Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 2, 1922 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

vist | # er IN - 606 lips she raised to him, a whistle blew, a bell began to ring. And the Queen of Italy started slowly for the open sea. CHAPTER XXXVI. FLIGHT INTO FAIRYLAND. AT SILVERS had hardly begun to kick violently upon the door of the little office in which he was locked, when he was assailed by calmer second thought, and he stopped. “ What a damned fool I am,” he cried. “{T must have a duplicate key in my desk! Is the keyhole clear?” Charlie stooped with dignity to ascer- tain. “Yes,” he reported hopefully. Thereupon Silvers crossed hastily to his desk, unlocked it, and rummaged through the small drawer devoted to his collection of keys. His search was speedily rewarded. There was another key to the office door, and it fitted the lock to a nicety. Since both lock and key were new, this was noth- ing short of a miracle. The disappointing part of the proceedings was that it did not unlock the door at once. Both Silvers and Charlie became hot and impatient over the struggle before the trick was finally turned and they found themselves free again. Outside, nobody appeared to have missed them. Waiters were scurrying about at- tending to the patrons’ numerous wants; the band was playing; dancers whirled about the floor; men and women laughed and chattered and smoked. From the doorway to the supper rooms they surveyed the assemblage, but caught no glimpse of Garry, or Katherine, or Field- ing or Joan. “ Unless I miss my guess,” growled Sil- vers, “ they’ve gone—and left me to notify the police and explain!” “ But they can’t hide the girl away so that she can’t be traced—not if she’s guilty,” declared Charlie. “ She’s too well known! Why, her photographs have been published in every magazine and newspaper in the country that prints photographs! That’s one thing that can’t be done! No- body can disappear!” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, “ Hell,” growled Silvers, “ thousands of girls disappear in this country every year, and are never traced nor accounted for! And this Garry fellow has got brains! And a damned good start on the police!” “ Well—what shall we do now?” asked Charlie. “Tt don’t suppose it’s any use trying to catch them,” muttered Silvers. “ They made their get-away —-and they made it clean! They’re not going home to wait for us to come after them or send the bulls! They’re going to make tracks for cover! I can figure tat out! Nobody in this town is going to see or hear from Carpenter or the Kendall girl for many a long day. No, I guess the wisest thing I can do now is— send for the police!” ‘All right, then,” said Charlie. “I'll go back on the floor!” Silvers returned to his office. He sat down at his desk, opposite the picture of his wife and baby, and regarding them with melancholy eyes, called the central office. “ Hello,” be said when he was finally connected. ‘“ Central office?”’ “ Yes,” said the voice at the other end. “Well, this is Nat Silvers talking—at the King of Clubs.” “Yes,” said the voice on the wire; “ any- thing wrong there?” “Yes,” said Nat. “Send a man up— but you’d better send one with a lot of common sense and good judgment. I’ve got the place full of patrons and I don’t want a panic.” ““ All right,” said the voice from head- quarters. “ But what’s it all about?” “* Murder!” answered Silvers. He heard the voice repeat the word and whistle and hang up the receiver with a bang; and he hung up /is receiver, and leaned back, gloomily, fumbling for a cigar. When he found one to his liking, he bit off the end viciously. And he went on chewing it while he waited. A man’s point of view will alter with cir- cumstances. It is well known that a pe- destrian cursing the driver of a motor car that almost runs him down, will undergo an amazing change of viewpoint if he finds himself at the wheel of a car from which some other pedestrian is compelled to flee. Gomichbooks.com a "7. a on = —s ~~