Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

f ? \ Shortly she glanced at her wrist-watch. For an instant she stood tense and motion- less. With a quick movement, she then drew a cigarette from her jeweled case and placed it between her lips. Finally, snatch- ing up another, box—from which one ciga- rette had been removed—-Zelda glided from the room. Soon the girl of the rose was sauntering along the electric-lit hallway of the second floor. © ‘“Got.a match, Bill ?’’ she inquired of the ‘“ Echo’s watchdog,” who had almost finished straightening the chairs, removing waste-paper, and generally tidying up the office—as was his custom, between office hours. Bill obligingly came to the outer ager and produced the match. “ Have a smoke, Bill?” He didn’t mind if he did steal a few puffs; and took a cigarette from the hox proffered. Standing in the doorway, the giant began to smoke — inhaling and expelling great clouds. Presently, to his own astonish- ment, his legs grew decidedly wabbly. Peering ferociously at the girl, he tried to clap a hand to his hip, but the gesture was feeble—and Zelda, springing at him, seized the big paw and held it until Bill Rath dropped. A few seconds was ample time in which to drag the Echo’s watch-dog across the hall and into the bath-room opposite the office. Without pausing for breath, the girl darted back to the anteroom of the office and pro- ceeded to cut the wires by which the two doors were operated. In her excitement, she severed also the wire leading to the buzzer. | This, however, made no _ difference. Zelda’s plan was simple. She meant to take Bill’s place at the door and open it for her friends, Garford and Hummell, as though she had been stationed there for that purpose. Afterward she would use her gun, if necessary, to keep them inside the room until the “ cops” arrived. Of course, if the Echo should attempt to communicate with Bill Rath, before Gar- ford and Hummell came, an investigation would be in order, and—but Zelda took the THE HOUSE OF THE ECHO, 247 risk, exactly as she accepted the hazard of being interrupted in her present task. After cutting the wires, Zelda had to perform one other detail, in order to render the Echo’s doubly double-locking system — useless and to afford the police the quick and easy access desirable; for the chief was anxious that the Echo should have the ‘swag’ in her hands no longer than was necessary—otherwise, it. might again dis- appear. So, working frantically, Zelda threw off the latch of the outer door and jammed it with a phonograph needle. She was about to serve the inner door likewise, when she suddenly paused — listened — and dodged “into the place behind the open door that Alan once had occupied so unpleasantly. The Echo had entered the office, from her private apartment. Yet, for a moment, the girl of the rose hardly could believe she was looking upon the Echo. The coolness and poise — the ‘amazing vigor and vitality of the dread mistress of the house—all appeared to have deserted her. She looked haggard, irritable; seemed spent—both mentally and physical- ly. step toward the desk, sank wearily into her chair, and gazed morbidly about her with a nervous shiver of distaste. ’ Without warning, the Echo fell forward on the desk and sobbed. . “Gawd!” Zelda exclaimed, almost aloud. ‘Is Alan turning er down, too?” Unquestionably this seemed easier to be- lieve than that the “ master mind” of the Echo’s gang—instead of being inordinately pleased with her recent extraordinary tri- umphs over a city’s police—was merely tired out and disgusted with it all! And it was in this astounding attitude that Alan Dmitrieff found the Echo, when, having slipped up-stairs after depositing his hat in the corridor closet, he had obtained no response from the buzzer, and—vwrath- fully twisting the door-knob, had been sur- prised to find the office door open to him. Zelda had not time even to budge, before the newcomer’s impetuous steps carried him half-way across the anteroom. There he seemed to hesitate, and finally to go on, slowly and wonderingly. While Zelda was Gomichbooks Head bowed, she moved with dragging (EOLA