Show f if l I e n W. W w wV a s I. I 1 1 FRE FREDERIC 0 E R I C F. F VA VAN N DE WATER C ow ro W. W H H. H V u u. u D I service C isi f i 5 CHAPTER I II II I 1 II II I heard the man killed in the Fer- Fer Ferriter Ferriter Ferriter riter apartment I heard the words that brought about his murder too but just then the wheel came of ofT olI Miss Agatha Paget's wheel chair and drove all else from my mind The thick voice that I heard over the telephone and the dull sounds that followed seemed trite They hid rather than revealed tragedy and I forgot them Later they be be- became became came important They were small facts about which men made mon mon- monstrous monstrous monstrous theories as scientists rebuild dinosaurs from fr m tiny bits of bone Afterward the call pad showed that it was three thirty on the after after- afternoon afternoon noon of February twenty third when the switchboard clicked and whirred I was alone in the foyer of at the Mo- Mo Morello rello for Eddie Hoyt had slipped out for a bite and Wilson the doorman door door- doorman doorman man was ill Higgins the super super- superintendent who was filling in for tor him had taken the elevator upstairs The operator was slow and I scrib scrib- scribbled scribbled bled the number on the call caU pad while I waited A voice buzzed in my ear again apparently speaking to someone Ja fa the Ferriter flat Oat in a tongue I did not know I thought it might be German for it was blunt and guttural Then I heard an odd sound half halt grunt half halt cough and a faraway bump that must have been the lamp or the body falling talling At the time though I thought it was Miss Paget's Paget's Paget's ets et's wheel chair Warren her chauffeur was trun trun- trundling trundling her in He had had trouble at atthe the door for tor there was no one there thereto thereto to to help him I looked up and saw sawa a wheel rolling down the hall haU The 6 chair had sagged Miss Paget was hanging to its upper arm and laugh laugh- laughing laughing laughing ing while Warren struggled to keep keepit keepIt I it from overturning I ran r n to help Miss Paget She was wa's the oldest tenant by age and residence in the old Morello I Apartments This was one of ot the rare buildings in Manhattan that I had endured into mellow age The foyer was furnished in mahogany tile and gloom and on the ceiling dim cherubs were tangled in fad fad- fading fading fading ing ribbons The Morello Apart Apart- Apartments Apartments Apartments ments sat brown and ornate be be- tween bleaker ble ker newer buildings build g with witha a calm weathered dignity nothing could break rather break rather as Miss Agatha Paget sat between Warren and me when at last we had righted her wrecked chair I had been hallman hailman at the Morello w I. I less than a week but already I knew that she was important The pompous pomp pomp- pompous pompous ous ass Higgins had squired the passages of at her wheel chair between elevator and car as though they were royal progresses Now the old lady sat and preened herself herselt like a ruffled little hawk She was oddly alive for one whose legs were useless Time had worn i but not blunted her Years had hadi i sharpened her high bridged nose and andrw rw wrinkled her face but they had not loosened her mouth or quenched the Ute zest in her blue eyes I She caught my eye and grinned p broad warm and vital t Thank you David she said You are David arent aren't you You t. t all look alike in those uniforms I t Warren I know what that pious look f of yours ours means I remember quite j well youve you've warned me that this chair was going to pieces And I It IsaId Isaid t said it would outlive me didn't I r She cocked an eye at me parrot- parrot parrots parrott t s L wise and as we half halt carried half halt t propelled her along the hall I felt felther felther j her looking at me again Higgins f and the elevator still were upstairs I rang the bell From the street came the Ute sound f t of ot a protesting motor horn I rang rangI I again Miss Agatha clicked her teeth sharply and announced Ive lived here forty years and theres there's never been a day that the service didn't get worse Who's on the elevator Higgins Biggins I told her She gave again the little audible bite His wife is away isn't she The racket of the horn continued in Ute street Miss Agatha said crisply Ring that bell David till I tell you to stop Above the distant shrilling I heard at last the old winch in the basement groan and start The bells bell's trill came down toward us Outside the horn kept up its blatting Warren stirred and said I fancy Im I'm in someone's way maam I know you arc are Miss Agatha returned If It Timothy Higgins Higgins- Higgins threw open the Ute door and found me with my finger on the bell He wore Wilsons Wilson's maroon and gold livery livery livery-he he was the Ute only man on the house force it would fit fit and and as he glared at me he seemed to swell inside it t. t His long upper lip twitched over the Ute words he dared not utter under the old ladys lady's sharp regard but he did growl Im not deaf deat From the day he had hired me meon meon meon on Eddie Hoyt's recommendation for tax a cubby in his basement flat Oat and thirty dollars a month he he hc had re re- regretted regretted re- re regretted it He had bad told me several times Umes that I was above my place and now his look filled my stomach with qualms I needed this Utis humble Lv l M 1 r E Agatha the girl cried and stared refuge from the storm of destitution destitution destitution tion that blew coldly through New NewYork NewYork York and knowledge of at my helpless helpless- helplessness ness made me foolishly angry Be Be- Before Before Before fore I could speak Miss Agatha said Deaf We began to think Timo Timo- Timothy Timothy thy that you were dead Or else else else- Her sharp eyes prodded him and his uniformed bulk quailed I saw that the aglet on his coat was loose and dangling The noise of horns In Inthe Inthe Inthe the street grew louder Miss Aga Aga- Agatha Agatha tha said Warren I think they want you to move that car David and Timothy can get me upstairs quite nicely The chauffeur went Miss Agatha continued to look at Higgins I heard him breathe harder and saw sweat shining on his full red face He said with stumbling eagerness Indeed I will Miss Paget The chairs chair's broke Dear dear aint that too bad now Maybe I can mend it for you maam Ill I'll find time some some- how With Wilson sick and me taking his place on the day shift and anda a new man in the hall here Im I'm fair drove I am indeed Miss Paget et with Wilsons Wilson's and me own work to do That's why why why- His voice died away under her ber severe regard and he buttoned his gilt aglet into place with uncertain fingers I wondered at his ill ease and madness made me say why hes he's doubling in brass Caution cried out against the sor sor- sorry sorry sorry ry jest Higgins squinted at me His ire rather than my wit pleased Miss Agatha There were mirth wrinkles about her eyes as she looked up and said Timothy will hold this wreck Da Da- David David Da- Da David vid if you'll lift me onto the eleva eleva- elevator elevator elevator tor seat please Ill manage Miss Paget dont don't you have a moments moment's worry maam ma'am Higgins babbled You Miss Agatha corrected will take that chair down cellar and dispose of at it If It you were to spend more time in the basement or at the door Timothy and less on the fourth floor I think matters would run much more smoothly for everyone She humbled him he said meekly Miss Agathas Agatha's crippled body was angular and very light against me as I bore her into the car and lowered her herto herto herto to the black leather seat scat in hi Its rear The door slid shut on Higgins Miss Agatha marked the parting glare he gave me There was little that she actually missed She said more to herself than to me Mr Toad himself I knew that Higgins would be wait wait- waiting waiting waiting ing below to tell me me-if me If he did not fire Ore me outright outright how how lowly was my lot The livery I wore the Ute mocking memory of ambition I had brought to New York made me reckless and andI I reached up from servitude toward equality with my passenger 10 10 She cried I 1 quoted who Is that handsome man They an an- answered answered answered Mister Toad I Abashed by the silence behind me I checked the Ute car at the third floor and opened the Ute door I thought I I heard a chuckle but when I turned about Miss Agathas Agatha's face was grave and she took her latchkey la from her purse If It you'll open the door David she said and her words rebuffed my levity and then carry me into the Ute workroom workroom- I unlocked the door As I again turned toward the Ute elevator I saw across the shallow hall haU the portal of ot the Ferriter apartment white and reticent as an tombstone I picked up Miss Agatha and bore her carefully into her apartment The deep carpet of the hall hushed my footsteps and we appeared at atthe atthe atthe the open door of a high celled room so quietly that we alarmed the Ute man and girl who stood by the desk in its center Her face was lifted to his bis bisand and I thought her hand had been on his arm but they sprang apart be be- before before before fore I could be sure Agatha the girl cried and stared I had watched her pass through the foyer with a swinging boyish stride but she actually saw me now for the first time and I Iwas Iwas Iwas was aware how miserably my in inherited in- in inherited inherited uniform fitted She was young and fair and she carried her lovely head with the Ute alert vitality of ofa a deer deerIn deerIn In lOIn person Miss Paget replied dryly That chair by the table if it you please David The man had bent hastily over the Ute desk I disliked his plump sleek sleek- sleekness sleekness sleekness ness the bald spot on his crown his waxed mustache the hysterical flutter of the papers he sorted and arranged The girl looked from my burden b to him to-him him and then grinned shamelessly Just uJust what Is this she demand demand- demanded ed as I set the old lady in the chair Understudying for Sappho Aga Aga- Agatha Agatha tha Uta Darling you arent aren't hurt are you I am not Miss Agatha replied and told of at her chairs chair's collapse That basement Don Juan she concluded grimly Ill have a talk I with him And now will you find Annie and tell her to come here Ive I've had a rather trying afternoon Both of at us darling the girl assured her and left the room I turned to go goOne goOne goOne One minute David Miss Aga Aga- Agatha Agatha Agatha tha interposed As I paused the plump man at the Ute desk lifted a pink face tace from his papers His perpetu perpetu- perpetually perpetually perpetually ally arched eyebrows gave him the weakly haughty look of one about to sneeze His voice was soft and at atthe atthe atthe the moment nervous Were progressing Miss Paget he assured her uneasily his hands still stUl straying among the stacked pa pa- papers papers papers pers on the desk Im going back to the genealogical g society for an hour or so Things are falling into shape Ive I've been hard at work So I noticed the Ute old lady told him bim He looked at her uncertainly but her face was without expression sion Tomorrow then at the same time tune Mr Ferriter she said He bowed jerkily and walked with some stiffness from the room His ears were red As he opened the Ute hall door I heard the Ute elevator bell Excuse me I began but she held up her hand as Allegra re- re reentered entered TO BE CONTINUED |