Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 145: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

POOR LITTLE PIGEON. As one, we turned toward it, back into the front room. The crowd still stood out- side on the pavement and a woman’s body was pressed against the door, upon which she hammered with beating hands. Lolita! I knew her—recognized her as a matter of fact, with little surprise. Some way her coming here now seemed but a part and parcel of all the rest. I stood watching while Quagley opened the door and she thrust her way inside. ‘Were ees he? Were ees he?” she panted a question and paused tense in every supple line, her dark eyes sweeping us in a tragic fashion. ‘“‘ W’ere ees he? I de- man’ to see heem!” She stamped her foot. “‘ Nina.” Dual spoke a single word. I knew its meaning. He had called her ‘little one.” Her glance leaped to his face. Her own face writhed. ‘“ You—you!” she half shrieked. Her hand twitched at her skirt. Her other hand flashed downward beneath its hem. ‘“ Here—Lolita!” Quagley roared, leap- ing toward her. ‘““ Let be, Quagley.” Dual lifted a hand. He went slowly toward the quivering wom- an. And then he spoke, swiftly, softly to her in her native tongue. And she listened, listened with her eyes on his face, until finally, piercingly she cried out “ La Muerte de la Culebra!’ and sprang into motion, rushing past us toward that farther room, where lay what Quagley had brought in. “The Death of the Snake!” Vaguely I understood the words—connected them— understood that Semi had explained. A scream came again from the farther room, and then softer, lower-toned, caress- ing words. “ Carissimo—Carissimo!” We trailed back. Momentarily I closed my eyes. Lolita lay half across the corpse —had half circled it with her arms. In a way it was appalling. Whatever she was or had been, she was young, strong, vital, full of a passionate life. It shook one to see her stretched so in utter abandon. “ Nina,’ Dual advanced and laid a hand upon her dark hair, spoke softly to her again. She lay silent, and presently she lifted dry eyes to his. 935 “You knew not this was to be, Lolita?” he said. “Dios non!’ she faltered. “ Dios! Dios!” She rocked herself slightly to and fro, in a tearless grief. “ I know nozzing— till but sow—a li’l wile ago I haf heard.” Parkin brought a chair. Dual guided her to it. She sank down. “But you know—why, Lolita?” he sug- gested. “ Si—si!” she nodded slightly. “ I know, senor, Eet ees Pablo haf done eet, bic- cause he lof me—biccause he ees—afraid.”’ “Pablo loved you?” Semi prompted. “ Si,’ she said again. “ Seence we were boy an’ girl, senor. Eet ees more or less long story.” She began speaking swiftly. “We were to belong one to ze ozzer, teel ze Senor Pulfer come. Zen—everysing change. He say he lof me; he persuade me to be hees. Pablo he get into w’at you cal] trouble. He keel a man—an’ ze Sefior Pulfer knows. He he’p Pablo—mak’ eet to appear accident. But after he mak’ Pablo do as he say so he weel not tell. Eet ees same as slave. But me he take, an’ mak’ me dancer. I am hees. But I am not all happy. I learn some sings. Ze Senor Pulfer is marry. He haf wife an’ babee w’ere he leave befo’ he come Wes’.” ‘“‘ A wife and baby?” Quagley exclaimed; and I knew he was thinking of Bernice Rand. “ Si, senor,’ Lolita nodded and went on. “ But I lof heem, I not care so ver’ mooch. Zen he get mix up wiz a sergente at ze camp, an’ ze sergente has a dog. Eet ees teach to carry—”’ “Sergeant Stanley was arrested this af- ternoon, Lolita,’ Dual stayed her briefly. “ Gracias Dios!” she said. “Zen you know?” “Yes, Nina,’ Semi answered. “ The Senor Pulfer was engaged with the sergeant in the selling of drugs?” “ Si,” Lolita said. Her accent was sud- denly tired. The fire seemed gone out of her. She went on dully: “ Si, sezor. As you know, ze sergente use ze dog. Some of ze droog he sell een ze camp. More Senor Pulfer take an’ pack, in—how you say?—ze automobeel tire—ze inside.”’ “Inner tube,” Judson supplied quickly. oO CoOmicoooks (©