Show j. j 8 By 11 1 FREDERIC dd F. F VAN e DE n WATER Wa W Q W. W V No u. u HE W ICO s XIV Continued CHAPTER XIV 15 15 May I point out Miss Agatha asked politely that Everett FerrI- FerrI FerrIter to ter also had access to that machine and and a latchkey to this flat Shannon did not seem to hear her He said Ill be taking that typewriter along too Miss Paget Weve We've found your our nephews nephew's fingerprints on the keys kes and space bar He it was who used it last Im I'm sorry but but were were we're taking him in for further question question- ing Still holding her aunts aunt's hand Al Al- Allegra Allegra legra felt with the other for a chair and sat down Miss Agatha moved ever so little Her head lifted A quiet more impressive than bluster was in her r voice Just one thing Captain Shannon Im I'm the oldest living member of the Paget family It has influence in New York Beneath his breath the policeman mumbled something Miss liss Agatha went on That at Is not a threat though you may think so Youre You're wholly with wIth- within wIthin in your rights In arresting Grove but the but the fine old head the pre precise rise cise voice went a shade higher hIgher- but If I you maltreat my nephew If I you step over any single one of his legal rights If I you or any of your tribe lay a finger on him while youre you're questioning I shall see to It that more than a finger falls on you sir Ive lived Miss Agatha ended more years In New York than I Icare Icare care to confess If U you misuse your authority I shall misuse my ence And never she added with an oddly mirthful puckering of her eye wrinkles think I haven't got It It The bell rang as she ceased as though her words had smitten some Invisible bulls bull's Shannon's face softened a trifle He looked at her with respect and an unwilling trace of amusement Miss Paget he began youre a- a I think he hc intended to compliment t her but he was Interrupted A rud rud- faced dy-faced elderly gentleman slight slight- slightly ly 17 out of breath and more than a little ruffled ruined entered He put on o n corded black at t glasses to glare a Shannon and me and then beamed beame d through them at Miss Agatha The Theold Th Thi e old lady gave a slow smile of tri trI- i k r p Tertius she said as though h he e were a late comer to a reception this Is very ve y good of you Captain in Shannon this is Senator Groesbeck my attorney I think I can leave leav e Grove safely In your Joint care I acknowledged Introduction to th the e Senator who seemed to regard ev eVe everyone everyone but Miss Agatha with th the e Justifiable suspicion of a corporation n counsel who had been hauled out o obed of f fI bed Into a murder case Then I Isaid Isaid said Ill be going now Miss Paget Good night Thank you David she said and an d looked at me hard I ducked my head toward Alleg Alleg- Allegra ra barely meeting her eyes I think thi she started to follow me to the door but her aunt whose hand she still stil l held stayed her As I departed Miss Agatha called after affer me Nine o'clock tomorrow David DavidOr Or rather today She was not one whose purposes purpose s were lightly thwarted CHAPTER XV V Shannon and his prisoner had drawn the reporters the reporters away from the Morello An empty taxi stood atthe at atthe the thc curb I recall little of my ride home I knew as I got out of ot the cab that I was out on my feet I would not have thought of Cochrane and of what the new tragedy meant to him hint and me me If I had not seen the telephone In Mrs Shaws Shaw's hall I hesitated and then called the Press I got Jerry I could not match his elation He had reached the Mo- Mo Morello Morello Morello rello Just after I had entered Duke he confided had been angry at my reticence Cochrane now was wait- wait waitIng waitIng waiting Ing word from the thc Press man at headquarters whither Grove had been taken I told him briefly what I knew withholding only my fore fore- foreknowledge foreknowledge foreknowledge knowledge that at Grove had had a key k y to the Ferriter flat nor did I cite that apparently disembodied voice I had heard at MInos Mino's I was too weary to be discreet otherwise The ache in my bones had crept Into my mind and clogged my tongue When 1 I had finished I heard Coch- Coch Cochranes Cochrane's ranc's ranes chuckle Well hang it on the town again Dave Ill I'll meet you at noon tomor tomor- tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow row In that beanery near the Morel- Morel lo I have tidings to impart my lad They'll interest you ou I wondered as I pulled myself upstairs whether anything ever could interest me again I 1 slept so that when I woke I had all the symptoms of a over hang-over ex ex- except except except the memory of revelry Coffee eased my head and food ballasted my uneasy stomach I read as I ate Cochranes Cochrane's deft story in the Press I wished that he had been a shade less authoritative con con- concerning concerning what had taken place in inthe Inthe Inthe the Paget apartment but it was a I well handled handled yarn scrupulously fair I as far as young Paget was con He was still held as a n ma tonal witness Which mean I knew that so far h h- h had not talked I felt better when I reached the Morello and entered under the wistful wistful wistful ful eyes of a half dozen evening newspaper men none of ot whom I knew but I found when Eddie Hoyt spoke to me that my nerves were raw and my temper hair LIssen Dave he begged as he went with me to the elevator you dont don't think this young Paget really done it No I snapped Do you He blinked at my violence No offense he said earnestly Only Dave If theres there's anything Ican I Ican Ican can do for that old lady Id I'd do it If I went to Jail for it See She's been real good to me Remember that willya Theres There's something pho pho- phony phony phony ny about this hull thing I can feel It it t Dave Youre telling me mc I asked as ashe ashe he hc let me oft off Eddie nodded toward the Paget door I This here Ferriter the one that's left eft left he whispered is in there now He come about a hour half-hour ago Fineman tells me his sister took on when they blew In and heard what had lad happened kind kinda a historical They didn't stay here last night Now that's funny Isn't It I jeered and pressed the Paget bell Not to me it aint said Hoyt ducking back Into the car Annie let me roe In and motioned me Into the workroom Miss Paget the maid said was busy but shed she'd see me in a few minutes I sat down f 4 N t ta a 4 n nt nI I t 1 r That Is not a threat though you OD think may so I and stared at the thc four dim circles on the desk top where the typewriter had stood I thought of Lyon and of the voice I had heard unless heard unless I were screwy Issuing from the booth at Mines Mine's last night Could it have been only last night Was It really yesterday esterday afternoon that Lyon and I had fenced I found myself sitting straighter straighten That broken epee point pain t had not been accident The plan had been to kill me mc while Everett searched my room and removed damaging evidence What evidence I groaned and heard Lyon Ferriter Ferrite r come along the hall He was a shade more gaunt but buthis buthIs buthis his smile was cordial and his easy drawling manner fitted him like a along along along long used glove Once more his voice and appearance overthrew my suspicion so violently that I found myself offended by his poise Good morning he said I didn't expect to see you here Or Os I you I answered He frowned and shrugged his wide stooped shoulders No he agreed lowering his voice I made madean madean madean an an error In coming I dont don't think theres there's anything in the etiquette book to fit Just this situation People can hardly be normal in such circum circum- stances Ive I've taken enough on the chin In my time to fortify me a bit bit but lone his lonc his voice vorce softened as he spoke of her her ls Is all apart again I can understand that I told him He nodded Of course you do He paused and I 1 felt his further words were a belated retort to 40 Miss Agatha Paget et ct After all we are the the bereaved Poor old Everett I cant can't Imagine why Grove Grove Grove- He overplayed his hand For the first time I thought I caught the faint sound of duplicity in his speech His martyred air irked mev me I felt my brain light up and was canny enough to wait walt an instant curbing myself before I said I cant can't Imagine that Grove did it it Lyon looked at me quite carefully and then shrugged again Fortunately he hc said this time my alibi is endorsed I only know what the police pollee and witnesses say Sure I answered and I dont don't suppose you can Imagine how Grove got a key to your flat fiat If that reached him he did not show it He seemed to be thinking of something that his long brown face quite hid before he said That Is not true I came here this morning to tell Miss Paget that I would make lt that I gave Grove that key Which I told bin hh- comes un un- under under der dror h h heart head r ne f I perjury It was good to throw pretense aside at last and speak my thought I Miss Ferriter I went on gave He lifted a hand so sharply that I 1 stopped I My sister he said and I felt now that he was wholly candid is isto Isto isto to be kept out of ot this tragedy If I have to go further than chivalrous than chivalrous perjury She has suffered more than enough already His emphasis threw me out of my stride for tor an Instant All right I told him You gave Grove a key Let It go at that I hope when he opens up h hi h. I tells the same story You gave him the key How does that explain his presence in your flat last night at atthe atthe atthe the time of your brothers brother's brothers suicide He Hc smiled at the stress I laid on the last word and that made me an an- grier It doesn't he said No one knows why he was there there except except possibly poor old Everett Your sister knows I said aId tin tin- gUng filing Maybe you do too Are Arc you he drawled trying to tobe tobe be bc offensive Its no effort him Everett committed suicide No doubt he had his reasons He left the note they found on Grove No doubt you know what It means Grove Is that way about your sister That's why he had a key Hes He's inthis In Inthis inthis this jam on her account while you you you- youA A voice behind Lyon cut through my angry speech and checked it Would you mind it asked stepping a little aside Mr Ferri Ferri- Ferriter Ferriter ter I thought you had gone He obeyed Miss Agatha sat be be- behind behind behind hind him in her wheel chair Her bleak face daunted Lyon who was wasas wasas wasas as nearly ill at ease ea ease e as I had ever seen him Yes he stammered I should have gone some gone some time ago and without further glance at me hur hur- hurried hurried hurried ried down the halL ball The door slammed The old lady turned her head and looked at me and again I marveled at the resilience of her crippled body Not even the plight of her beloved nephew had dulled her eyes or shaken her voice I was still too angry to read omen In her regard I gather the rhe he said Mr Ferri Fern Ferriter Ferriter ter has been tilling you he gave Grove that ey I can gather I 1 snarled that hes he's willing to fo cr a silly kid for tor the sake of lonn's Ionas good name name- if I any any My violence seemed to soothe her Her face softened a little She said dryly Im glad youre you're so strenuous David Something has happened that Allegra and I want to ask you about I was so dumb that her words heartened me I thought that they were going to ask for counsel and I forgot my recent wrath Perhaps that sacrificial yearning I had felt feltin feltIn feltin in Allegra's presence wasn't so idi Idl idiotic otic after alL I might yet serve her Im grateful to you both I told Miss Agatha Ag tha I Again she gave me that puzzled 1 stare I thought she was going to ask a question but she turned her I head Instead and called Allegra I heard the girl come down the I hall hail Something made me faintly I uneasy I forgot my qualm when she entered the room I I got up Worry had hardened her Her face was white Her eyes endured mine so Indifferently that I I II I wondered if I this could be the girl I j I had kissed a few hours ago She i 1 iwas was immune to my smile she was deaf to my greeting She looked from me to her aunt who gave a prompting nod In Allegra's clenched hand a paper crackled Her voice had the same Impersonal sound as she asked looking straight at me again Do you know a man named Law Lawrence rence Duke I could feel it rooming coming I knew I now that It wasn't just anxiety for her brother that had bleached and hardened her There was sweat In I my palms and my voice sounded hoarse to me as I said Yes I Allegra gave her head bead a quick lit lit- little little little tle jerk and unfolded the paper she held heldI heldI I dont don't she told me with quiet scorn but he writes on the letter letter- letterhead letterhead head he d of ot the Sphere Dear Madam Perhaps you are unaware that your escort of ot tonight is a reporter on the Press in disguise Miss Agatha asked Is that true David As far as it goes goesl I told her herand herand herand and there was a sudden dullness In Inthe inthe inthe the clever old eyes I had no time timeto to explain for Allegra said and her voice cut You have been stealing my aunts aunt's generosity and my friend mY-friend- friend ship No I 1 said You are a reporter for the Press Only on probation I said In her voice I heard the anger of trust betrayed It angered me I J wheeled about and picked up mj ml m hat and coat The girl said A stool pigeon pig on That stung I Ignored her pur pun purposely and end turned to Miss Again Agatha who o had not stirred I ITO lIP IF r n |