The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

THE of fact he was engaged in straightening out a-tangle resulting from a quarrel be- tween two of the maids in the kitchen when the summons of Preston and Finch reached him. ‘““T—” began Finch, but Preston in- terrupted him. “Ts Miss Cecil Hamilton here?” he asked, as Finch glared at him in uncon- cealed fury. The butler nodded. “Why, yes,” he said, “she is. She has, in fact, just come down to the break- fast-room.”’ “T see,” Finch broke in. ‘“ Well,” ab- stracting a card from his case, “ will you be kind enough to take this card to her.” Preston, reaching into his pocket-book, produced another. “Take this, too, please,” he said. “ By the way, has Mr. Swandorf arrived from his bungalow yet?” The servant glanced at them surprised- ly, and then shook his head. “Why, no, sir. I—E understood that you two gentlemen had gone to see him there.” “We did, but he wasn’t there,” Pres- ton replied. ‘‘ At least, we could not find him.” The butler looked at them with a blank face, and then turning, said that he fan- cied it would be as well if he took their cards in to Miss Hamilton, whereupon he went into the house, neglecting to ask the callers to follow him. He soon returned with the young wom- an, who was obviously surprised at the early call. She was in a filmy cream morning gown, which showed a wide ex- panse of flawless throat. “Why, Mr. Finch—Mr. Preston! This is a surprise.” She glanced from one to the other inquiringly. ‘A pleasant one, I trust,” returned the glib Finch, permitting a glance of great admiration to shine from his eyes. “ We were motoring up this way and called to see Mr. Swandorf upon a business mat- ter. We might add,” and Finch smiled, “that we were utterly surprised to learn IOA MOTIVE. that you were here when the butler so in- formed us.” He went on to say that he was not aware of her friendship for Mr. Swan- dorf. | Preston flushing angrily, prodded his companion smartly in the back, but the girl, smiling brightly, nodded. ‘“ No, I don’t suppose you did,” she an- 145 | swered. “ As a matter of fact, Mr. Swan- - dorf is my guardian—or rather, one of my guardians.” She laughed. “My father left me very well equipped in that regard. But come in, won’t you? Have you breakfasted?” Both replied that they had, and then Finch said that if she had no objection they would, however, join her in a cup of coffee while she drank hers. She waited a moment, as though in ‘The trouble is,’ she finally said, “that Mr. Swandorf does not like to breakfast alone; at least does not like to breakfast without me, when I am here. So I shall have to wait for him. He is at the bungalow.” “But that,” Preston interposed, “ is what we wish to-speak to you about. We have been to the bungalow, and he is not there.” “Not there!” She glanced at the speaker. “ You are not fooling me, Mr. Preston? He must be; at least he is not here, and I know he didn’t go out for a ride, because I was just talking with the - chauffeur om the house telephone.” Finch explained that they had just come from the bungalow; had, in fact, entered it, finding the door ajar, and that there were no signs of the owner. ‘“ At least,” he added, “ we could not find him.” “Of course,” interpolated Preston, ‘“we did not go all over: the place. But we made so much noise that he certainly would have heard us had he been in the bungalow.” Miss Hamilton’s face expressed worry. She had spent the evening with him, go- ing over some papers, she said, and had CORNICGLOOKS Eon