Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

THIEVES’ later that two policemen of a near-by station arrived in a flivver. A few minutes later the first of many squads of detectives began to swarm into the house. ‘The body that Amos had un- covered with his shovel in the coal bin was the body of a policeman, a mur- dered policeman who had been shot through the heart. Instead of the regulation patent leather visored cap with its nickel- plated badge the head of the victim was incased to the ears in an old derby. Instead of a brass-buttoned uniform coat the slightly stiffened figure was clad in a greasy, pull-on green sweater of the style that bicycle riders used to wear, one of those sweaters that laced up about the neck with a shoe string. CHAPTER XVI. “COP KILLER.” ARRY after an evening with Jane R had stopped at the pool room with the idea of having a little chat with Nick. He was surprised to find the place closed and deserted. So he started to his room. The house was so quiet that the es- capement noises of an aged clock in the living room filled his ears with a tic-toc-tic-toc as he mounted the stairs Now and then he kicked one of the brass rods with which the carpet was cleated. Barry was profoundly disturbed by the things Jane had told him. In the first place he had merely intended to telephone her in response to her brief message, “Call me” written on the glass of her compact. - But when he had telephoned, her nervousness had been so apparent that he had determined to risk a visit, in- discreet though it might be. Jane had been almost tearful as she had explained to him how she had dis- covered they were being watched, and watched, likely enough by those whom they were supposed to be watching. MARKET, 629 The superintendent of the building had spoken to her about the visitor who had represented himself as an investi- gator for a credit concern, At first Barry had been inclined to treat the incident lightly. The credit companies were continually making in- quiries about persons who bought things on the installment plan or who opened charge accounts. He had tried to convey this idea to Jane, hoping to soothe her. “But Barry, don’t you see that is why I am so sure this inquiry repre- sents something sinister. I never charged anything in my life. It was almost a religion in my home that we pay cash or go without.” Mounting to his floor Barry’s hair was prickling with fears that were not for himself. Jane was being watched. Nick’s place was unaccountably closed. What did it mean? The facts seemed to bear some rela- tion to each other. He was still puz- zling as he fumbled in the darkness for the knob of his room door. He thought he heard a sound in the room. As he flung the door open and stepped in, air fanned the back of his neck as the door was slammed shut behind him by unseen hands. Some one with a harsh voice addressed him: “Take it easy now, or we'll rip your guts wide open. Up with ’em!” Only fools ignore that command when it comes from the darkness. Barry’s hands went up until his elbow joints were pressing against his ears. “They are up,” he said, as quietly as he knew how. Then he was blinded by a sudden burst of white light in his eyes as some one he could not see flashed a hand torch beam in his face. Next the wall light was turned on and Barry dis- covered that his room was crowded with men, three of them in police uni- forms. His first reaction was one of amuse- ment. He thought how foolish they were all going to look when they dis- COMIC OOO KS (E@)