Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

THE been announced and maybe you don’t feel that it’s any of our business, but it may be brought out if they actually hold you for trial before we get the goods. Is it true that this other party misunderstood? That you were just—kidding?” “She acknowledged it?” The cigarette dropped from his fingers and rolled upon the long table before the end of which he sat. ‘“‘ She stood by me even to—to that, in the face of everything? I thought, of course, that she would shrink from it now and I would never have tried to. hold her—” Again he checked himself and a deep red flushed his cheeks. ‘‘ Tell her not to come here, Miss Jepson! I will not see her again till I can come to her a free man with the stain of this horrible accusation wiped away forever. Tell her—but I am not supposed to know that she has been to you! I can trust you to—to say the right thing. You’ve given me a new lease of life! Wall you come again?” “Tf Mr. Nichols will let me.” Ethel rose. “ Just you remember that we’re work- ing for you every minute!” “Tm certain of that!” Richard shook hands once more with undisguised fervor. ‘“‘T shall wait as patiently as I can.” Ethel left with her brain on fire, Their client must be cleared, and soon! He was one of the nicest boys she had ever seen. That girl wasn’t half good enough for him, but if he wanted her he should have his chance. She burned with impatience to further his cause. When she reached the office of the Shadowers to find Cliff Nichols awaiting her she burst upon him like a small whirlwind. ‘“ What did you find out at 840 West One Hundred and Tenth?” she demanded. ‘Did you find the family and talk to the little girl? Did she tell you the name of the man whoi was supposed to call her uncle up that Thursday night and didn’t?” “Vou mean, have I got the murderer handcuffed in my study now?” Cliff shook his head at her. ‘‘ Ethel, it isn’t going to be as easy as that! I found out from the janitor that only two families have tele- phones in the house and there’s a ten-year- old named ‘ Bessie’ in one of them, on the third floor rear. But I haven’t caught a HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. 739 glimpse of her. Our phone call last night must have given them the alarm and they’re keeping the child close. It wouldn’t do any good to get in their apartment on some pretext; Ill have to watch and try to spot ‘Uncle Charlie’ and gain his confidence. It’s going to take time.” Ethel opened her lips to speak, but evi- dently changed her mind. Her cheeks were flushed and her breath came fast, yet when at length she spoke it was to say meekly: ‘““Ts that all? That sounds like days and days when every minute counts, and sup- pose Uncle Charlie doesn’t show up for weeks, if he’s mixed up in the murder? What'll you do?” Cliff Nichols shrugged. ‘““ What can we do?” he asked. “ That’s the only clew we have, and there is no other way to follow it. Did Monckton tell you anything?” | “He just let on without knowing it that a guess or two of mine was correct.” Ethel told of their client’s unconscious admission of the renewed engagement and of the housekeeper’s long-deferred hopes which death had finally shattered. When she had finished, Cliff nodded. ““T thought so, but I wanted to make sure. You needn’t wait, Ethel; just leave a note for any of the boys who might drop in to meet me here to-morrow afternoon.” ‘You're going back uptown?” There was blank disappointment in her tone. ‘ Isn’t there anything maybe I could do there? If I could get in with the kid’s mother in some way—” Cliff shook his head resolutely, ignoring the pleading in her tone. “Not a chance, Ethel; it’s too risky! I’m not afraid you’d make any slip that would give us away, and with your remark- able luck and cleverness, my dear, you might be able to pick up some valuable clews. But there’s a killer with his own life to fight for and his friends and ac- complices will stick at nothing! We can’t afford to take a chance with your safety now! I'll see you to-morrow afternoon, and meanwhile just try to forget all about it.” Forget it? Ethel sat lost in deep and earnest reflection after Cliff had taken his Comicboookxs (S@)