Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 7, 1928 — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

HEARTBREAK TRAIL. and be the noble, honest boy you were! Crawl on your knees to this noble old man who has loved you asason. He'll forgive you, dear. “ Be humble; beg forgiveness! Your old friends will help you to redeem your honor and your good name. [ll stand by you, dear; my father will stand by you.” “Td extend the helping hand to the lowest wretch from the gutter, if [ be- lieved him sincerely humble and re- pentant,” said Reynolds, “and that’s the duty of every Christian man.” ‘“ Miranda,” said Reuel, staring into the girl’s streaming eyes, ““ can you say all that, with such apparent feeling, and understand what you are saying? Do you believe in your young heart that I need forgiveness? Do you see, through such clear eyes, men like your father and my uncle as virtuous, hon- est men? “Why, by my soul!” he cried, “if I stood before a higher tribunal than we have upon this miserable earth, [’d plead to the Highest Judge for for- giveness for these two old men, steeped in infamy, corruption, and sin. And you think them noble—God help you!” “Out of my house, maniac!” shrieked the Senator, rising with such, violence that the table was overturned with a crash. : “Ves, out of this house!” seconded Reynolds. ‘And stay out of the houses of all worthy men, you cur!” “Reuel!”’ cried the girl again. “You're utterly insane. It’s not too late. Come to yourself. Look about you, my dear. See our homes, our dear families, our culture and refine- ment. Think of our good deeds, our charities! We are the superior people; you must see that! “What has turned you to those wretches in the border towns? They’re ignorant, depraved; they have no cul- ture or understanding of the finer things! Let them fight as they will among themselves till they’re all ex- 281 terminated. A hundred such lives are not worth the life of one gentleman such as you were six months ago. Lis- ten to me, Reuel!’”’ ““T listen,” he said, “ and my blood congeals! Because you do mean what you say. You—a child, are so warped by your environment that you see vice as virtue, falsehood as truth, corrup- tion as purity. God bless you and help you, Miranda. I have to say good-by; I have to go, out into the air where I can breathe.” Reynolds stepped forward and raised his daughter to her feet. He pulled the diamond ring from her finger roughly, angrily. “Take it,” he said to Reuel, “ and go. Go at once; your uncle is ill!” “Yes, take it!” echoed Miranda, suddenly adopting something of her father’s manner. “ There’s no hope. You’re too changed; you couldn’t be the same again. You'd better go back to your ragged, wretched friends and live with them in their sties.” He sighed deeply, looked at the sparkling jewel, and tossed it into the fire in the grate. CHAPTER XVII. THE PURPOSE OF GOD. T sunrise on the 21st of May, A 1856, the organized and armed invasion of Lawrence was begun. Marching as the posse of United States Marshal Donaldson, to serve writs of the Federal Court on the town and some of its citizens, seven hundred and fifty men appeared on the heights of Mount Oread and viewed the town that they had come to capture and lay in ruins. _ Men from the Carolinas, from Geor- gia, Virginia, and Alabama were there, augmenting the veteran border ruffians © from Missouri. Sabers and rifle bar- rels and bayonets flashed in the sun< light, 1nd pieces of light artillery were trundled into places of vantage on the COLMUC VOOLKS (C@