Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

val 344 “ Have you been on every night this week?’ McCarty interrupted. “ 'Y-yes, sir!” ‘‘Is there any other public telephone- booth in the neighborhood?’’ ‘““None any place that keeps open all night.” The clerk seemed to be gathering his dazed faculties. “Do you hdve many calls from here be- tween midnight and early morning ?” The elerk shook his head. ‘Not unless somebody’s sick.”’ “‘ Did anybody come in here and use that phone last night?”’ “Certainly; a lot of people early in the evening, but after midnight ’—he paused and his eyes widened—‘“ no one came in here to phone after that until—until half past four in the morning.” “Who was that?” McCarty asked sharp- ly. ‘‘ Some one from the neighborhood that you know?” “It was Mr. Hildreth! I was surprised, for he looked very bad and I thought that he must be sick and have come in for some . medicine, but he said that he only wanted to use the phone. He went in the booth and closed the door and I didn’t hear what number he called, but it must have been a city one, for he was only in there a min- ute. When he came out he looked so pale that I thought he was going to keel over and I offered him a bracer—er—just a heart stimulant, of course. I fixed him up a dose with a dash of strychnine in it and it seemed to pull him together. He said he had been out of town on a business matter and traveling all night to get back; that his train should have been in at midnight, but was delayed and he had to phone to his partner at the earliest possible moment. It did strike me as funny that he hadn’t tele- phoned from the station if it was as impor- tant as all that, but I didn’t say so. I was kind of sleepy, and it wasn’t.any business of mine. He hurried off home and I set- tled down for a nap in my chair behind the cash-register.”’ “Did you see him again before he came _ In to-night?” “No.” The clerk hesitated. “J don’t know what you've got against the Hildreths and I’d hate to get them into any trouble, lows would find out, somehow! ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. for they’ve been good customers here and pleasant to deal with. I’d never believe a word against Mrs. Hildreth, anyway” “You said that she didn’t come in here often.”” McCarty eyed him quizzically. “When did you see her last?” There was a pause and then the clerk - replied with evident reluctance: “Karly this morning.” ** How early?” “IT suppose I’d better tell you; you fel- It was just before five, less than half an hour after her husband left. down for a nap; well, I was roused by the bell that rings whenever the door is opened and looked up to see Mrs. Hil- dreth come in. She’s always as neat as wax, but this morning she looked as though she had just thrown on her clothes every which way, and she seemed excited, too, about something. She asked in that soft, foreign voice of hers if she could use the telephone, and it must have been an out- of-town call this time, for she was in the booth nearly twenty minutes, and I heard money rattle in the slot two or three times. She thanked me when she came out, but didn’t try to explain about the call the way her husband had about his.” He paused and added: “ Ill tell you one thing I think, sir; whatever it was that happened to make her husband look more dead than alive it certainly put new life into her! She walked out of the store as theugh she was treading on air!”’ McCarty frowned thoughtfully. He had found confirmation of his suspicions from a totally unexpected quarter and one of the minor mysteries of the case was cleared up, but it led him no nearer to the truth; rather by its very nature it raised com- plexities which he had not hitherto con- - sidered. ‘We may want you,” he said at last. “What is your name?”’ “Willis Udell, and you'll find me here or in the flat over the shop any time you want me!” the clerk declared. ‘I’ve done noth- ing to be afraid of you fellows for, nor said a word I can’t stick to, but I hope you are mistaken about the Hildre - He shook his head lugubriously after COM G I told you I’d settled. AOOLK ? (CO wo