Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

714 | ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. like a laundry ticket in one corner, and I knew it as ‘well as I know the chair you're sitting in this ninute, Denny; many’s the time I saw it in old Girard’s shop below when I went in to have a bit of a smoke with him of an evening, and he told me | there was not another like it in the country. “Then all at once it come to me that twas there I’d seen her on a night not a month ago, and I called to mind that there had been a man in a big fur coat with her, and a car outside. I did not get sight of his face, but the car was a long, low, open runabout, with an engine like a racer, and I recaltéd thinking how unseasonable it was with the snow and all. 1 remembered her, too, because she was dressed so funny; a little hat with a long veil and a heavy enough motoring coat; but the coat” was open, adhd underneath it she had on an eve- ning dress you could have made from a lace handkerchief and had some to spare. ‘“‘ Did you ask Girard if he knew, who the fellow was?” asked Dennis eagerly. ‘““He’s gone away for the day, but I'll see him to-night,” McCarty responded. ‘By the time Mrs. Kip had made up her mind she’d see me this afternoon, I'd worked up an interest in antiques and Chink cabinets in particular, that would have done credit: to Girard himself. The first thing I asked her was where that one had come from, and she said a friend had brought it to her straight from the Orient; that was answer enough for me to get it ’ that she was afraid to drag in that man with the fur coat: I gave it to her strong then that I knew she’d lied about her whereabouts on Thursday night at the time Creveling was killed.” ‘“ And what happened?” Dennis sat bolt upright in his chair. ‘‘ Did she come across with the truth? Where—” ‘She did not!” McCarty interrupted grimly. ‘I’ve seen many a woman in a temper, but never the beat of her! The half of it was put on; I could see that, for in the midst of her hysterics she was study- ing me with an eye as cold as a fish to see how I was taking it, and if she was stalling me any. She’s a born gambler, that Mrs. Kip, but she hasn’t learned when to bluff and when to lay. down her cards. She stuck to it that she’d gone to bed early, and her maid could prove it, and that ’twas the day before that she’d fallen on the rug and hurt her arm.” ‘“‘ And what did the maid say?” demand- ed Dennis. McCarty shrugged. ‘“ What would any girl say that had a soft berth and was afraid of losing it?’’ he retorted. ‘“‘ The mmute Mrs. Kip called her in I could see she had her story all fixed and ’twas a waste of time to even listen to it. When she’d left the room I - remarked to Mrs. Kip that I supposed her companion, Miss Frost, would corroborate it, and when she said yes, I asked her to write out the address in Chicago that Miss Frost had gone to.” ‘“ And what was the good of that when you knew all the time that Miss Frost no more in Chicago than we are? For answer McCarty pulled a folded slip of paper from his pocket. ‘To get a look at her handwriting.” Dennis’s eyes bulged. ‘Mac, you don’t think ’twas a woman?” ‘I’m no expert, and those seven words might have been written by a woman,” McCarty replied guardedly.. . And some man kept the appointment for her!” Dennis finished. “ Let’s have a look at that slip.” . McCarty passed it over and ‘his com- panion scrutinized it doubtfully. ‘It might be the same at that,” he said at last as he returned it. ‘ Especially if the writing at the bottom of Creveling’s ~ note was disguised a bit, as it likely was, seeing that not even an initial was signed to it. Did you get any answer to that ad- vertisement you put in the papers about Mrs. Kip’s fur neck-piece?”’ ‘Not up to yesterday afternoon when } called at the Bulletin office.” McCarty rose. ‘It’s half past five. Come and Ill have an early bite with you before you go back on duty, for no lunch did I have, and I’m going to drop in at. the O’Rourkes’ and come homeeafter to talk to Girard.” “The O’Rourkes, is it?” Dennis asked as he reached for his hat. “ "Ti high so- ciety you’re moving in these-days.” ‘N (C(O) nn (C(O) nn) (C 6)(0)©) KS