Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 13, 1923 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

—p eS ESS a St £ a> ee Sf oo THE LEDBURY FIST, and somehow we drifted apart. She was a good little kid in those days, and now I blame myself for not having kept more in touch with her.” To Jimmy’s consternation, Miss Bates’s mouth began to quiver and she hastily fum- bled for her handkerchief, “Don’t cry—don’t please! Somebody’ll think I’m ill treating you,” he implored. ‘“‘ No—it’s all right.” She took a few gulps of wine. “ Mr, Creigh, Alma Stern was my sister. When I ran into her here in London a few months ago, she told me she was the widow of an Italian nobleman who hadn’t left her any too well off. You know what the papers say?” Jimmy nodded. “ Well, she told me all about it. How she’d got mixed up with a set of rogues and one thing led to another, and finally to her impersonation of the Marchesa di Trevi. It was all done to trap that millionaire banker, Praga. They were going to black- mail him. Alma told me she was getting frightened, losing her nerve, and I begged hér to come and live with me and I would take care of her. She half-promised, and then she said, ‘If I did that, and my hus- band ever found me again, he’d kill me. I’m desperately afraid of him.’ ” “Was she married to Norwich?” Jimmy asked quickly. Miss Bates shook her scot “No, I’m sure she wasn’t married_to Bruce Norwich. I saw them together a great deal—they used to meet at my flat—and he was always beg- ging and imploring her to marry him, The funny part of it was, she was in love with him. I can’t understand it, but for some women he has a certain amount of fascina- tion.” “Ves,” said Jimmy, “ it would seem so.” He was thinking of Justina di Trevi and the undelivered letter. CHAPTER XV, JIMMY CREIGH IS INDIGNANT, OSSLYN BATES was silent for a mo- ment. Then she said, ‘ It was I who first told the police that Bruce Nor- wich might know something about my poor . Ae . “ . eg as Se ES, EL ee x 5AT sister’s death. I told them all I knew, and that’s why they are looking for him.” | “H-m,” said Jimmy, “but what led you to that rotten. little dope hole in Charpen Street? How did you know you might get news of Norwich there?” Miss Bates leaned toward him, her voice shaking. ‘“‘T had tea with my poor sister the after- noon before she was murdered. She was very upset about something, and cried a great deal. She said she wanted to get out of the dangerous position she was in, that Count Praga was not the sort of man who would allow himself to be blackmailed easily and they might all find themselves in prison. But she was caught in a net, she said. And then she added, ‘ Rosie, if any- thing should happen to me and you want to get into touch with Bruce, inquire at 62 Charpen Street. That’s where he has his letters sent.’ ” ‘* Didn’t you tell the police that?” “Yes. But they’re keeping away pur- posely. That is to say, the man who runs the news-shop, a horrid creature by the name of Blount, doesn’t know it’s being watched. He traffics a little in cocaine— filthy, adulterated stuff, I’m told—and for the moment he’s being let alone in the hope that Norwich will find it safe enough to in- quire for letters. So far, he hasn’t done so, { feel sure. I am working for the police, and I go two or three times a week ostensi- bly for cocaine. Now perhaps you'll tell me how you happened to get that address?” “Well,” said Jimmy, “I can only admit that it was given to me by a lady—some- body who once had a fancy for Norwich, I just strolled around on the off chance of running into him, Same as you. But there’s nothing in this private detective business if the police already know. I say ——you aren’t spoofing me, by any chance?”’ Rosslyn Bates’s eyes glittered. “T told you that Alma Stern was my sis- ter,” she said. ‘‘ Do you imagine I would wish to shield a man who murdered her?” “No, I don’t suppose you would. I wonder how my friend, Ardell, comes into it?” he added. * Ardell?” Her interest quickened. “ He was at the house that night, wasn’t he? But comicbook