Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

15s Pendleton became silent, and Brent did not reopen the conversation. He was in no mood for talking to the man. Headquar- ters was reached quickly. The prosecutor and Brent entered to-— gether, but the latter turned aside at the foot of the stairs. ‘“Oh,. doctor,” the desk man called to him, “I was trying to get you on the phone, too. You're wanted up in the de- tective bureau.” Brent nodded. Something was surely stirring whem Pendleton amd he were in such urgent demand. The prosecutor had entered the office of the chief of the de- tective bureau before Brent started up- stairs. | : When the doctor opened the door he found Bradley, the head of the bureau, the finger-print man, and Collins were there besides the prosecutor. They were silent as Brent closed the door behind him; then Pendleton said: “ Doctor, we’ve found the finger-prints ef a man on that loose brick. They’re too old to use for identification, but we found the same kind of marks on the table around the corner where you showed me the bloed-staim and the gray hairs.” Pendleton paused. Then he announced: ‘That makes it look as if it was a murder.” cess CHAPTER VIII. THE THIRD DEGREE. N the middle of the forenoon Policeman Collins came down-stairs. and went over to where Madden was wielding his mop. “ Put that junk away,” said the officer, “and come with me.” 3 Madden leaned the mop against the wall, | got rid of his chew, and shuffled after the policeman, who had started back toward the stairs. Madden wondered what it was all about. Collins started up-stairs. That meant something new. In all the times. Shufflin’ Joe’ had hereto- fore been in police stations, those superior powers up-stairs had never deemed him worthy of attention. Madden was too: ob- viously just a shiftless, good-natured son .of rest to. be of interest to such busy gentlemen as. department sleuths. He was climbing the stairs. It was a novel ex- perience. Then it suddenly occurred to him that all this had something to do with Genroe. — Shuffiin’ Joe found himself in a room with the two: men he had seen ascend the - stairs. a few minutes before, a man in shirt- sleeves with an identifying gold. badge fastened to his suspenders. and visible through the armhole of his vest. This was Bradley. Simms, the finger-print man, had leit. The others were seated. “Put out a chair for him, Collins,” in- structed the captaim of detectives. The policeman placed a chair so that whoever sat in it would be close to the captain and facing him. Behind the captain sat Pen- dleton and Brent. — As the captain gestured Madden to sit down, Collins went over and stood by the door. ‘“‘Where’s the yegg you came to town with?” demanded the captain. “ Don’t. know,” mumbled Shufflin’ Joe, shrugging his shoulders. The captain’s random shot had struck home. It wasn’t until Madden had an- swered that it eccurred to him to wonder how the captain knew he had been traveling with any one. “ Don’t le te me.” ‘“T ain’t lyin’,” replied Madden. ““ What did you do, when you hit town?” Madden writhed uncomfortably. He was realizing how lucky he had been never to have gone “up-stairs” before. He was afraid he would say something that would look bad for»Genroe. “Come on. Talk!” commanded the captain. “ What did you do?” ‘““Bummed the eats.” ‘Then you didn’t stick together,” re- marked the captain, knowing the panhan-— dler’s. way. cc No.” do. He would say he hadn’t seen Genroe after that. ‘“ What luck did you have?” ‘Got a sit-down.” “Flow about your partner?”’ ~ “ Shufflin’ Joe almost answered ‘ Hand. NOOK Madden knew what he would — C@