The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

VICKY VAN. “TI have often seen others, but I fancy they do not live in the house. Madam Julie superintends and directs us always. Miss Van Allen leaves much to her. She is most capable.”’ | ‘When did you see this woman, this Ju- lie, last?” ‘A short time before—before what hap- pened.” Luigi looked toward the body. ‘She was in and out of her pantries all the evening. She admitted the guests, she acted as ladies’ maid, and she arranged the favors in the pie. It was, I should say, ten minutes or so since she was last in the pan- try, when I peeped in at the door.” ‘Where was Julie then?” ““T don’t know. I did not see her. Perhaps up-stairs, or maybe in the front of the hall, waiting to bring me word to serve supper.” “Tell me something distinctivé about this maid’s appearance. Was she good- looking?” “Yes, a good-looking woman. But nothing especial about her. She had many gold fillings in her teeth—” ‘“ That’s something.”” Lowney noted it with satisfaction. ‘“‘ Go on.” But Luigi seemed to know nothing else that differentiated Julie from her sisters in service. : ‘“‘How could Miss Van Allen get that knife of yours?” Lowney asked. ‘“‘T don’t know, sir. It was, I suppose, in the pantry with our other utensils.” ‘What is its use?” “Tt is a boning-knife, but doubtless one of our men used it in cutting celery for salad, or some such purpose.” “‘ Ask them.” Inquiry showed that a man named Palma had used the knife for making a salad, and had left it in the butler’s pantry an hour or so before the crime was commit- ted. - Any one could have taken the knife without its being missed, as the salad had been completed and put aside. “In that case Miss Van Allen must have secured the knife some little time be- fore it was used, as Luigi was in the pantry just previously,” observed Fenn. “ That shows premeditation. It wasn’t done with a weapon picked up at the moment.” 15 ‘Then it couldn’t have been done by Miss Van Allen,” exclaimtd Mrs. Reeves triumphantly, “ for Vicky had no reason to premeditate killing a man she had never seen before.” “Vicky didn’t do it,” wailed Ariadne. ‘I know she didn’t.” ‘“She must be found,” said Lowney. ‘“‘ But she will be fownd. If she’s innocent, she will return herself. If guilty, we must find her. And we will. A householder cannot drop out of existence unnoticed by any one. Does she own this house?” ‘“‘T think so,’ said Mrs. Reeves. ‘“ I’m not positive, but it’s my impression that she does. Vicky Van never boasts or talks of her money or of herself. But I know she gives a good deal to charity and is always willing to subscribe to philanthropic causes. ““T tell you, she is not the criminal, and I don’t believe she ever left this house in the middle of the night in an evening dress! The child is scared to death and is hiding —in the attic or somewhere.” ‘‘ Suppose, Mrs. Reeves,” said the coro- ner, “‘ you go with Mr. Lowney and look over the house again. Search the bedrooms and storerooms.”’ “T will.” Mrs. Reeves seemed to welcome an op- portunity to help. She was a good-heart- ed woman and a stanch friend of Vicky Van. I was glad she was on hand to stand up for the girl, for I confess things looked, to me, pretty dubious. ‘““Come along, too, Mr. Calhoun,’ said Mrs. Reeves. “ There’s no telling what we may find. Perhaps there’s further—trag- edy.” I knew what was in her mind; that if Vicky had done the thing, she might in an agony of remorse have taken her own life. Thrilled with this new fear, I followed Lowney and Mrs. Reeves. We went down- stairs first. We examined all the basement rooms and the small, city back yard. There was no sign of Vicky Van or Julie. We came back to the first floor, hunted that, and went on up-stairs. The music-room was soon searched, and I fell back as the others went into Vicky’s bedroom. oO comicbooks CO