Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

“YOU'VE KILLED PRIVACY!” “ Just a minute,” Redfern broke in, “we certainly heard every indication that my bomb went off in the proper place and did the job we set it for. Do you mean to tell me that the house wasn’t damaged on the outside, and that you didn’t hear a loud report?” “You've said it. That’s just what I mean to say.” Redfern was silent, absorbed thought for several minutes. } “Well, there’s no doubt about the bomb going off and getting Ward. If you didn’t see any signs of it on the in outside, or hear much, there’s just one’ answer. Brady was right when he said that Ward had a sound-proof and burglar proof laboratory rigged up there. “So they had cops guarding the house, did they? Well, I’m not sur- prised. “Naturally they’d be careful after the attack that crazy nut of a Yosoff made on him the other day. It was a mistake taking him into the gang. We might have known he’d fly off the han- dle and try to do something on his own hook. But are you sure nobody trailed you back here?” As if in answer to this query of Red- fern’s, there was a thud on the low roof over their heads, a series of lesser thuds as of some object rolling down the shingles, then a crash in the under- brush outside the window. VIL. Everygopy in the room started vio- lently at this unexpected interruption. ' Redfern’s hands flashed to a light but- ton in the wall behind him, and the room was plunged in darkness. “Everybody quiet,” he whispered, ‘while I take a look around. Remem- ie if you hear an owl hoot, every- bedy sift out the back way.” The door opened softly and Redfern slipped into the yard. For several ‘minutes there was not a sound. Then they heard the door close again. The 163 light flashed on, and their leader was with them once more. “Nothing but a brick falling off that old loose chimney,” he told them. “T found it out in the bush here where it fell. We won't take any chances, though. You slip back on the roof, Ivan, and scout around. “Mercer and Hawkins, you go up with him as far as the bedroom win- dow, ready to do a little shooting if there’s anybody there. But you'd bet- ter stay on the ridgepole, Ivan, with your night glass, and keep a lookout. Stay there till I give vou the word to get out. We've got a long meeting ahead of us to-night to decide what to do next.” The three men departed up the stairs, and the company below waited until! Mercer and Hawkins returned and reported that Ivan had found everything quiet above. “Very good,” Redfern atitnerie “Now there’s no use in taking a chance on trying to do anything to- night, as long as things have turned out the way Ivan reports. There was only an off chance that we could put the whole works over to-night, anyhow. We've made a mighty good start by getting Ward out of the way. It “Il be a long while before the Inter- national Company recovers from his loss, and they may never get his secret. ‘““ Remember, they can’t manufacture the televisor for popular use without Ward’s secret, and Coddington tells me he’s under the impression that Ward has never put the whole secret on paper. But, anvhow, such as it is, we've got as good a chance of getting it and destroying it yet as the officers of the company have of getting it and using it. “Coddington is sure that Ward keeps his secret in a hidden wall safe somewhere in his house. I counted on getting that safe to-night. It ‘Il be some time before they cut the red tape of the estate and get at it, even if he’s left directions for finding it in case it Gomichbooks (E@)