Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

134 “Well, he can’t hear this, anyway. I’ve made out my case, Henning, and I don’t fall for this bland, innocent stuff. Mary’s . 4n that closet in your damned den!” “How did she get there?” Thomas gasped. _ “ She was in there when I was here be- fore!’’ young Mr. Emerson hissed. “ That’s the one corner of your rotten establishment I didn’t poke into— and how you must have laughed when I was safely out of the way! The fool husband! Gone! Hah! Gone! 6¢ And—”? “And I’m going to drag her out, Hen- ning, and yow’re coming with me,” William stated in conclusion, and with an astonish- ing panting effect. ‘“‘ Come! D’ye hear! Come with me! I’ll have you both face to face with me and—come!”’ “Have no fear about my coming, Em- | erson,”’ Thomas. said contemptuously. “I’m not going to let a lunatic like you thrash around and smash my new stuff. Where is it you want to go? Into the den closet?” © You know devilish well where I want to go!’”’ Mr. Emerson rasped, as he led the way! . His shoulders hunched threateningly, he sped on. Looking at those shoulders, one knew instinctively that a murder was about to be committed, if not half a dozen mur- ders! feeling that was in William’s overwrought soul—yet as their owner turned suddenly in the doorway of the den he found that Thomas was only smiling at them! “'Where’s that light button?” he de- manded hoarsely. “ Almost under your left hand,’ smiled Thomas. ‘“‘ Hah!” snarled the husband; and then, after a moment’s pause, wherein he drew a whistling breath, he strode to the closet. ‘White to the lips, he laid a hand upon the knob and with great energy yanked open the door. And he stood face to face with one elec- tric vacuum cleaner, as yet not unwrapped. from its original paper. There was noth- ing else in Thomas’s den closet! Motionless, however, William stood, for Gone—nothing! I’m back, now!” — where! They cried aloud all the outraged. - ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the better part of ten seconds. The tense lines of his body relaxed slowly, then. ‘’ She—isn’t there!” he muttered. ‘“ No, and she isn’t anywhere else in this flat, and you’re going to make sure of that fact immediately!” Thomas said incisively. ‘“ Come with me and search the place again if that’s what you were doing so ingeniously before.” ‘* Per—er—perhaps—’’ tered bewilderedly. | “None of that!” Thomas snapped. “ You'll go through this flat and satisfy yourself that Mary isn’t concealed any- I assume that jealousy or work or something of the sort’s driven you raving crazy, Emerson, but you’re not going to inflict any more of it on me, be dead sure of that! ‘“]’ve had a hard day to-day, and I’m trying to lay off this evening and just read and rest and—there! There’s the dining- room again. Go through it! Open the sideboard drawers!” “Don’t be— absurd!” William said thickly. an “Tm not! I insist on it!” young Mr. Henning barked. ‘“ Patience is all right, and we’re old friends and all that, but I’m not going to have you galloping in and out of this flat all night looking for Mary! Are you satisfied that she isn’t under the rug? Good! Now for the bedroom again!” William mut- CHAPTER XXII. THE GOLDEN SLIPPER. E led the way, and if William lagged at first, his chin set doggedly after a few seconds, and silently, at the side of Thomas, he made his way through Thomas’s beautiful new home. they went, young Mr. Henning thought hard, even desperately—sinking so deeply, and eventually so pleasantly thoughts that he roused only when they re- ' turned to the living-room and the motion- less armor, to find William, white and rather exhausted, holding out a hand to him! “ |I beg your pardon, Tom!” he stam- mered. : => > And as into his GOMMGIOOKSHEO