Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? tor wants me to see as many of the Crevel- ings’ close friends as I can locate, and find out if they: have any idea why he would take his own life.”’ Mrs. O’Rourke drew a deep breath and her starry eyes widened. “I thought — that is, Mrs. Creveling’s message was to the effect: that he had been shot!’”’ Her tones vibrated through the stillness of the room. “I did not know that it was suicide. We—my husband and I—fancied that it was an accident of some kind. It did not occur to us—”’ Her voice trailed off into silence, and a faint wild-rose color appeared in the creamy whitenéss of her delicate face. “The medical examiner says that Mr. Creveling killed himself, but as a matter of form the inspector has to look into every possibility, ma’am, especially as up to now they’ve found no motive for suicide, and Mrs. Creveling won’t believe he did it him- self,” McCarty explained. “ Might I ask you what message she sent you?”’ ‘It did not come directly from her, but from a mutual friend of ours who has come to town to stay with her during her trouble.””. Mrs. O’Rourke hesitated. ‘ To a man it may sound horribly frivolous at such a time, but a woman would under- stand that the conventions must be ob- served. This friend merely stated the fact of Mr. Creveling’s sudden death and re- quested that I arrange about mourning for Mrs. Creveling. I was starting for the modiste’s when you came.” ‘Who is this mutual friend?” McCarty added as a quick thought flashed across his mind: “ Mrs. Douglas Waverly?” The lady nodded. ‘““My husband has gone to the house now to offer his services, and I would have accompanied him, of course, but Mrs. Waverly said that Mrs. Creveling was ut- terly prostrated and could not see me until later. It—it must be terrible for her!”’ McCarty regarded the exquisite, flower- like face opposite in contemplative silence for a moment. There had been a sugges- tion of horror in her hushed tones when she spoke of the tragedy, but only in that quick, almost involuntary exclamation had ren! feeling made itself manifest, and her 105 softly curving lips trembled for the first time. It was evident that her sympathy went out in generous abundance to the be- reaved wife, but what of her attitude to- ward the dead man whom she had called their friend? Beyond a well-bred air of almost perfunctory regret he could discern no trace of any emotion other than a sort . of shocked repugnance at the manner of his taking off. | “Mr. Creveling was an intimate friend of yours, ma’am?” McCarty asked. “Of my husband’s,” she replied quickly. “Of course, we were all in the same set, and met constantly at social affairs, but I naturally saw more of his wife. Mr. Crev- eling was essentially a—a man’s man; I mean that.his men friends would know more of his personal affairs than any of the women in his wife’s immediate circle.” McCarty eyed her warily. Was it pos- sible that there was a significance in her words other than that she had intended to convey? She had spoken of the women like herself, those in his wife’s circle; but what of other women? Could it be that unsavory rumors concerning the man now dead had reached even her ears? Under his steady scrutiny she began to fumble with her glove, and he noticed that her hands were little larger than those of a child. How tiny she was, and dainty, and Lord, how pretty! | Irrelevantly his thoughts flashed back to the long ago. ' There was no trace of the childish treble in her low, softly vibrating tones, no sug- gestion of the rosy, towsle-headed baby in ‘this well-poised woman with the colorless, brunette beauty of Ireland’s highest type, and yet somehow he saw again in her the little companion of far-off days. Her voice breaking the silence brought him back sharply to the problem of the moment. ‘“My husband will return at any min- ute, and if you wait for him I am sure he will give you any information in his power, but I am afraid he will be able to help you as little as I can. It seems almost incred- ible that this should have come to pass. Mr. Creveling had every thing to live for; a charming wife, money, friends, all that the world holds precious. It is very sad.” ECOMRRIC OG co ww