Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 2 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

CIRCUMSTANCES. “don’t make the mistake of lying. We’ve lined up your partner for that murder in Maple Street, and if you don’t come clean we'll get you, too.” ‘“T’m tellin’ the truth, cap’n!”” Madden insisted feverishly. ‘I didn’t see him after we split to bum. the eats—and I found the twenty—I found it, cap nr The captain had risen. along, Collins,” he said. Prosecutor, doctor?” . It was all pretty much of a blur to Mad- den as he was marched out of police head- quarters, along the street, and into an un- dertaker’s establishment. But things came into focus again when Captain Brauley said: ‘Madden, a man was killed in the rail- road yards early Friday morning. We think it was your partner. You're going to have a chance to identify the body.” The captain half led, half pushed Mad- den into the rear room of the undertaker’s establishment, with Collins’ at the other arm. Pendleton and Brent followed. Shufflin’ Joe looked at the dead man. He saw at the first glance that it wasn’t Bob Genroe. Maybe the cops had enough evidence to put the murder on Genroe, but since they thought this might be fini it was a cinch they hadn’t picked him up. Genroe had given him twenty dollars—the twenty was gone, now, but Shufflin’ Joe was grateful. And here was his chance to make good, and help Genroe to a clean get- away. ‘Ts it your partner?” asked the captain. Shufflin’ Joe nodded. They couldn’t do anything to him. “¢ Sure of it?” “Ves,” said Madden, trying clumsily to make it seem that he was sorry to see what had happened to a friend. “You couldn’t be mistaken?” “Tt’s him, all right.” The captain turned to Collins. ‘“‘ Where’s your man?” he asked. The policeman crossed to a rear door. When he opened it a man stepped out of the closet. The captain nudged the prose- cutor as he asked: ‘“ You're the brake- man?” The man nodded uneasily. 2 ARGOSY ‘“ Bring iis “Ready, Mr. 161 “And you can positively identify this body as that of the bum you kicked off your train seven o'clock Thursday night at Stroudsburg, sixty miles away?”’ “Yes,” gulped the railroader. The captain turned on Shufflin’ Joe. “Now, Madden,” he said, “I charge you with the murder of Mrs. Emily Spal- ding.” For a moment Madden looked stupidly at his accuser. Then he threw his arms up in front of his face and cried hoarsely: “Oh, my God!” CHAPTER IX. FOOTPRINTS. BRENT was glad to get into the sun- shine again. He had felt stifled stand- ing in that small back room while the tramp had trapped himself. The shabby trickery of which the man had been made a victim left a bad taste in Brent’s mouth. Captain Bradley and,Pendleton followed him to the sidewalk, supporting Madden between them. The man seemed to have no strength in his knees. His head was hanging, and rolled from side to side. Brent turned away, to see Collins emerg- ing from the morgue with the brakeman. He.wondered whether this man was really a railroader or a detective used by Bradley in preparing the pitfall for Madden. Had the arrest merely been on the strength of Madden’s reaction when the lie was given his identification? The reaction had been violent enough. Collins’s companion started off in the opposite direction, Brent fell in step with the policeman, and as they started for headquarters, asked: “‘ Was that brakeman genuine?”’ “Genuine?” asked Collins, puzzled, _ then laughed. “Oh, you thought it might have been a plant. No. He was the goods. I didn’t get a chance to tell you, but he came into headquarters this morn- ing, and when I took him to the morgue, positively identified the body as that of a bo he had kicked off the train at Strouds- burg last Thursday night. Jt worked like a charm, didn’t it?” DOOK C@