The Johnston McCulley Megapack: 15 Classic Mysteries by Johnston McCulley

Author:Johnston McCulley [McCulley, Johnston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, crime, detective, sleuth, short stories
ISBN: 9781479402755
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2015-03-24T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER II

NOBODY KNOWS

WITH that smile still upon his face, as though it had been frozen there, Calderton stepped briskly along the hall and came face to face with old Renkin. The butler glanced at him questioningly.

“He’s all right,” Calderton said. “Just a bit huffy at something that has happened.”

“I hate to see him excited, sir,” said the butler. “His heart isn’t any too good, I am afraid, sir.”

“Bosh! I don’t believe that he has a heart!” Calderton replied, with a nervous laugh. He did not know why he acted in this manner, unless it was to make everything appear ordinary—to prevent an inkling that there was trouble.

Calderton went on toward the front to get his hat and coat, and the old butler kept at his heels. In a little reception room near the front door another man was waiting. Calderton saw, with surprise, that he was Morgan Snade.

Snade was a young man of promise who had come up from nothing and was rapidly making a name for himself in the financial district and in Moberg’s employ. Calderton always had hated him, because he recognized Snade’s superiority as a man of business, realized his cleverness and ability. He had presumed to make an attempt to patronize Snade, to look down upon him because of his humble birth. Snade had about as much money as Calderton, but he had not had a distinguished father, did not have the entrée to exclusive clubs, and was a mere beginner in the social game.

And then Morgan Snade had met Margaret Moberg and fallen in love with her. Nor was he to be easily thrust aside. Even Margaret resented Calderton’s slurring remarks about Snade. She seemed to think that he was honest, sincere, hard-working, and possessed of those qualities for which men of fashion seldom take the trouble to look.

Accordingly, Snade and Calderton were always at swords’ points, though Calderton tried to tell himself that it was ridiculous to think of Snade as a suitor for Margaret Moberg’s hand. As they met face to face in Moberg’s home, each wondered what had brought the other there. There was quick suspicion between them.

Snade was in the act of lighting a cigarette. He put his gold cigarette case down upon the table at his elbow as Calderton stopped to get his hat and coat, crumpled the cigarette in his fingers, and bowed courteously, but frigidly.

“Evening!” Calderton remarked with bad grace.

Old Renkin feared a scene, and he detested scenes. “Mr. Moberg will see you now, Mr. Snade,” he said. “Just step into the library, please.”

Snade glared at Calderton and brushed past him to go down the hall. He had forgotten the cigarette case. Calderton sneered at his back and allowed old Renkin to help him on with his coat. Then Renkin turned to get the hat.

Calderton found the cigarette case at the tips of his fingers. He picked it up quickly and slipped it into his overcoat pocket. Then Renkin let him out.

Why he had taken that cigarette case Calderton could not tell himself.

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