Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

HOW MANY CARDS? “My own hands were tied by the lack of information which was wilfully withheld from me!” he asserted hastily. ‘ But upon whom has Inspector Druet fastened his eye as a possible suspect in this case?”’ ‘He'll probably tell you himself, sir, if you ask him,”’ McCarty responded eva- sively. ‘“ Since you’ve come to me, may I ask what evidence you've got aguinst George Alexander?”’ ‘“ Absolutely conclusive evidence, dear McCarty! Motive, method, the means itself and the confirma- tion of his subsequent mental reaction as betrayed by his attitude.” ‘“‘ Everything but the proof!” murmured Dennis irrepressibly, but Terhune paid no attention to the remark. * If you will both come to my rooms to- morrow evening at eight o’clock—or rather this evening, for it nearly dawn—you will learn all the details and unless I am very much mistaken you will hear an interesting confession. I have arranged a little experi- ment—”’ “Tm sorry, sir,” Dennis interrupted firm- ly. “If ’tis going to be anything like the last one you kindly invited me to, you'll have to excuse me. I’m not rightfully con- cerned with this case anyway, being dragged into it by Mac, here, just to keep him com- pany, and I was not the same man for weeks after you made me sit in the dark and listen to the details of that murder all over again!”’ ‘“* We'll both be there, sir!’” McCarty de- clared. “If Mr. Alexander confesses I wouldn’t miss being there for the world, and all! I suppose I may just as well lay off for the day and get some sleep?” Terhune smiled patronizingly as he rose. “You are skeptical as usual, McCarty, I see. By all means pursue your own line of investigation whatever it may be, if it amuses you, but you may take my word for it that you are wasting your time. I will leave you now, for I have many prepara- tions to make. ” | “One minute, sir.” McCarty hesitated. “Would you answer me one question that ’1l maybe sound foolish to you, but that’s been sticking in my crop for some time, never- theless? You're speaking of the years of f my *e opportunity, | ancient game called ‘ Pope Joan’ a49 study you’ve had put me in mind of it that I’ve been intending to ask somebody who might know about such things.” “ Certainly, my dear McCarty! I am only too glad to help you to improve your- self.” “Well, when you’ve come here on a serious matter like a murder case it seems a silly thing to talk about, but could you tell me, sir, if playing-cards have any mean- “ Of course,” Terhune responded, amused. ‘* From the ancient necromancers down through the centuries they have each possessed an especial significance of one sort or another to the gullible, but it is too lengthy a subject to go into now. Is there any particular card you have in mind at present?” “Yes, sir. The nine of diamonds.” ‘“‘ Ah, that is another matter!” The in- terest quickened in Terhune’s tone. “ That card has a definite place in history. The Curse of Scotland.” “The curse of—what, sir?” McCarty exclaimed. ‘That is the term which has been ap- plied to the nine of diamonds for several centuries and there are various explanations for it, but it is not definitely known from what source it was originally derived.” Terhune warmed to his subject. “In one it is the ‘pope’ and therefore the symbol of Anti- christ; in another, ‘ comette,’ it was the chief card. Comette is a game with terrific odds which was played for tremendously high stakes and ruined many of the best families in Scotland when it was in vogue there.”’ | “Td like to know how ’tis played,” ob- served Dennis wistfully. ‘“ Any game that could separate a Scotchman from his money ought to make a clean-up among the Irish!” ‘‘ But has the nine of diamonds no other meaning, then?”’ asked McCarty in vast disappointment. “Oh, yes,”” Terhune reassured him. a curse, it is supposed to go back to the nine lozenges on the Dalrymple arms, as the Earl of Stair was responsible for the mas- sacre of Glencoe, but the most probable tra- dition concerning the origin of the sinister é¢ As , EOMRIC OG COlini