Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. him on the wire I told him there’d been nothing to it and I was all packed up ready to get the stuff downtown. I said I’d meet him Iater at Al’s but he said “ no,” to call him up at his own joint and he gave me the number, It was ali dark and I hadn’t another hand to flash the light, but I wrote the number down on the wall, like the dick says—6-0-9-0. I hooked up the receiver with the other hand just as I finished and then I heard something behind me and the electric lights burst out! ‘“*¢Me pencil broke in me hand, but I didn’t know it then! I whirled around and there stood the old guy, right between me and the door! I dunno what hit me then, but I’d been sniffing the snow to nerve me up to the job, and after all me bragging there I was pinched! I grabbed the billy out of me pocket and let him have it over head, but when he dropped I kind of come to. Then I seen I’d croaked him for fair and I beat it in a hurry, tearing me pants leg on the fence. I didn’t know that, though, till I got to Al’s. He sent me out to his sister’s dump in the sticks and it was there the dick found me. I never meant to croak the old guy, only put him to sleep. Before God, I never meant it and I see him in front of me all the time! I ain’t had a minute’s rest and all the snow in the world don’t drive the sight of him away! I’m glad it’s over!’ ” There was silence for a moment after Rex had finished reading and then Lucian Baynes asked: ‘How did you ever induce him to go to court with you when Monckton was arraigned?”’ ‘“‘T didn’t have to use much persuasion,” Cliff replied. “I saw to it that Pink-Eye Mike kept him charged up with all the dope he wanted, made him believe we were pals of Al, taking care of him, and that he hadn’t a chance in the world of ever being found out. He had never seen me and I reminded him it was night when he ran away from the farm, so the amateur detective who had gone there to smoke him out wouldn’t know him if he came face to face with him. He had the guilty man’s usual craving to see the suspect who was going to suffer in his place, the ‘snow’ had given him an ab- 925 normal sense of security and when I sug- gested that it would be a good joke to go to the hearing he couldn’t resist the tempta- tion.”’ “But how did you know the kid was going to be there? Somebody must have planned that coup on the part of the defense and you were all prepared to go on the stand.” Henry spoke in an aggrieved tone. “George and I sat there gasping like fish out of water!” “Grosvenor Hood and Lemuel Lazenby called on me at the hospital a few hours after Ethel had inquired about my con- dition, and told me the line they meant to take and that little Bessie would be pro, duced in court to tell her story, corroborat- ing my testimony on the stand. I knew, of course, that Ethel was at the bottom of it then, but I was worried about Joe till I got out of the hospital and Phil told me he had him safe and sound. It’s a good thing the police caught the Regnier woman just as she was preparing to leave the coun- try. She'll go up as Joe’s accomplice, or accessory before the fact even if they can’t fasten anything else on her. But they’ll never get her to confess; she isn’t that kind. Now, if Ethel—?” He got no further, for at that moment a key was inserted in the office door and Ethel herself walked in. She was pale and there was a rather sheepish air about her, but at the chorus of greeting she came slowly through the panelled opening into the coun- cil room and stood before them. ‘“‘T couldn’t come before,” she protested in answer to the volley of reproachful questioning. ‘I was sick, really, but I’m all right now.” : * Ethel!’ Rex Powell exclaimed. ‘ You weren’t hurt in the fight in that cellar, were you? Did a stray shot—” “Goodness, no!” She smiled. “TI wouldn’t let you have the laugh on me, though, by telling you what I’d got out of this last case! I suppose I’d better tell, though, just what I did do, and get it over. You’ve heard from Mr. Nichols where I’d been when you thought I’d gone to see my family?” “We never thought that for a minute, Ethel, but we wouldn’t contradict a lady.” COMIGD OO! S (©