Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? her husband’s hesitancy and change of front. What did she know or suspect? Mc- Carty had had his own reasons for disclaim- ing any official connection with the investi- * gation as well as for the assumption of un- questioning belief in the medical examiner’s diagnosis, but had Lady Peggy’s womanly intuition warned her of its fallacy or was there something more ,tangible in her mind and that of the O’Rourke, some doubt or suspicion which she was surprised to find that her husband shared? His mind busied with vain conjecture, McCarty passed the Creveling house and continued south to Sixty-third Street, where he turned east to the address given him as that of Mrs. Baillie Kip. Jimmie Ballard’s description of her as an unsuccessful social climber and the mystery of her recent ad- mission to the exclusive circle in which the Crevelings had moved, made him curious not only as to her personality, but to ob- serve her reaction to the news of the trag- edy. She could not be on as intimate terms with the Crevelings as friends of years’ standing, but would she, too, scout the sug- gestion of suicide? Her house was small,.a mere slice be- tween two larger ones, but gay with window boxes ablaze with color. An express-wagon was drawn up at the curb before it, and as McCarty reached the foot of the steps the door opened and a man appeared bearing upon his hunched back a huge, dark-green trunk plentifully splattered with labels. With a grunt he slammed it down upon the sidewalk and turned to unhook the back-board of the wagon and the tag fast- ened to the single handle at its top was. directly beneath McCarty’s eyes. In-a glance he read the inscription written neat- ly in small, but wavering characters: MISS LETITIA FROST, Hotel Fitz-Maurice, New York City. The front door was still open and a trim little maid in a smartly frilled apron re- garded him curiously as he mounted the steps. On a sudden impulse he asked for Miss Frost. 109 ‘““She’s gone, sir. Went suddenly just this morning,” the girl volunteered. ‘“ She’s taken her dog with her, too, so if you’re the man from the Greendale Kennels come to see about boarding it—”’ “Il am not,” McCarty interrupted with dignity. ‘If Miss Frost is not here I would like to see Mrs. Kip. Please tell her it is a matter of the greatest importance.” The girl hesitated, then somewhat. doubt- fully ushered him into a small reception- room glittering with mirrors and spindle- legged gilt furniture and heady with per- fume from the silken cushions heaped in every available space. McCarty sniffed, choked, tried a chair which creaked alarmingly and finally plant-. ed himself in the center of the room facing the doorway, and waited. He heard an indistinguishable murmur of feminine voices from above, the girl’s and another, high-pitched and petulant. Then came a pause, the rustle of silk upon the stairs and a plump, young woman with hennaed hair and heavy-lidded hazel eyes stood before him. Her right arm was in a sling and her face drawn as with pain. “Iam Mrs. Kip. You wished to see me?” — “Yes, ma’am. I won’t keep you but a moment.”’ He added: Mrs, Engene Creveling’s house—”’ “Oh!” The lady flung out her free hand. “If you are a reporter I have posi- tively nothing to say!: I know the Crevel- ings, of course, and I am deeply shocked to learn of what has happened, but I do not care to discuss it.”’ “You mean Mr. Creveling’s death, ma’am? How did you hear of it?” Mc- Carty asked quickly. ‘“’Tis not in the papers yet.” ‘T was awakened this morning by a mes- sage which was brought to me—but I really have no more to say!” She turned toward the door and as the light fell upon her face he saw that there were deep rings about her eyes and the rouge, in spite of the artis- try of its application, stood out in blotches against the unnatural pallor of her cheeks. “ At what time did this message reach your” McCarty stood his ground. _“ About nine o’clock, I think. I had re- “T’ve come from COUMIUC AOO!K co ww