Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

__witheringly. OS die me to ease him down on “the bench—” «“ Seems to me I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Geoft’s mild eyes glanced once more spec- ulatively at the prostrate, motionless figure as he relieved her of the old butler’s limp weight. “ Course ’tain’t my business, but if you _ask me seems to me I’d stay away from that bench and everything round it, and keep other folks away, too, till the doo gits here. Kinder think I’d put Henry on that stone seat over there instead.” “Why?” Letty’s sharp tones were hushed as she helped to lead Carp’s totter- ing steps in the direction indicated. “ Footprints.” The workman spoke in as matter-of-fact a manner as though he were discussing a detail in masonry. “ Doc Hood’s med’cal examiner—used to be called ‘ coroner’ when Sunny Beach was just Miller’s Cove and outside the city lim- its—and he’s mighty partic’lar about foot- prints in this kind of a accident.” “* This kind ’!”’ Letty repeated, horror- stricken, and for once in her capable ex- istence she was ata loss. “‘ How’ll I keep Mrs, Cayley and the rest from crowdin’ round soon’s I wake ’em and tell ’em that— that somethin’s happened to Mr. Benkard?”’ “ You go git me a piece o’ rope,” Geoff suggested. ‘‘ There’s some out by the con- crete mixer.” When she had flown out to the terrace Geoff strolled at a discreet distance about the bench and the body lying before it, and then his glance roved around the patio, but every marble seat and flower urn was in its place, with no trace in the sand to indi- cate that any of them had been disturbed; the circular fountain bed still awaiting the statue which was to crown it was dry and empty, and through the center of the glass dome overhead the slender flagpole could be discerned, the gilded eagle at its top gleam- ing in the sun. Geoff shook his head slowly and his gaze _ traveled up the marble staircase and around _ the stucco balcony, with its ornamental rail- Re pow here and there, each sur- sees ve pee Behind ig lay the members 0 unaware of the t en them in the 3 shrugged; he was AS uP enlighten them, a passel women! He prided himself on m own affairs, did Geoffrey Pet there to complete the concrete a terrace and he didn’t aim to any to-do about what Joseph Benkard! “ This is all I could find.” Le tty peared from the terrace, “* We n might some of that riggin’ that runs dov wn the dome and-fastens under the bale so’s the flag can be h’isted and 1 ~~ from inside, se there isn’t any k long a se ‘“We can make out with this.” “it er Geoff took from her the coil of plas smeared rope, and tying one end of it te hinge of the glass door, he passed re i several of the urns and stone seats and ba to the other side of the half- opened di once more so that it formed a rude ser circlé several feet distant from about th bench. There he fastened it ee ducked beneath it and paused on the th old. ‘ Better tell your folks to keep outa that till the doc comes. I’m goin’ to ce Mis’ Cayley can find me on the job if sh needs me.” | = He slouched out on the terrace and d appeared, and Letty, after one pele glance at Carp’s limp figure, ae flew up the stairs. : eg She knocked add er T¢ “Mrs. Cayley!” wit ha sharp insistence at one of the doors lez on to the gallery. Again she ‘Oh, Mrs. Cayley, ma’am!” There was a sound of movement y and a portly figure in negligée, with tra hair in a disheveled but permanent coiffure, opened the door. | “ Why have you disturbed a she demanded in cold | “ Haven't I told you—” “ Oh, ma’am!” Letty w lar hands. ‘ Something terr’t pened! It must have been sc the night, for eee Ca p on Ps 3 ae cn OCE c€ 9 fas -—s SS * coor