The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Old Die Rich, by Horace Leonard Gold

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Title: The Old Die Rich

Author: Horace Leonard Gold

Illustrator: Camerage
William Ashman

Release Date: April 5, 2010 [EBook #31892]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from the March 1953 issue of Galaxy. Extensive
research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this
publication was renewed.

THE OLD DIE RICH

By H. L. GOLD

Illustrated by ASHMAN

_It is the kind of news item you read at least a dozen times
a year, wonder about briefly, and then promptly forget--but
the real story is the one that the reporters are unable to
cover!_

* * * * *

"You again, Weldon," the Medical Examiner said wearily.

I nodded pleasantly and looked around the shabby room with a feeling
of hopeful eagerness. Maybe _this_ time, I thought, I'd get the
answer. I had the same sensation I always had in these places--the
quavery senile despair at being closed in a room with the single shaky
chair, tottering bureau, dim bulb hanging from the ceiling, the
flaking metal bed.

There was a woman on the bed, an old woman with white hair thin enough
to show the tight-drawn scalp, her face and body so emaciated that the
flesh between the bones formed parchment pockets. The M.E. was going
over her as if she were a side of beef that he had to put a federal
grade stamp on, grumbling meanwhile about me and Sergeant Lou Pape,
who had brought me here.

[Illustration]

"When are you going to stop taking Weldon around to these cases,
Sergeant?" the M.E. demanded in annoyance. "Damned actor and his
morbid curiosity!"

For the first time, Lou was stung into defending me. "Mr. Weldon is a
friend of mine--I used to be an actor, too, before I joined