The Argosy, October 1906 — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

546 hope they do; but it’s horrible. to think of that pretty, delicate youus: woman be- ing sent to prison for life.” | = don't think they'll send her to prison,” * said Packard. “You don’t, eh? Then what will they do with her? _ Pardon her?” = = heaven’ s sake, Jeremiah, stop answering in riddles and tell me what you're getting at,” cried the = bosttiaster impatiently. | “IT don’t think they'll indict the girl at all,’’ said the lawyer. = What! ” cried Postmaster Gray in alarm. Tom will have to suffer for that gee crime, do you?” Suddenly a horrible thought seized him. -“ You don’t mean to tell me that Tom has carried out that fool threat of his = and asked - the superintendent there to direct them to the Tearest = ee Un- and confessed, -do you?”’ aS No; Tom hasn’t— confessed, ”” said Packard. “ He’ s not going to, either, if I can help it.’ “Then what makes you say that the girl won’t be indicted?” “Because, in my opinion, she isn't guilty,” said the lawyer. ‘Then who is, for heaven’s sake? Not Tom Sutton?” cried the dazed post- master. ““T hope not,” replied Packard, smi- ling. “‘ But I’ll not keep you in suspense any longer, postmaster. I-don’t mind telling you that I’ve interviewed Tom and the girl in their respective cells to- day, and as a result of those interviews I am fully convinced that neither of them murdered Paul Dupree.” “Then who is the murderer? ” ‘*T don’t know yet. - That’s what we've got to find out.” 2: And what has occurred to change your opinion about the Se SO” sud- denly?”’ “Tl explain that to you later. I -haven’t any time now. I want you to go on an expedition with me.’ “What kind of an expedition? 2 “T want to find a messenger-boy.”’ “The messenger-boy whom Miss Mor- gan hired to take that wallet. to Tom Sutton,” said the postmaster eagerly. — “No, not that messenger-boy. 1 don’t think there is any such boy in existence. THE ARGOSY. “Come on now.— may have a lot of walking to do oe “You don’t mean to say that eagerly. — want to find the boy who said that ‘Miss Morgan hired him.” “What do you mean, Jeremiah? I don’ t understand you. at all.” “You will later,” said the lawyer. “Get. your hat._ we land our man, or rather, our boy.” “Where are ‘you. aS to 100k for him?” _“ Well, ’'m iene to start at he re ton Building. and go to every Western - Union office within a radius of five miles. I’ve learned that it was a boy in Western Union uniform who delivered that pack- age. process of elimination.” « “And do you now think that the mes- senger- boy killed Du sree ? Se asked | the postmaster, thoroughly dazed. ‘“ Maybe,” said Packard, ca _ They went to the Brixton Building ion office. == “"There’s one a sic 25 “up,” I’m. going to get ‘that boy ‘by the: said the man, and Packard ‘hurried the: = bewildered postmaster _ there so quickly as to take the old man’s breath away. “Do you keep a record of the errands | your district messengers are sent out on?” asked - Packard on their arrival. “y es, Sir; we do.” “Have you a record of last Monday's messenger business? ’ = Ves sir === 3 — Good. “Then will you kindly look = up and tell me if one of your boys wasn’t sent to Post- Office X. ye to de- liver a package, somewhere around half past twelve in the daytime?’ 2 The manager loeked over his records. “ Ves, sir,” he said. was sent to Post-Office X.Y. with a package about noon last Monday.” — Neither ‘Packard - nor the ‘postmaster could repress an exclamation: of 10¥- at this intelligence. — “JT would ke to. ‘talk to this: boy— number 642. is he in? asked. Packard “No, sir,” : repli they ma anager. abe for him.” — aE Messenger 642 ong-haired, foreign- — 7 “He : quit the job last Tuesday. ae re not. the first that has been here looking. for him. There was a long looking gentiemna § in: here the other day — —_ €omicbooks