Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 12, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

mene i — a Bee , a THUNDERING DAWNS. 7 The captain whistled softly, and frowned at the floor. ‘‘I don’t want to cross-ex- amine you. But I think a further explana- tion is in order before we go through with this. What was the trouble?” ‘“* Manslaughter—first degree. I was con- victed of driving a car while intoxicated, and killing two people. They made an ex- ample of me. That’s all.” ‘““ No, it isn’t all, Hull. There’s more to it than that. I’ve spent twenty years in this outfit, and have known a lot of men. I think L know something of human na- ture. “You’re not a criminal. type of man I want behind me when the time comes to go over the top. You got out of jail this morning, and joined up with the colors right away; when you had a chance to lie out of your past record, you came clean with it—two things in your favor right at the start!” He pointed to a chair beside the flat- topped desk at which he sat. “Now you just squat down there, and let me have the insides of this. There are two sides to every story, and I want to hear yours. I have a right to hear it anyway, even if I wasn’t old enough to be your old man. Some day, if I have the luck to get by the medico, you and I and the rest of these boys are going to be knocking around in some tight places together. Get it off your mind now!” Later, in training and in battle, Stewart was to learn to know and love this straight- thinking, straight-hitting ex-lumberjack and business man turned citizen-soldier. Stewart was to find that there was plenty for “Celluloid” Jim Donovan to learn about the higher strategy of modern war- fare—everything that had transpired since the Spanish-American War was lost to Cel- luloid Jim, or at best vaguely grasped— but Stewart was also to learn, as he began to learn there and then, that when it came to square-dealing and downright decency between men, Jim Donovan could give most people cards and spades. Jerkily, with an occasional tactfully worded question fromthe older man, the story came out. Dimly surprised at his Seer as + = owl oo You’re the own Preaek bene me me as compe force of the other’s sympathetic under- standing, Stewart found himself going into details of that fateful night, breaking the embittered silence of five'years, uncovering the secret hope he had clung to all through- out, that he would some day be able to clear himself, “Not that it makes much difference to any one else,” he ended grimly. “I have no relatives to worry about me—fortunate- ly. An uncle, one of my father’s brothers, living up in Albany, used to look out for me occasionally—got me my job in fact— but he dropped me like a hot iron when this happened.” ‘So did the girl,’ Donovan added, “ but she didn’t amount to much. She wouldn’t have quit you otherwise. Some day you'll run across a real woman—there ain’t too many of them—and you’ll see the differ- ence when it comes to sticking to a man. This other fellow that lied his way out, got her, and I’d say he was welcome!” Stewart leaned forward in his chair. ‘So you—believe I’m right?” he ques- tioned. ‘“ You think I’m good enough for the outfit?” Celluloid Jim’s heavy fist cracked on the desk-top. ‘“ Damned tooting I do!” he shouted. “I don’t know what the law says about it. You may not be a citizen any more for all I know, and what’s more I don’t give a fiddler’s fol-de-rol either way! I think you’ve had a raw deal all around, and if you’re willing to fight for the country that kept you in jail, it ought to be darned glad to have you!” He handed the enlistment papers to Stewart, and shoved out his hand. “There you are! You’re with us now, and good luck to you! You’ve got the brand of the Double Eight on you now, and I know you won’t disgrace it. Tell Sergeant Breitman everything’s O K, and you're to go into Corporal Jennings’s squad. ‘And by the way,” he added, as Stew- art started for the door, “ don’t ee a bit about telling me your troubles. I’v been keeping other people’ s secrets all a life.” is — — cS =. a re SS ee - 4 > 3 os i ee - es —_ ae a es = ines oem : = —— ie rie = eta So > SCs a * mal ste eee, oe aA ae SN, > = =e ee a aS i Seek deco’ ‘Sergeant Breiman in the “Comicboske. com