Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 2, 1922 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

492 “By all means,” nodded Kain through his veil of smoke. ‘ By all means let’s hear the other side of the story.” CHAPTER V. HE HEARS OF A WOMAN WITHOUT MERCY. URFY filled his pipe again from Kain’s pouch, lighted it, and puffed while he marshaled his thoughts. He began: “ They was three partners— Cameron and Stirling and Raeburn.” “You mean the rich man—Robert Stan- ley Raeburn?” “Tt’s him I mean,” agreed Gurfy. “I remember like yesterday when he was only plain Raeburn, or R. S. Raeburn at the most. You spell all his names out slow, do you? Well, it was David Cameron that begun the business and made it and took in Raeburn and Stirling that had nothing but their damned smart tongues and their cold hearts to start ’em climbing.” “Well,” said Kain, with his eyes fixed upon that greatest mansion on the Heights, “they’ve climbed far enough.” “The farther for them to fall!” said Gurfy fiercely. “The farther for them to fall! “Well, Cameron had a golden tongue. Ah, lad, to hear him talk you’d forget meat and drink; and it was him brung the trade to the firm. The biggest man in the city —that’s what he was; as big for his day as Charles Stirling is now. “ And all in a day he lost everything; the next he ran away with his family; im a while we heard tell that he’d drowned himself. Nobody knew all the why of it, but there was talk that he’d taken a bribe. The way they tell it still was that Cam- eron was offered big money to make his side of a case weak, and that he done it. Then Raeburn and Stirling heard tell of it, and seen their chance and got a witness —bought him, most like—and hounded him out of town so’s they could get the busi- ness. But he was innocent, or my name’s not Joe Gurfy.”’ “Tnnocent?” cried Kain, starting up from his chair. ‘“ Man, do you say that he was innocent?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “And what ails you, lad?” asked Joe Gurfy in some alarm. Kain sank back into his chair. ‘“ Nothing at all,” he said, and he gripped the arms of his chair tightly. ‘“ But to think that the man may have been driven from his home for no cause—his life ruined —his wife shamed—his boy brought wp in the shadow of a disgrace, hardly daring to call his name his own, and dodging men for fear they might know his father!” He turned suddenly upon Gurfy, crying: “ What proof have you of his innocence? Give me your proofs!” “They wouldn’t count in law, maybe,” said Gurfy. ‘“ But Tl tell you what I know. Charles Stirling was new married, and his wife was sick, so my Alice was piecing out about the house; for in them days there wasn’t no regular servant in Stir- Img’s house. Well, on this night Alice an- swers the doorbell and lets in David Cam- eron. He stands shakin’ the rain off his hat, for it was a wild night out, and he stood looking through Alice in a way he had. Oh, lad, he had an eye that went through you like a knife! ““* 1m that sorry,’ says Alice, ‘but Mr. Stirling ain’t at home.’ “JT know it,’ says Cameron. ‘ Tell Mrs. Stirling I must see her.’ “So Alice went up to give Mrs. Stirling a call, and knocks at her door and goes in. “*'There’s a caller for you,’ says she. “ “Tell him I’m sick in bed,’ says Mrs. Stirling. : ““Tt’s Mr. Cameron,’ says Alice, for that was a name in them days that would take the sick out of bed, I’m telling you! But Mrs. Stirling sort of laughs inside and says: ‘Go tell him I know why he’s come, but it’s no use.’ “*Ma’am,’ says Alice, ‘it ain’t no use my asking him to go. He’s got something on his. mind and he’ll stay till it’s off.’ “Ts it that way?’ says Mrs. Stirling. ‘Then I’ll come down, but he’ll be sorry I came.’ ‘““So down she comes, and Alice knows that there’s queer things up, so she hides behind a door and listens. ““* Annette,’ says David Cameron, ‘ you know why I’m here.’ Gomichbooks.com