Page:Arthur Stringer--The House of Intrigue.djvu/118

106 going to have a substitute for a sick woman, you may as well have a substitute for a dead one. And that's what we're going to get!"

The silence that followed led me to infer that the three of them were thinking this over. And it must have been a very interesting subject for thought. But certain inferences and aspects of it gave me a quavery feeling in the region of the midriff.

"Just a moment, until I see if this street-cat is getting inquisitive. Just a—"

I didn't wait for more.

By the time that old weasel had the door open I was once more sitting in my chair, with my knees crossed, and a rather bored look on my face. I even yawned as he poked his silver-haloed head in through the opening,

"Just a moment or two," he purred. Then he wagged his bony head with its silvery nimbus, wagged it vigorously and approvingly, and shut the door again. But inside of three seconds I had stolen a base and had my ear back against the panel.

"—And get her powdered up, and well covered in that four-poster. Your Ledwidge woman can help you out in this. Then have the lights lowered, and herd that string of hungry-eyed heirs, the whole tribe of 'em, right into the room. Let 'em see her,