Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 165: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? “ Thanks, sir.’ McCarty picked up the nine of diamonds from the desk. “If you don’t mind I'll be taking this along, and, by the way, if you run across Mr. Douglas Waverly, take a look at his cigarette-case; twill be worth your while.” The inspector_started slightly. “You don’t mean—see here, Mac, has that observation of yours anything to do with the cigarettes that we found on the supper-table and that piece of a broken amber holder?” “Not that I know of, | sir, but ’tis thin and shaped like this playing-card here and there are nine diamonds stuck in it; nine real diamonds arranged just like the spots on this card.” This time ahapector Druet’s laughter was frank and hearty. “You've still got your eyes out for some- thing dramatic, haven’t you? We're not living in dime novel times, Mac, and that card doesn’t mean anything. It might have been lying on the floor there in the study for days; you saw yourself that the house hasn’t been kept any too orderly since Mrs. Creveling has been away. Hill may have noticed it spattered with blood after he killed Creveling and slipped it under the table-cover without thinking; a man is usu- ally dazed after a crisis like that and apt to do a lot of meaningless things in a mechanical sort of way as the records of the department show. You'll find there’s some such simple explanation of it, and as for Waverly’s cigarette-case—I suppose it’s no use to talk to you, though.. You'll be see- ing nines of diamonds wherever you look until Hill goes to trial!” ~~ McCarty’s expression did not change as he slipped the-card into his pocket once more. “ I'd like to see the rest of the pack this came from,” he vouchsafed imperturbably. <¢ Denny and I'll be getting on, then, sir. Yow'll hear from me if anything turns up.” The ride back up-town to McCarty’s rooms was a long and tedious one, and the conversation between the two friends of a merely desultory nature, for Dennis was frankly sleepy and McCarty felt the reaction from the excitement of the chase. An Wnusual depression overshadowed his ~ 347 natural buoyancy of spirit and he was too fatigued mentally and physically to com- bat it. The escape of the girl, Ilsa, from beneath his very hands had been bad enough, but the stand the inspector had taken in the case added tenfold to the difficulties before him and he could see no way out. Not for a moment would he accept the theory of Hill’s guilt, despite the circumstantial evi- dence against him; slowly and almost with- out conscious reasoning an idea had been forming in his mind ever since he stood be- side that disordered supper-table and noth- ing he had learned since had tended to eradicate it. Now with little added in sup- port of it, it was gradually strengthening into conviction, albeit a vague and still ob- scure one. “Tl go on back to the dormitory at the fire-house,” Dennis announced as they left the car at last. ‘ "Tis too late to be break- ing into my room at Mbolly’s, for that youngster of hers sleeps with both the ears of him wide open for fear he'll miss some- thing and he’d scream fit to wake the dead. I’m on duty from nine to six again to-mor- row and then off for twenty-four hours, so you'll find me if you want me.” “Come on up to my rooms instead,” McCarty invited. “ ’Tis after three o’clock and you'll get little enough sleep as it is— by the sainted powers! There’s a light in my windows! Thieves!” He had halted in astonishment, but now he broke into a run and, with Dennis at his heels, sped to his own stoop. The entrance door stood wide, and still swiftly, but with a measure of caution, they stole up the Stairs. -There was no key in the door lead- ing to McCarty’s living-room, but it stood ajar and at the sight which met their gaze through the aperture McCarty halted again, this time in wordless indignation. Wade Terhune’s long, attenuated figure lay stretched out comfortably in the best armchair with a tattered dream book open and lying face downv-ard across his knee and a sizeable heap of cigarette-ashes in a china tray upon the table beside him. While — they stared, a delicate snore broke the silence and McCarty’s face purpled. That china tray had been his mother’s; COUMIUC AOOLK (CO ww