Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

232 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. he expected to return immediately. We all know how interruptions constantly occur.” ‘“‘ T’ve no doubt he did expect to return,” Ropes agreed. He felt that he could not tell Jacob Cushing’s cousin that he believed Cushing had carefully arranged what might have been a plausible alibi. ‘“ But how are we to account for the fact that this interruption, as you call it, eventually led Mr. Cushing down from Freehaven Hill to the water front?” Beddoes smiled. He was not to be non- plused by the questions of this amateur investigator. ‘‘ There may have been an entirely reasonable explanation for that, too. My cousin appears to have had a very friendly feeling for Miss Derby, one of his neighbors. She has said that she went out that evening. Suppose he had gone to his front door and had seen her pass by—she had a light, of course—what more natural than that he, having regard to the inclement weather—the dense fog, I mean—should have felt impelled to follow and see that she met no mishap?” That was a possible explanation; indeed, Ropes was ready to admit to himself that Jacob Cushing might have been interested in knowing what Anne Derby was about; but not one that explained why Cushing had gone to the boathouse. ‘‘ The nub of the whole business is,” in- terrupted Bullard, ‘““ why was Mr. Cushing found where he was?” ‘‘ Mr. Holroyd was there also that night,” said Beddoes. ‘‘ Why was he there?” ‘“‘T have told you Mr. Holroyd’s explana- tion,” the lawyer reminded Beddoes. The latter, sitting very straight, said im- passively: “‘ Mr. Holroyd seems to be a very ingenuous man. To accompany a total stranger—” ‘He had a very good reason for that,” interjected Ropes. ‘“ The stranger professed to be going to give him some information.” “Well,” said Beddoes coldly, “ it’s not my purpose to criticize any one. I leave all that to the proper authorities. I hope they will be able to throw some light on this most unfortunate affair.” “ They will do their best,” was Bullard’s cheery answer. ‘In the meantime I would suggest that you instruct your Boston at- torney to take the proper steps to settle up the Cushing estate.” “IT have already written to him about that,” said Beddoes. “It’s not my cousin’s property, however, but justice for this crime, that is my present concern. I can quite appreciate the difficulties you are en- countering, but we must not let such a das- tardly criminal escape—even if the criminal shot my cousin Jacob by mistake, suppos- ing him to be some one else.” The office door closed behind Beddoes, and Bullard swung round in his swivel chair and cocked his feet on the seat that gentleman had been occupying. “‘T dare say Mr. Cushing’s cousin is well thought of in Boston,” he said, ‘‘ but I wish he wouldn’t bring his high and mighty man- ners down here. After a talk with him [ feel like a school kid that’s been lectured by his teacher.” ‘““He’s pretty stuffy,’ agreed Ropes. ‘“And yet some people dote on his type; hard boiled and impervious to any new sug- gestions. I could see that he believed im- plicitly in his cousin’s straightforwardness and didn’t take much stock in Holroyd’s story.” “Well?” said the lawyer, cocking an eye at his caller. “Well, I found a broken flash light out- side a shuttered window at the back of Jackson’s boathouse. I think that Cushing dropped it when he was shot.” Ropes took the light from his pocket and laid it on Bullard’s desk. ‘“ Apparently you don’t believe implicitly in Mr. Cushing’s straightforwardness?” Ropes shrugged his shoulders. ‘‘ What do you think yourself?” ‘“*'Well—” Bullard opened a drawer of his desk and produced a small, morocco- bound memorandum book. “ This was found among Cushing’s papers. He’d jotted down a good many entries, apparently of payments, opposite initials and names. Here’s one of them: ‘ G. Clement, five hun- dred dollars.’ And there are a good many ‘G. C.’s’ on the other pages. Mr. Bed- does’s opinion is that these items represent money he gave to various dependents, that they were charitable gifts. I didn’t enlight- en him as to who ‘ G. Clement’ might be.” COMmiicloOokKks CO