Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

116 until the stock market closes and I’ve been just wid!” “The Crevelings are great friends of yours, ma’am?” “Of course! This is the most skocking thing!” She seemed to speak in italics and her tone suggested that the shock was more exciting than deplorable. “ Lonny—my husband—and Mr. Creveling have put through several deals together and they were great pals! I think Mrs. Creveling is just the sweetest thing; I’ve missed her horribly since she has been out of town! But did Mr. Creveling kill himself? Of course, you found the pistol in his hand, the paper says, but then there was that burglar you captured. I think it was too brave of you for anything!” McCarty eyed the doll-like face before him with its insipid prettiness and his won-— derment grew. ‘“ Sweet” was not a term he would have applied to the strong, self- contained Mrs. Creveling. What could there be in common between her and this shallow, empty-headed little creature? ‘““’Tis the opinion of the medical exam- iner that it was suicide, ma’am,” he said gravely. ‘“‘ We’re trying to find out from Mr. Creveling’s friends if they knew of any reason he could have for killing him- self; if he seemed in trouble or low in his mind. When was the last time you or your husband saw him?” “I think Lonny saw him only yesterday, on business. The last time we met him together was on Tuesday evening, and we expected him last night, but he didn’t appear.” ‘“‘ He had an engagement with you?”’ Mrs. Ford bit her pouting underlip and for the merest second the round, childish, blue eyes narrowed with a shrewdness oddly foreign and incongruous to them. “Not with us, and it wasn’t an—an en- gagement exactly. My husband and I dined and spent the evening with Mr. Cut- ter and they are such inseparable friends that we rather thought he might drop in.” A sudden remembrance of Douglas Wav- erly’s testimony flashed across McCarty’s mind. The last time he admitted having seen Creveling had been on Tuesday even- ing also, at the house of Nicholas Cutter. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Twas at Mr. Cutter’s that you! him on Tuesday, then, wasn’t it?” he < ‘““ Who else was there?” | “The O’Rourkes and Mr. Dogs Waverly and Mrs. Baillie Kip.” Mrs. } spoke haltingly and the high treble had Si ered. ‘‘ Mr. Creveling seemed in the Wim best of spirits; he always was when hé ‘When he what, ma’am?” McC prompted -quickly as ‘she paused. The blue eyes fell and she began fiddly nervously with the many rings which ered her small fingers. : ‘When he’d got something that he wag ed.”” The words came in a little rush. “ f had a perfect craze for antiques, you know musty old tapestries and faded rugs ame books that nobody ever heard of: This ting it was a rug, I think, with some queer WE pronounceable name. He’d been after, iii for months— a ““T see,” McCarty interrupted d “Do you remember, ma’ara, whether & and Mr. Waverly had much talk toge that night?” _ “Why, no!” The blue eyes opened wid ie once more. ‘I don’t remember that even spoke, but I wasn’t paying any attergm tion to them. I know Mr. Creveling leim early, very soon after Mr. Waverly came.iie “Ts it a habit of Mr. Cutter’s to enter “ so much in his own house?”’ Mrs. Ford stared at him and opened h lips to reply when there came the sound @ o a key grating in the lock of the hall doa e and with a glad little cry she sprang up an¢ rushed from the room. McCarty heard af door open and close, a muffled exclamationg “Qh, Lonny!” And then a man’s voices rasped out hoarsely: ““You’ve heard, Nellie? You know ‘ We're done for, girl! Done for!” , " > . e q 4 . b ° ° ° LO a og i dade. 5 oe re tat “Saag. . vO" de “aha «a . ees oi oo? 2 aur CHAPTER XVII. ILSA. > 2 S the significance of the harsh, despair- ing cry penetrated his mind, Mc-_ Carty half rose from his chair in the Ford’s gaudy drawing-room and then sank | back into it again, for the woman’s voice rose sharply. ecomrniclacclks COM