t some little game of your own to play?” Phil demanded. “IT told you—I was curious.”’ She glanced for a moment out of the window at the hedgerows flying past. ‘‘ His visits seemed to have such a queer, bad effect on the old gentleman. He knew what was coming to him, some time or other, and that frame-up of a burglary didn’t even take in the bulls! Oh, it is wicked to try to connect me with it! His son did it, he must have, and how could I know anything about it just be- cause I[—there’s an unproven record against me?” “How could you?” Phil Howe echoed, with no trace of sarcasm. ‘“ Even if his son didn’t do it, there’s nothing to show that the burglar was enough of a top- notcher to travel with what’s left of the Dobson gang, or that you’ve had anything to do with them for two years or so.” ‘Yet you came after me, you trailed me from Friday on, you knew when I tele- phoned to Mrs. Wilson from the drugstore, you had her number!” “< Mrs. Wilson?’ ” “Oh, you know very well!’ Lucy made an impatient little movement of her hands. “Bronx 6090. She’s the friend I’m going to now, at New Golder’s Green Road. I’ve known her since just before I went to work at the Manor. She’s a dressmaker, a decent, fine woman and she doesn’t know anything about me except that I’m a widow and have had a lot of trouble.” “You went to all the bother of going to the village to phone her instead of just call- ing her from the Manor; you’ve got to ad- mit it looked kind of funny under the cir- cumstances.”’ Phil remarked, adding sud- denly: “Say, have you noticed that this lad goes all around the outskirts of every village we pass instead of straight on through? Listen, bo, wkat’s the idea? Why the detours?” comiclooo <SiiGO AA