Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

926 Then Mr. Hamersley spoke to the chauf- feur, but she couldn’t catch what he said, and the automobile rolled away. Asked if she had seen this man since, Mrs. Toohey replied with an emphatic negative. If by that was meant the poor creature she’d been made to look at in the morgue that morning, it wasn’t him at all, and nothing like him, barring that he was short and dark complected. Cross-examination by Mr. Rowe served to emphasize the gentleman’s worried look when he followed from the church, and Mr. Hamersley’s ‘‘ friendly’ greeting of him but sad expression after they’d spoken to- gether, and the fact of the bride’s nod at some question from the groom. She was quite positive about the bride’s sorrowful look, too, as if they’d heard some bad news. The last remark, freely volunteered, sat- isfied the attorney, and he seated himself with a bland smile as Policeman Peter EI- lis was sworn. Claudia gazed wonderingly at Uncle Matt. Why had he ignored the reference to the morgue and the dead man there, and asked no questions of either witness con- cerning him? She saw the point which the district attorney was endeavoring to bring out, and could realize before this policeman spoke what must be coming. Was Uncle Matt going to allow the prosecution to prove that its dead witness had been the man at the church? Officer Ellis testified that he had been patrolling his beat during the wind storm on the morning of the previous day, when up near the bridge a laborer shouted that there was a floater in the water. He had rung up an ambulance and then superin- tended getting the body out of the river. The man wasn’t over five foot five, and couldn’t have weighed more than a hun- dred and thirty or so in life, he said. He was dark, with black hair and eyes, and a flat nose; might have been taken for a hunkie or one of them foreigners, only he was dressed up like a swell, with a real diamond in his tie. He had the littlest hands that Officer Ellis had ever seen on a man, and they didn’t look as if they’d ever done a stroke of work. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. At this juncture the district attorney abruptly turned him over to the defense, but the latter, it appeared, still failed to take any interest in this line of evidence and the witness was permitted to leave the stand without a question. A subdued murmur of surprise broke out among the spectators and Claudia’s quick glance at the jury showed that many of them shared her own secret amazement. But the next name bawled out by the clerk of the court sent her thoughts quickly into another channel. “ Dr, Van Tuyl.” Her own physician! But he knew noth- ing about Zorn. Was he to be questioned about that day when Annie had summoned him hastily to the house—the day of Niles’s death? Her eyes blurred as the familiar figure of the old family doctor mounted to the stand and the kindly voice she had known since childhood took the oath. Was he avoiding her gaze? He kept his eyes resolutely fastened on the district attorney and await- ed the first question with simple, natural dignity. ‘““Were you present at the wedding of Niles Hamersley and Claudia Langham?” cé Ves.” ‘Have you made a professional call at Mrs. Hamersley’s home since that event?” “Yes. On the afternoon of the follow- ing day.” “Who sent for you?” “The maid, Annie Booth. I was out on a visit, but when I returned my resident nurse informed me she had _ telephoned, speaking for Mrs. Hamersley; Mr. Ham- ersley had met with a serious accident and I was requested to come immediately.” Dr. Van Tuyl spoke very slowly, as though giv- ing each word due consideration. ‘“At what time did you receive this mes- sage, doctor?” “At a little after six. I recall it dis- tinctly, because I had been delayed on a serious case and was late for my office hours. A number of patients were waiting for me, but on receiving that message I turned them over to my assistant and hur- ried to Mrs. Hamersley’s home.” ‘Who admitted you?” COMiclooe (© im