The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

‘PHANKS -TO--THE--B. R, -T. eventually concluded that Gates Avenue was the proper point to leave his car. Some ten minutes more and Dr. Jim hur- ried through the young evening, to stand before the Catterson home. If externals counted, the unknown was a patient worth having! This big place was almost in the mansion class, with more of its kind on either side. There should be a butler to answer his ring; there was, however, only a maid and an elderly, slovenly one at that. She seemed to expect his coming, though.. She mumbled something about “doctor” and “‘ just a minute” and left Dr. Jim in a dusky drawing-room, with two small lights burning beside the cov- ered piano at the far end. He heard her steps scuff to the back of the house and then down-stairs—and that, in the matter oi sound, was really all! As a greeting for a doctor who had hurried to answer an emergency call, it was queer enough. Dr. Bowen, as a mat- ter of course, had expected a frantic rela- tive or two to rush down upon him, gasp out incoherent details, and then lead him swiftly to the case; he had even planned to do whatever might be necessary, and do it well, and then, when the excitement had died down, to reveal the awful fact that he was not Poldhane Whinnys after all, and that Dr. Whinnys would be along later if they wished him. Instead, he was sitting all alone in a distinctly musty room of vast proportions, and the minutes were passing and still passing. Somewhere above him, a low moan is- sued, floating through the heavy stillness in a fashion calculated to freeze the blood of a sensitive soul. Dr. Bowen, frown- ing, rose and stepped to the door, where he all but collided with the tall, lean man of forty, dressed in evening clothes and obviously calm, who was entering. He stopped and squinted at Dr. Bowen, looking him over with a care that was at least puzzling. Then he said quickly: “Mr. Catterson asks me to apologize for keeping you waiting, doctor. I think 11 it will be quite all right for you to go up now.” “Well, if there is illness such as the call and that groan seem to indicate—”’ Dr. Bowen began sharply. ‘“Catterson was anxious to have you here as soon as possible, and that groan doesn’t necessarily mean much, because we’re rather used to them around here, doctor,” the stranger said quietly. ‘ Will you go up now, please? The big front room on the floor above—you’ll find the coor open.” He sighed and slipped into an over- coat that had been on the _hall-rack. Plainly he at least did not know Polly Whinnys from Adam, or he would have made comment of some sort; and now he laid a hand on Dr. Jim’s arm and said very softly: “ Doctor, you will remember one thing, will you not?” ce Eh?” ‘“ Move and speak just as lightly as may be humanly possible—up there,’ the enigma whispered significantly. ‘“ You'll understand what I mean, very shortly. You didn’t come in your car?” he added, as he opened the door and glanced at the curb. “No, I didn’t,” Dr. Bowen began curi- ously, “and may I ask—”’ ‘““ Catterson will explain that, too,” the stranger said impatiently, as he stepped out. ‘“ Good night, doctor, and good luck to you.” The latch clicked. Dr. Bowen was alone in the dusky corridor, with the stairs ahead, a faint light shining above and a sense of mystery that was more irritating than anything else. E A slow smNe came to his lips. Unless Polly had changed a good deal, at about this point Dr. Whinnys’s blue eye would have begun to glitter with eagerness; he would have stolen for the stairway with catlike tread and looked back at every step for possible armed pursuers such as never existed outside the covers of a dime novel. Dr. Bowen, being of other material, COPMICLOOKS (E@)