The Argosy, December 1905 — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

152 “ Well, I suppose there are some cir- cumstances which make it up to you,” Markell said with a wink. “I hear you saved old Captain Payne’s daughter up there in the hills, and she’s certainly a corker! ” Dan successfully kept a wooden ex- pression of countenance and dodged the issue promptly. He certainly did not care for Markell to know that he had heard nothing from the young lady since the adventure. Markell was now filling Dan’s position as night signalman, and expressed him- self as anxious to give the task over as soon as Crompton could get about. “The doc says I can come over next week,” Dan assured him. “Well, P’ve done something during your absence—or, rather, had the mas- ter mechanic at Coldspring do some- thing—which I hope you'll approve,” said Markell. He drew a brass key from his pocket and placed it in Dan’s hand. “ve got another,” he observed. What is it?” “ve had a new lock put on that lower door of the tower. Only you and Ihave keys. Of course, there’s no need to have the door locked in the daytime, but at night S “Thunder!” exclaimed Dan, with disgust. “ We area couple of fools.” But he took the key and placed it-on his bureau. A little later Markell with- drew. As he opened the door Dan heard him utter an astonished exclamation. “What is it?” demanded Dan, hob- bling after him. Markell put his head back into the doorway. His facial expression was curious. “That jackanapes, Silly Billy, had his ear at the keyhole,” he remarked, and then departed forthwith. Crompton was troubled. Markell’s statement as he went out colored his thoughts for the rest of the day. It looked as though Silly Billy was by no means the fool he appeared. Did he really know more about his uncle’s death—aye, more about the mys- teries surrounding Block Tower Seven —than was generally supposed ? THE ARGOSY. “ What was the rascal listening at that door for?” grumbled Dan. “ And did he leave the note the other night with my dinner-kettle, after all? Is he in the confidence of these Howards— Jase and Ike—and is he watching. and spying for their benefit? The unnat- ural young scamp! ” Dan became quite incensed at this thought. He remembered how Billy had “ snooped” around the tower on several occasions—how he had caught him digging in the lower room “Gad!” Dan cried. “ What was he up to? What is buried there that he is after? “Ts it something to do with his uncle’s murder? Was poor Raddigan killed for some other reason than re- venge? And was the fruit of the crime buried in that lower room? ” This thought—as connected with poor Billy—was truly horrifying; yet it stuck, Dan told himself, “in his crop.” He could not get rid of the idea. Billy had shown his desire to get something out of the tower. And here he was listening at the keyhole just now when Markell was talking about the new lock he had put on the door. * There’s that key,” Dan muttered, as he ate his supper, which Mrs. Corrigan brought up to him herself, and looking at the object in question, still lying on his bureau.. “ What would Billy Corri- gan do if he had that key, eh?” And from that he laid a plot for poor Billy’s undoing. He put the key on the little stand by the door, on which Billy usually placed anything with which he was sent up-stairs by his mother. Then he put the tray of supper dishes beside the key. ees When Dan called, Billy came up to re- move the tray. It was early in the eve- ning, and it was quite light in the room, although Dan had not ht his lamp. “There are the dishes, Billy,” he said carelessly when the door opened. He watched the boy sharply, saw him start when he beheld the key lying by the tray, and was much disappointed that Billy should depart with the tray without touching the key. Crompton was imbued with the spirit of suspicion, however. GO NOOK (C@