Show If t. t he r B 13 7 d tIler at oa ie z b C lIr v r Cb SYNOPSIS On n a l certain momentous Monday Monday Mon Mon- day morning Miss s Constance Fuller Fuller Ful Ful- ler cataloguer and seller of rare books at nt Darrou Darrow s v Nc and Second-Hand Second Bookshop New NewYork York notices that the t cus ens- customer customer tomer is a dignified White White- bearded old gentleman who saunters Into the alcove placarded placarded placarded pla pla- carded Medical Works Peter Burton one of or the employees amazes Constance l hy by y telling her he paid at auction for an anold anold anold old law w book containing a Colfax Col fax faz bool bookplate plate Suddenly a girls girl's shriek of Murder rings out In Inthe Inthe the tho store CHAPTER III 3 3 o C The Slippers F For vOl one Instant all five lave of us P Peter Peter Pe Pe- I I ter and the three clerks anti anil I were I paralyzed then with WWI one accord we plunked plunged down the main aisle Peter In Inthe inthe inthe the lead when out from the law late alcove dashed the girl pirl in the long black fur cape Her Iler face was ghastly her e eyes es wide with terror Next second second sec sec- ond she and Peter both came to a n ahalt ahalt halt so violent that she he nearly lost her balance Stumbling heavily she clutched at a table II Keep Keepit Keel it Keep it for me and crashed to the floor In n a n faint Peter rushed around the table to toh h her r Mr Dibdin gave a loud whoop for Mr lr nl Riggs s g-s and dashed lashed toward the time bool law alcove At that moment the time elevator ele cleared the second floor In its descent down Mr 11 Case bringing lIe He Heat at nt once helped Peter carry the girl In to his hs private office I snatched up m my telephone and summoned Miss Wilkes Then I turned down n the tile aisle again to toFee gee Fee ee if I could be of any tn further use in inthe inthe inthe the rear but hut I went on tiptoe and only a little wn way in n a h lint that had succeeded the confusion with awful suddenness Mr lr Dibdin and Mr Ir Riggs Hi s were carr carrying the limp figure of the theold theold theold old white bearded gentleman out of the alcove Ills His right side was toward me his right hand band dripping with Mood blood J At this moment UI Ulysses came rushing rushin open-mouthed open down the rear rem gallery stairs full on the time scene seene Hey Hoy there ther Watch atch the shipping room door until I 1 get an ambulance I shouted Mr 11 Rigg to him making off to a telephone UI Ulysses obediently disappeared I turned and hurried down the narrow right hand aisle nisle along the wall past the shipping-room shipping door toward Mr lr Cases Case's office Again I 1 was ryas where confusion confusion confusion con con- fusion prevailed pre Mr 11 Case was not there On the lie threshold Peter Petel was fidgeting distract telly t- t edly elly Inside the unconscious girl gill la layon lay layon on nn an nn old leather lounge As- As AsI I darted into halo the office ce through which the trusty frosty air ir was pouring from front a window some fome one had actually thought of opening Peter Petel stopped me ate Constance he lie whispered that girl l lIlls His Ills face was blanched J his hands twitching he was was was- the image of ix eal al flight fright far beyond anything I could count for Lally startled m myself self I did manage to grasp that fact I tn r lr n quick and then go awo away He vanished closing the door I 1 went over to the girl 1 Her lIer hat of soft crimson ribbon had fallen off olT revealing re black blad hair above c cut clear small regular features of unusual dis distinction unction and beauty Her lips hips were blue in tile the chilly air Her Iles cape rape wn was Clipping to the floor and Ind as I picked it up to wrap around her consternation tion halted me tae With her well tailored black cloth dress she wore black satin sat sat- in fri slippers slippers' r r Whatever could have brought her hm to r rows row's so attired All the tile events e of elf that crowded morning lashed Hashed 1 Ilu through ought m my throbbing brain Ul Ulysses Ulysses' ses' ses premonition of disaster disaster absurd absurd was it It Peters Peters Peter's narrative th alt re II once II e. e from our law book alcove e of or this leading lending personality In Iii those strange adventures nd In fn Richmond with an 1111 old law book hook and Its unique treas trees are uie among prints a n Colfax bookplate Then I heard outside the tom door Following m my first Instinct I 1 flung the tile cape over o the helpless gh girl 1 11 amt 2111 ml 1 tucked it tI tightly around her feet The door opened nail and Miss Y appeared with the water and a bottle n h 7 in I l sms out ner lIer f Jl- Jl efforts to lug bring the girl to proved holl wholly unavailing When clanging in inthe inthe inthe the street treet announced the ambulance we summoned the surg surgeon on after after a hasty examination ho he decided he would take the girl as ns well as us the old gentleman g to time tile hospital So the time ambulance sped away leaving leaving leav leav- ing our establishment In the limp condition con con- condition naturally re resulting from the tile succession of ot exciting events detailed h by this record Gos Gossiping groups stood watching a 21 p policeman taking own down own stories from rom eyewitnesses witness eye e es S but bUl I saw sn Peter nowhere 1 learned that th the old gentleman's Injury was a aIe severe Ie slash across the li right lIt wrist Time The doctor thought that at nt his advanced advanced ad mI age the shock shoe had hall at orrice once overcome him preventing plC an out outcry l' l He lie hind had been unconscious some time when the alarm was US given ghen Of course COUlse the thc fainting g girl 1 came in n for fOl endless i curiosity c directed chiefly at ate me But Hut even cn had hael I wanted to talk lOll I knew ju just t two fact about her hei num namely J that Peter hind had seen her at atthe atthe atthe the auction and that she hind had had on black satin bedroom slippers slippers slip slip- IH pers rs and these facts I decided to suppress suppress sup sup- suppress press for the present time at len least t. t Idid I Idid Idid did not I Know who she was where she came cause from front what she had been doing for an nn hour and a half in the tear rear of ot the shop whether she knew Ines' the old gentleman how she hc came to find himI him I lost patience at It the unceasing ques ques- lions Is ls this the thc catechism or 01 what I finally snapped at Daisy Dasy Abbott Dais Daisy sniffed in an un Injured d manner and glanced at Mr Ir Dibdin who looked at me ine a as' as if he considered me el very cruel crutch and roughs rough I 1 guess we the we have a right t to talk tall about what happens right before our e eyes es especially If f its it's awfully queer she murmured ed plaintively At least leat you ou heard her sn say Keep It I Keep I It for me Now Xo Is s It ridiculous to wonder wonder won won- der what that meant leant r I had actually forgotten that cr cry of distress temporarily in the time ensuing turmoil Daisy certainly hit me amidships amidships amid amid- ships and that time I knew the an an- You lOU must think were we're read mind ers rs I retorted Now I cant can't waste any more time talking I must finish that indexing Thank goodness I gOT gor gorit it nearly done before this rumpus happened happened happened hap hap- I sped down the side aisle to mj my m desk But lint oh my work Where was it Where were thoSe thos-e neat piles of classified cards On the time floor Hoor in the time I aisle cr c everywhere where except on the time desk But Hut there was no time for fOl wondering wh why or even even e I for vexation Scooping them theta all up as fast as I could I made for the time desk only to find a note stuck between veen two of my reference hooks books It rend read as ns follows II I 1 am mini ordered to tu the rear otherwise other ather- wise to go this afternoon and hu buy from two old la ladles ladies cs whose grandfather grandfather ther was a bishop his professional li library li- li date about iS-b iS 1840 at a n reasonable reasonable reason reason- able figure I have ha one final request 1 I had no notime notime time tune this morning to tell you ou that Jig Mi- Roberts has Just given Nunc Nancy the po W he promised her She is here therefore Miss Wilkes Is 13 In charge Would you yon oa add to your you innumerable benefits and go sonic some time or other and speak agreeably to m my ill fated sister PETE It Poor Pour Peter 11 I would do better bettel than titan that t. t I resolved ved recalling IIi ng the time pretty your vision with willi the chestnut chestnu t hn hair i I whom I had bad seen entering that morning morning morn morn- ing with Miss Wilkes I 1 decided lo n neat neat eat not work worl even cen for Mr Hr rows Harrows nephew I would take r mH Nancy Burton with wilh me mime In celebration of her first Best day dav in business I stuffed stiffed all the time cards card C I into a u drawer and went in search of her lieI Through time tile open door of the stenographic stenographic steno steno- graphic department came Miss metallic accents in exhortation Dont forget that flint nice dark blue serge we were talking tallIng about dear deur Tomorrow To Tn morrow den dear r and not more mOIe than eight eihl inches off the floor That flint will be ill alt now den dear I. I As I walked In I heard I the he reply to those observations It was w a famine fain I II yet et distinctly audible snort proceed I I ing IlIg out of the straight chiseled nose Hose belonging to the tall toll young lady of the short av wavy ch chestnut tresses She Shu was standing llin In front of Miss l desk her nee height and slenderness ac lIC- accentuated by a bright green apple-green knitted front frock whose sti night lines ceased not less lesi than fourteen Inches from 1 he the floor above e footgear com coin composed posed of cf as many as IS three patent patent- leather straps through ough which peeped pa peach pale le peach weight chiffon stockings stocking The Time large blue huc eyes ces of the able face above e th the round white collar stared as um unremittingly at Mss Miss 1 as those of a n young roun hah baby The rhe rod red ed red red mouth month was IS beautifully shaped and firmly closed Miss liss Wilkes greeted me with s sweet suspicion Come Corne in dear What hut Is s It tl I beg your pardon tins Has Mi Miss liss s furton fur fur- ton gone to Iii luncheon mu I am turn Miss lIss I Burton u m swiftly announced announced announced an an- the apple green young hlll lady Imly In Ina Inu Inu u a clear shrill voice transferring her unremitting ing haze e to JI my may face faco and I Iwas Iwas was twos supposed to tu be Ile gone one to In lunch a 21 along along long time ago Then wont won't you go 0 with me mite My 1 name Is Con Constance tolle Fuller fuller- I lOr mow know now all nil about you said Nancy Burton All ti 11 I right Ill I'll conic come She was a n speedy we vvo wore were on rot the sl street sheet reet in H a twinkling I cast cut about for fOl a din diverting topic tOlie Lets go to Ernesto's Ernestos for lunch Im I'm sure you'll enjoy it il They have ha such lIch goe good grod things to eat cat That t so o 1 And 1111 Ernesto is a famous local character lIe He owns one of the time nicest oddest t houses on nn this island He Ile not 1 d rr IJ J I IJ I J l v 11 S I. I r f 1 ill Stumbling Heavily She Clutched at atthe atthe atthe the Table Shrieked Shriek d Keep it Keep KeepIt It for Me Mc only has hns a restaurant downstairs but hut buthe buthe he lives in the time house louse and rents lents some sonIe floors as us apartments Nancy nc 1 Nodded now How do 3 you on Oll think youth you'll ou like your our work T I pursued ralth faithfully full All 11 right right Say Sn she broke out suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly scattering social amenities to time tile win winds if you jou ou hadn't come in that minute Id I'd have murdered that Wilkes woman I 1 hate women Though yen jou Cu she was pleased to add are an exception tion thou Do you ou know larow about my step step- stepmother mother I I have ha only ony just heard Beard of your yom fathers father's clam marriage Theres woman for fol you u She said I couldn't be he respectable Lis Lis- ten Miss Ii s Puller fuller slid did you oU Know I eloped I didn't know whether r to laugh or CI cry cry the girl irl was so pretty Irett and anti des des- clever clever- 1 1 looking ing precocious e and n neglected and at the same time there was a n wid streak of humor r in her blur blue eyes that both loth Ii aroused ed your mirth and put pUI you yon on your our guar guard I compromised n with my lily feelings and mid smiled I III know laJO no no details pr u 1 I your rom 11 affairs IT my dear 1 ar mini and 1 It t is I not necessary to tell teil me any Jn if you nu dont don't a want n t to But 1 J do 1 I have lam no one else oKe to tell protested Nancy anc not to he be done clone b h delicacy out of a recital of her hel ox- ox pl pil ts as IS' IS the rushing gashing hute luncheon late crowd wll hove boie us down the avenue a toward toward to to- ward Ernestos Ernesto's It was like this Last Saturday I eloped cI with Brandon t I Tower To 11 Ho Ile taught at th the I business college c lie I went ami he liked me 1110 anti and 1 did Iel like him hint awfully lJ because he hea a was so polite and handsome handsome hand hand- some though now now- I hate bate him biro Well then father met tact my stepmother at a achurch achurch church fair where the he was dishing lUto out lUt o oyster stel stew stew- and nud she slit thought he be looked lonely and amid so that was that I couldn't stand her IUT she picked on me tue right from front the thi start said start said my clothes were immodest and look where this collar comes to absolutely to my nose while the Oil other old cat starts at the other end Well Saturday afternoon Brandon Bran Brandon don cion telephoned me and asked me to togo togo go gu to the rink link I 1 told him I was lIS sorry sor SOl sorry 1 ry but hut Peter had Imd just got ot back from flOm Richmond and It was his first long trIp till so I 1 was anxious to LO see him hint rJ right ht u II Of oe course Brandon knew all about Peter Ieter and that he was WIS a n rare book buyer bujer bu el for Darrows Darrow's because I had Imd told him it did sound a n little little little lit lit- tle queer to sn say I 1 was so 50 anxious to I Iset see set him liui Peters Peter's naturally always elfon off elf ITon on business Time The truth was when Peter got ot In that lint morning he had mad been so su mad about Malvina Ial my lilY stepmother step step- stepmother stepmother mother that he just managed ed to b bo be civil fine mind and rush out o of oL the house Kell II the they were married and it couldn't be helped so o I 1 wanted to smooth Peter down a little bit if I could before dinner But Html I couldn't say HI all fill t that over o the telephone and Brandon got ot fearfully mad because I wouldn't go goto goto o oto to the rink Then Malvina passed me mite in the hall on her way tray to a matinee and said she was as going to tell father that the telephone telephone tele tele- I talked Incessantly over 1 phone to hC boys beys s 's if f I didn't instantly stop I said All 11 right fight I will which answered both hoth her and Brandon and amI the minute she shed she'd d gone I skipped out ut and met stet him on Sixth avenue and then then then- Nancy gave a skip th then n and there clutch clutching in m my may arm aria in excited climax he he asked me to elope I Is As s on a faint distant beacon of hope hort I fixed m my may eyes 03 on Ernestos Ernesto's now just a block down the avenue I Ione one of a n massive row of stately gran gran- pillared ite-pillared houses built ninety years ears before as homes heroes for a group of New I Yorkers who ho lad had been distinguished for fOl |