Show VANCE CHAPTER XVI continued f 18 A key grated almost inaudibly in the lock clydla started but before she could move the door swung open far enough to admit craven and was at once slammed behind him A pace or two from the wall the man pulled up and stared at bis daughter his face dark with temper slowly ledla rose and confronted him bard eyes challenging his relentlessly this he demanded abruptly in an ugly voice this I 1 bear about your bringing peter here in a taxi what does this mean the girl retorted that you send me here to be locked up as though I 1 were a thief to be held for the police jie ignored if he was sensible to the stressed pronoun I 1 want an answer to my question he said threateningly 1 I demand an answer to mine she returned unyielding with an impatient gesture craven advanced as it meaning to seize her and enforce obedience but halfway he paused let his hand fall with obvious effort relaxed mustered a flickering and uncertain smile meant to be ingratiating moderated his tone oh come now I 1 he said in strained indulgence we can t go on forever quarreling you and I 1 laddy 1 I agree she replied coolly any explanation you can make its all a mistake mrs Ells worthy a most zealous woman in ah our sen ice misinterpreted my message believed it imperative you should be detained and when you showed temper committed an unpardonable error ill seo she apologizes meantime I 1 your t father express my sincere regret briefly clydla analyzed words and tone and found both hollow with ansin carity she shook her head warily youre not telling me the truth I 1 ve learned too well to know when you re inventing if you mean what you say it you wish to prove you dlan t instruct that woman to lock me up open that door and let me leave this house at once craven sighed shrugged tolerantly very well be urged ivo no wish to detain you just one thing and ye it go together first be good enough to give me that puzzle box nol clydla cried out in a round full voice nol that he said incredulous 1 I said no clydla told him I 1 will not ghe you the puzzle box it belongs to mrs cs in a breath his face was suffused with blood so your style Is it he stormed advancing well well have this out here and now my lady 11 ro your father I 1 order I 1 com mand you to hand over that box I 1 unless of course you prefer mo to take it by force lie had come within two feet was menacing her with face and gestures of uncontrollable wrath but she yield a step 3 you cant she said evenly what the deella to prevent because mrs has it now the man fell back na though she bad raised a shape of horror between them stammering and aghast ne jabberer jabbered jabb ered repetition mrs has it now I 1 clydla affirmed with a nod you youre not tooling me liddy craven in a stricken voice im telling you the truth it youve the wit to recognize it she said with the brutal intolerance of youth for allied with depravity sheer chance fooled you my cab broke down at I 1 itty fifth street I 1 walked two blocks north to get another nt the margrave where mrs Merrl lees stopping and where you dlan t mean to meet me after id called here and by downright good luck found her with mrs Beggar 0 o I 1 gave her the necklace and came mr escorting me though not at my request good heavens 1 said craven again ills accents quavering do you know what you re saying laddy im afraid I 1 know to owell with an inarticulate groan craven sank into a chair and burled his face in ills hands youve ruined roe 1 ive saved you you mean you dont understand what he looked up eagerly what did they say when you when you gave back the necklace they were kind enough to say nothing to pretend mrs Merrl lees had instigated sti gated the smuggling swindle thit you invented to blind me even mrs Merrl lees pretended in the goodness of her heart and I 1 was deceived until this mrs locked me in and so give me a chance to think from a true point of departure then I 1 understood der stood I 1 thought it all out realized that you hid stolen the necklace that you were an associate of criminals tint I 1 was the daughter of a comman thief 1 groaning craven covered his face again now said the yurl let me go dont knot what action they mean AUTHOR othe LOME WOLF THE COPYRIGHT BY LOUIS take against you but as for me I 1 ash nothing better than to be permitted to go and forget you lou moan sou wont appear against me he asked not it I 1 can manage to lose myself another name perhaps it wont be necessary craven ln in a voice of chill despair lie rose stood staring at her with eyes deep sunken in sockets that had been suddenly hollowed out by despair I 1 m done for 1 A certain simplicity in that declaration convinced and struck fear into a heart that had been impregnable to all other appeals what do you mean father what do you mean you remember the enave of diamonds the knave of clubs there s one more knave in the series spades and that spells death I 1 father I 1 its an old story too long to detail the knaves are warnings I 1 haven t had spades yet but III get it within six hours unless I 1 produce the necklace to be sold and shared and that s now removed forever beyond my reach I 1 father 1 the girl reiterated witlessly she caught the arm of a chair to steady herself unconsciously sank into it and sat staring and terrified the trouble said craven in a broken voice the trouble Is ive always wanted to run straight always I 1 guess every crook does down deep and when I 1 saw a chance to marry money I 1 shook smith and gordon only they be shaken and then I 1 ran short and to keep up appearances until after the marriage made up my mind to turn one last trick the necklace and then he laughed bitterly virtue 1 but they were on the same job and then you turned up otherwise I 1 could have come through with the loot and saved myself now he paused an instant profoundly speculative 1 I may have a chance et for a getaway they don t know where I 1 am though they may suspect it only I 1 can get an hours lead out of town the sound of sobbing disturbed him what lies had conjured up fear disgust contempt the truth hid exor cased the rags and tatters of her child hoods love for him alone remained spent broken in heart and spirit humbled and torn with the horror his confession inspired clydla eat huddled in misery racked with tearing sobs craven moved to her side touched her hair with hesitant fingers well well t he said huskily we were fond of each other we while it lasted little girl and your mother I 1 loved her well well he turned and without her knowledge gained the door paused for a single prolonged backward glance shook his head uncertainly shrugged deftly inserted a key in the silt in the doorknob and let softly out only the muffled jar of the closing door made her understand that she was alone CHAPTER to the right 0 the hallway as ona entered stood a conventional mahogany hat and coat rack framing a mirror on this peter noticed the raincoat craven had worn ills hat lay on the floor near the foot of the stairway immediately opposite the mirror an arch admitted to the drawing room a room in darkness tempered by the glow from the hallway just within the arch lay the body of thaddcus craven supine limp with arms outstretched beside the body quoin looked up at mrs ellsword thy and demanded in an irritable voice light please 1 the woman moved away into the gloom A switch clicked sharply the room was rendered brilliant by halt a dozen sconces scon ces in this illumination the body of cra v on wore an aspect oven more terrible and repellant death conferred no majesty on hla clay the upturned face vas deeply congested and hideous with eyes bulging and glazed with lips swollen purple and half parted quoin bent an car to the bosom above the heart sat up and felt for the pulse in a swollen red wrist bent again to hold his ear close to the gaping lips then he got up and looking from mrs to peter nodded sober refutation of any lingering doubt gonel he said not a flicker ot heart or breath a stroke of apoplexy or something I 1 m no doctor how did it happen he was coming downstairs mrs Ells worthy replied with difficulty quoin interrupted brusquely what was he doing upstairs please ills daughter talking to her ashes up there now safe unmolested locked in the sitting room safe yes know of this as yet eh no with the door closed the room Is soundproof besides there was no noise go on how did he come here and why did he send his daughter on ahead it you please the woman begged one moment I 1 am fearfully shocked take your time quoin consented and halle she turned away and with a handkerchief pressed to her struggled to recollect herself the explained to peter in an undertone widow of one Ells worthy in his day a world known collector of stolen property I 1 mean a fence of course always lived most respectably much as you see craven probably did a lot of business bilth him first and last and afterward with mrs ells worthy who carried on the business in a smaller way but quite as successfully as far as keeping out of trouble was concerned reeling better mrs ells worthy yes thank you mr craven called up about halt past ten to say his daughter was coming to see me bringing with her a valuable property I 1 have no idea what and that I 1 was to find some pretext to detain her until he followed she got here about eleven in a taxicab with this gentleman when she heard mr craven was coming she refused to wait and I 1 had to lock her in the room to keep her mr fm sorry I 1 put off with a note ostensibly from her when mr craven calef he went directly to the girl while he was upstairs two men of my acquaintance came to the basement door and I 1 let them in southpaw smith and colonel gordon yes mr craven had business relations with them I 1 believe they forced their way upstairs declaring they must see him when he came down they were waiting tor him in here in shadow smith stepped out and said something to him in a low tone I 1 dlan t hear mr craven shook his head and made an inaudible reply smith lost his temper at that and said aloud you alel permit me to present you with this token of our esteem and that was quoin prompted this said the woman pointing down to cravens clenched right hand with an exclamation of surprise quoin bent over and after some culty with the stiffening fingers stood up exhibiting a knave of spades and then nothing they went away smith and gordon by the basement there was a quarrel blows struck io mr craven said something to this effect it that Is your decision very well so be it I 1 smith merely laughed unpleasantly called gordon and turned down the basement afterward I 1 heard the gate slam as they left and craven lie stood looking at the card swaying and mumbling to himself I 1 wondered it he had been drinking then I 1 noticed he was holding one hand to bis side as though his heart was paining him awas alarmed and asked if I 1 could do he looked at me as it he know me took a step or two this way and suddenly fell as if he had been shot and immediately I 1 telephoned for a doctor 1 I understand mrs Ells worthy for an instant quoin contemplated the knave of spades frowning thoughtfully odd he mused looking up at odd how these things run ita not a month now since an italian in a low coffee house up on one hundred and tenth street left bis chair for a minute with his hat on it by way of reservation when he returned and picked up the hat there was a playing card beneath it the death card in his case the four of hearts five minutes later he was shot dead where he sat it only goes to show how the criminal imagination inclines to melodrama give your victim warning so that he may die a dozen imaginary deaths be foro you kill him in this case cravens heart spoiled their fun but the chances are he would never have got back to his hotel alive ha paused looked pityingly down at the dead man sighed well poor devil 1 then unfolding a handkerchief placed it gently over the and distorted mask better not move him till the doctor comes though I 1 fancy we can save you the trouble of an inquest mrs Ells worthy and well do our best to keep it out of the papers wed better draw the port leres while peter gets miss craven out of the house yes your job peter but better bojt tell her anything until you get her away take her to mrs Beggar staff dont you think yos agreed peter fora few days or weeks as long as she needs to get over it and then asked quoin curiously why said peter in surprise you know we were going to bo mar ried THE END |