The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

WIZARD OR CROOK. water in the endeavor to trace up her whereabouts, were using every effort to avoid publicity. Even among the police only Mc- Connell himself and one or two of his most trusted lieutenants were in pos- session of the actual details; yet this amazing stranger referred to ‘the affair as casually as though it were a matter of common newspaper knowl- edge. “So, you know about that, too?” stammered the now thoroughly dis- comfited official. E. Bolingbroke Ramsdell merely nodded in a bored sort of way, as though there were nothing especially remarkable in the fact. ““Maybe, then ’’—a shrewd gleam ‘ flashed into McConnell’s. heavy-lid- ded eyes—“ you can tell where the girl is?” “ Maybe I could find out,” rejoined the other significantly, “‘if—I was at- tached to the detective bureau.” a How? ” | Ramsdell wagged his head. “That is my secret, commissioner. But,” he added, “ I think I can deliver the goods. In fact, I am very well satisfied that I can clear up the mys- tery not only in regard to Miss Vor- hees, but also with respect to the Poe Bible. “You know,” removing his glasses and showing a pair of pale, expression- less eyes, “Charlie, the messenger, told you I had a way of getting what I wanted.” “ Humph!” sniffed McConnell. “I suppose there’s no use asking how you persuaded that rascal to bring in your card, eh?” “Well, I don’t know.” The other considered. ‘“‘ It must be in confidence, though. Promise me that you won't give Charlie the worst of it on my account.” “ All right, then,” as the commis- sioner gave somewhat eager assent. “Tt was simple enough. I happened to learn that Charlie was guilty of some technical violations of the rules, 197 and gave him the choice between bringing in my card and having them reported.” “But how did you learn of these infractions of Charlie’s? The men generally manage to keep those things pretty dark.” “Ah,” said-Ramsdell, with an apolo- getic smile, “ believe me, I know quite a little about the inside workings of the police department. Just how I know, though, is another of my little secrets.” CHAPTER III. THE BARGAIN. McCoNnNELL, taken by surprise with the series of unexpected jolts given him by his visitor, had rather lost con- trol of himself for the moment, but now he rapidly caught his faculties to- gether. With a decided increase of respect in his manner toward the other, he passed over a box of long, black cigars to Ramsdell and selected one for himself. “JT think, Mr. Ramsdell,’ he said thoughtfully between puffs, “ that maybe you and I can’do some business. Just what is the nature of the proposi- tion you want to make to me? ” “A sort of mutual benefit associa- tion, Mr. Commissioner,” responded Ramsdell with a diffident smile. ‘“ You —as I understand it—are out to make a record for yourself in your new po- sition, while I frankly confess that I am after nothing but money. There are big rewards offered constantly for the clearing up of crimes and mys- teries, and, without being officially at- tached to the department, I want all such cases turned over to me, and the rewards paid into my hands on their satisfactory solution. In other words, you can take the glory and I will take the coin. Doesn’t that strike you as a fair deal, in view of the fact that I guarantee you success in every in- stance ?”’ “You Mc- guarantee success?” CoOMmicbook CO