Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? Chews ‘wens Eines Gt YON ‘mere 10 look atten him?” The valet’s shoulders aad eyebrows lift- ed expresaibly. “‘T never asked him, and he didn’t tell me, but I suppose he liked the club better than any empty house; any gentleman ' would.” For the first trme Hill looked squarely at his inquisiter. ‘‘ Who are you? A detective?” “I'm a special officer on this case, and my name’s McCarty,” the ex-roundsman replied. ‘“ You'll be only saving yourself trouble.”’ “< McCarty!’”’ Hill imterrupted, and there was something ver: like consterna- “You're the McCarty who was in all thee papers in connection with the Hoyos case and the Glamorgan affarr ?”’ “Zam that!” There was no braggado- cio in Timothy McCarty’s plain, matter-of- fact statement. ‘‘ Now, Hill, how long had you been in the house befére you knocked at the door of the room where the inspector and Mr. Alexander were?” “ Qnly a mimute or two, air.” The tone was almest eager, now, and the habitual servility had returned to it. “I let nvyaelf in at the tradesmen’s entrance with my ~ Gwnikey as usual, and went up-stairs to get a couple of Bours’ sleep before Rellins and his wife returned and it would be time to bustle about: and get the house m order for Mrs. Creveling’s coming. I started up the. beck way, of course, and at the second floor I thought I’d stop and see if Mr. Creveling was in his room; he usually slept heme instead cf going back to the club when he'd any one here for a late supper, and when I found nobedy there I supposed maybe his guest hadn’t gene yet and I’d better come down and see if they wanted amy more wine or anything. Mr. Crevel- ing’s private cellar is stecked up fer two or three years yet to come. I went down the front staircase and heard voices in“ the room where I’d laid out the supper table, so I kndcked.” “You thought Mr. Crevebing was still in there?’’ McCarty queried blandly. “I mean, when- you stopped and listened be- fore ‘you kneoked?” Digitized 309 “{ didn’t know what to think!” he blurted owt after a moment’s hesitation. ‘““T beard Mr. Alexander’s voice and recog- nized it, of course, but for all I knew he might have been the guest Mr. Creveling was entertaining. Then he said something about murder and a strange voice an- swered. You know the rest, sir; I’m giv- ing it to you straight!” “You've been with Million-a-menth Creveling for eleven years,” McCarty re- marked slowly, using the nickname with deliberate intent. ‘That’s thret years be- fore his marriage. You may have came through with all you knew about to-night’s affair, Hill, but you’ve only done it because we dug it out of you. There’s a lot more you knew about the man yow've been working for, and I’m going to have it.” ‘“'There’s been nothing since his mar- riage that all the world don’t knew, and precious littke before that, thanks to the reporters that were forever barking at his heels because ht was a frée-handed spender and liked a geod time!” the valet retorted. “Tm not saying Mr. Creveling was any angel i in his younger days, but there's noth- img you can hang on him now.” ‘‘T disremember just now what and all the scancal used to be about him, but a look at the old newspaper files will give me a lime on that.” McCarty spoke as thongh to himself, but he watched the other nar- rowly. “ "T'was the usual thing, I suppase; wine and women and horses and cards. The first of them at least he didn’t give up when he married, by your own testimony; but how about the last? Has Creveling been gambling heavy lately, that you know ofe” Hill shook his head decisively. “He hasn’t touched a card m years, at least not that I’ve heard of. He never even sat in at Mrs. Creveling’s bridge par- ties. After he married and settled down he started in antique collecting; not paintings’ se much, but nigs and tapestries and por- celains and rare old books. Regular pas- sion it got to be with him, and he studied up on periods and such, but then be was always a natural judge of good things, Mr. Creveling was.”’ McCarty pandered fer a momest. The rigin al fr ae EO) 7 6)(0)©) 3 = So C@ THE C 10. STATE