Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

else can be done? Here’s the signed confes- sion of Telowitz, made before one of the Echo’s attorneys.”’ ‘“ But it’s plain as day that Dmitrieff and Telowitz pulled the job off together,” De- tective Gerson objected. “ Telowitz passed the plunder at the hotel without the violin- ist gettin’ hep. Then Telowitz give us the slip—you’ve got to hand it to ’im for a smart guy—but he knew we had ’im spotted, so was scared to risk tippin’ off ’is pa er “We may know this, but the /aw doesn’t recognize it,’ remarked the high official. ‘This confession makes Telowitz, alone, guilty. Besides, the Echo worked a state- ment from the Reitelmans’ butler, and probably gave a line of talk to the Reitel- mans, for Madame Reitelman~now calmly withdraws the charge against Dmitrieff. Says it was all a mistake! nothing the State can hold him on, either.” “You say Telowitz is altogether done for?” someone inquired. “ Sure—croaked,” Gerson cut in. “ Shot himself—I guess about one minute after the Echo made ’im sign the confession,” he added, with a significant glance around the group. ‘“ Well,” growled the first speaker, “ this makes the force look damn foolish. News- papers already out, telling of our capture of the crook—record speed and all. Now we have to admit we got the wrong bird. So long as they haven’t printed anything about Telowitz, can’t we keep his confession under cover a while—and simply give out that Madame Reitelman has withdrawn charges against Dmitrieff? Tat won’t hurt us any.” There was further conversation. Not long afterward, however, the bewildered Alan was released from his cell; informed gruffly that through the kind heart of Ma- dame Reitelman he had ‘“ got off this time—but—” and was sent on his way, _ without great rejoicing. Somehow—for his mind was virtually a blank—he arrived at his own street. The news of his confinement, but not of his re- lease, had preceded him; so that he found the neighbors quite surprised, although backward with congratulations. They 6 Arcosy THE HOUSE OF THE ECHO. And there’s. gazed after him, and talked in gossipy —_ pers. Alan shrank from meeting Uncle Boris. The worst that he expected came close to realization.: Uncle Boris—who evidently -had suffered a severe blow—was preparing to go visit Alan. Grief and sternness were visible in the eyes that now silently re- garded his nephew. ‘You need not trouble to assure me you are innocent of this crime,’ he said at last, interrupting Alan’s rambling defense. “I know you could not be guilty of a theft, boy—no matter what others may think or say. ‘* But I do find you guilty of acting a lie to me. If you wanted money, why did you not tell me—instead of hiring out secretly to that contemptible woman? This shop is to be yours, some day. I would have sold out at once and given you the money— I would rather have cut off this right hand, than to have had you go to that house!” CHAPTER IX. ZELDA SHOWS HER TEETH. AtAN never before had seen the old man so deeply moved. In fact, Uncle Boris seemed to think less of his nephew’s arrest . and disgrace than of his published con- 241 | nection with the Petrograd Inn; or, perhaps ~ Uncle Boris associated all together, as Alan intuitively had done. | Harrowing as the ordeal with his uncle had been, the young musician dreaded even - more acutely the call he must make upon Sophia. He started out determinedly, that evening. As he neared the bookshop, he saw Zelda approaching from the direction of the Inn. The thought of talking with this girl, or anyone from the House, just then, was unbearable. Deliberately ignor- ing the eagerly smiling countenance, he crossed to the other side of the street. Zelda certainly was’ not. prepared for this snub. In truth, she scarcely could believe it possible. _Had the Echo forbidden him even to notice her? She walked on, mech- - anically; then, at a safe distance, paused to watch. Alan’ s objective undoubtedly Wes the Ukrainian bookshop. Comic .OO (E@)