Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 107: what you’re looking at

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THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. “Yes, I’ve arranged for that; just give your name and take one of our cards with you,” Cliff replied. ‘‘ Find out if you can the reason why he doesn’t like the house- keeper and where she might have ben dur- ing the five years before she took that posi- tion, and also the exact state of affairs ex- isting between our client and the lady who crossed on the same steamer with him. Do you understand?” z ‘Perfectly. Shall I come straight back here, Mr. Nichols?” she asked eagerly. “I do so want to know what’s going on, and there hasn’t been any word from a soul!” “T didn’t expect any!” Chiff laughed. “Ves, Ill meet you at the office about four.” Ethel felt no such squeamishness as her superior had done in entering the Tombs, but only a lively interest and curiosity. She greeted Richard Monckton when he ap- peared with a matter of fact friendliness that robbed the situation of any embarrass- ment for him. Clifford Nichols had given her a free hand and she meant to make the most of it. “Mr. Monckton, I suppose you think it’s funny, my coming to you,” she began with- out preamble. ‘“ You see, I’m a little bit more than just office manager for our firm; I work right along with them on cases and they tell me everything.” “TZ was told that I might place every confidence in you, Miss Jepson; thank you for coming to me.” Richard smiled faintly. “ You have some news?” “ Well, I hadn’t any instructions to tell you, but we’re really on the trail of that bur- glar. There isn’t a doubt but we’ll be able to prove very soon that he was there in your house Thursday night even if we can’t pick him up right away, though we'll do that, too, later!” She spoke with serene conviction, and Richard’s worn face lighted with heartfelt relief. “ Thank God!” he cried. “I ean’t tell you what that means to me! But it is cer- tain? You are not saying this simply to reassure me?” “Tt is the truth, Mr. Monckton!” Ethel asserted. ‘I don’t think I’m at liberty to tell you any details, but we’ve traced that TA 737 number he wrote on the wall, and now youll just have to be patient, for it’s a waiting game.” “Tl wait months, years, if it means a final clearing of my name!” exclaimed Rich- ard. ‘I hadn’t the slightest fear that I could be convicted of such a hideous thing, but the thought of the trial was a living horror! I couldn’t even be sure that you people believed me! Why should you when the police didn’t, and every one else has de- serted me—” He broke off, but the sudden bitterness in his tone was sharper than that of a man condemned alone by public opinion. Some one on whose faith he depended had failed him and Ethel’s sympathetic eyes saw the truth. ‘Don’t you believe every one’s deserted you!” she declared warmly. ‘“ Maybe they’re keeping away from here because they think you would want them to, but they’ve been to other places for you! I may be saying more than I should, but I know you won’t give me away, and / didn’t make any promise not to tell you! What if somebody ’d come to us, somebody who knew you weren’t guilty and wanted to help you any way they could without your knowing?” Barbara Norcross had not come to help, but to seek reassurance herself. Ethel was well aware of that, but she could not resist giving him that grain of mendacious com- fort and the truth had never been of the least importance to her unless it happened to serve her ends. She felt amply rewarded when their client took both her hands and wrung them heart- ily, saying with a little quiver in his tones: “Bless you, Miss Jepson! I know what you mean, but I couldn’t be sure; I hardly dared to hope! All the circumstances were against me and why should any one have believed in the face of such a damning chain of evidence!” As though to conceal his emotion he reached in his pocket for the thin platinum case and took from it a cigarette, rolling it nervously between fingers that shook slightly. ““ Everybody ought to have believed you if they’ve got good common sense,” said EoOmichbooks: co