Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

290 coat, but what appeared in the uttermost limits of the rays of a street lamp to be a sweater, and his cap was pulled so far for- ward over his eyes that the back of his small, bullet-shaped head was plainly vis- ible. McCarty clutched his stout umbrella more firmly and without obviously quick- ening his pace he nevertheless narrowed the distance between the slim, slinking figure and himself with every yard. Forgotten was the fact that he had long ago retired - from the force to live on the comfortable inheritance from his saloon-keeping uncle; he was once again following his beat, and there before his eyes was a crook out to pull off a job! The houses on the broad avenue which faced the park were veritable miniature palaces, each one occupied by a family whose rank in the social and financial world was of almost national reputation, and before the richest of these in the cen- ter of the block ahead, the figure paused. Instantly McCarty flattened himself as much as his girth would allow against the wall of the house he was passing, mentally anathematizing the newer style of American basements which admitted of no protecting high entrances or areaways; but after a moment it was evident that his simple strat- egy had sufficed, for when he cautiously craned his neck around the slightly pro- jecting cornice the figure had disappeared. Save for the rumbling and lights of a bus approaching from the opposite direction the avenue was deserted, and it was inconceiv- ‘able that in that instant the crook could have made off around the corner. Moving with almost miraculous speed and silence McCarty sped to the house before which the figure had paused, and one glance showed the meaning of his sudden disappearance. The house was of white stone, wider and more imposing even than its neighbors, but, like them with a low, broad entrance door sunk three steps be- low the level of the street, a smaller trades- men’s entrance some distance away, and between them a row of wide, ornate win- dows. The second one from the main entrance- was open slightly, just enough for a bit of Digitized — Mi —Orgina aa fren AOTING ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the heavy lace of the curtain to have been caught in the crack and for the tiniest ray of subdued light to creep through. “The carelessness of him!” McCarty grumbled to himself in disgust at this lack of thoroughness even in one of his swom enemies. ‘“‘ That light’s not moving; did he have the nerve, I wonder, to turn on—” His speculation came to an abrupt end and he dived down the shallow steps and crouched waiting to spring, for the heavy window had opened swiftly with no ap- parent effort at silence, the curtain was whisked aside and the sinuous figure wormed its way through and dropped the scant eight feet which separated the sill from the level of the pavement. Instantly, before he could turn, a huge, stockily built form hurled itself upon him and in his complete surprise he was borne by sheer weight to the ground, where he was held and expertly frisked. The whole affair had been a matter of seconds, and no sound had come from either man save the quick, sobbing breath of the captive and the heavier snort of McCarty, but as the latter stuffed into his own pockets with one hand the pistol, blackjack and skeleton keys which had been the result of his search, the other whined: . “Let me go, Mister! Honest t’ Gawd, I ain’t done a t’ing but just sneak in an’ —an’ right out! I ain’t got nothin’ on me, youse knows that! Honest t’?’ Gawd—” -McCarty’s answer was to drag the squirming, writhing youth to his feet with a firm grip on the collar of his sweater, and with his other hand to pick up the umbrella from where he had dropped it beside him, and.rap smartly on the pavement for as- sistance. “Qh, don’t do dat! de bull comes, mister, for de love 0’ Gawd! I swear it on me mudder dat I didn’t have nothin’ to do wit’—wit what’s in dere!” Mixed with the whine of fear there was a rising note of horror in the youth’s tones which made McCarty drag him swift- ly over to the nearest street lamp. The face which the culprit raised shrinkingly ‘to his was weak and tremulous, with the shifting, ratlike éyes and pasty, yellow skin Let me go before NOO So CO