Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

(HE POINT OF THE NEEDLE. 961 University buildings, and Professor Goldie’s- “Then you will please remember J take wife, as usual calm, competent and with the no claims to my ability as a detective,” be Jook of one about to take charge of the gave in grudgingly. meeting whatever the purpose. He stopped and with knowledge of how “ Sorry, Professor Goldie,” apologetically to handle rigor mortis he extracted from smiled Chief Quigg, “ but we’ve.got to call the clenched fist of the dead man the shred on you for help again. Here is a man of white cloth it had clutched. Without found murdered on your own campus. even a glance at it he handed it to his Killed with a blow of some blunt weapon on wife. . the head. We don’t know who the victim “I’m very poor at such deductions,” he is. All identifying papers and objects said with injury still in his tone at being taken. Pockets tumed inside out. Robbery taken away from his beloved ants. “ What apparently, The only clews are this pro- would you say this piece of cloth is?” gram of the Meig’s City symphony concert She turned ,it over in her hand. “ Part last Tuesday—and.this—” of the neckband of a soft shirt, the kind From the clenched and rigid fingers of with collar attached. Torn off the assailant the right hand of the victim protruded the in the struggle, I should say. Yes, here is edge of a shred of tor cloth. part of the manufacturer's label.” - “We had the ushers of the symphony “ Yes,” nodded Chief Quigg. “I took a concert up here to see if any of them re- look at that label. I wish people wouldn’t cognize the man or the suit,” went on the all wear the ‘ Fittem’ shirts. They sell police official, ‘‘ Nothing there. We them in every store in the land almost and searched the campus for clews. Nothing that makes them worthless as clews. And but trampled grass as of a struggle at the it’s clear the murdered man for some place the body was found. We sent out a reason—or it may have been the murderer still alarm for missing persons. No reply. who did it—has removed carefully all So we have to fall back on you, the man known means of tracing anything from his who has helped us out so splendidly in the clothes. I’ve been all over them. But I'm past.” hoping you'll have better—I was going to Professor Goldie had been fidgeting with say luck, but I know it’s more than that, his glasses. professor. And Mrs. Goldie!” he added, “ I don’t see why I should be taken from quickly remembering her prominent share my work to attempt something for which in past exploits of the kind. I am not in the least fitted,” he protested. " No, ‘ luck’ would hardly be the word,” “ Just because I have been of some assist- grumbled Professor Goldie, picking up the ance to my wife in analyzing two previous shred of tor cloth and carefully spearing murders is no reason why I should be con- it with the point of a pin he always carried sidered an authority.” behind his lapel. ‘I would consider it “Harry!” His wife assumed charge of luck to be freed of the necessity of investi- the meeting now. ‘As things stand we gating data outside of my province—” know that one can walk out on the campus Even as he grumbled he walked out of after dark with a fair possibility of being the room, carrying the bit of cloth still murdered. I, for one, shall risk no such speared on its pin. His wife followed him, thing until this murder is solved.” a glance from her telling the others to Professor Goldie’s gently bristling crest leave the little professor to her. began to droop as soon as his wife started Across the campus he walked abstract- to speak. It was partly habit, partly wis- edly, the bit of white cloth looking ridicu- dom in following what he himself called ously like some tiny banner as it fluttered “the better head in the family.” In any- on its pin in his hand. Into the inclosed thing concerning the practical aspects of little sun porch of his cottage he went, life he was as proud of her mind as she was_ where his laboratory was cluttered up with of his in whatever had to do with the boxed-in ant-hills of ssyrmica rubra. physical sciences. Resentment still lingering in the pucker COMmica@oo SS Co