Argosy All-Story Weekly, August 9, 1924 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

178 Newton jerked around toward him. ‘“‘ Blessed are the pure in heart,” he half sneered. “I’m a bit tired of platitudes, sir. If what you say were true, would a girl, young, innocent, as one of these very birds I fooled with was innocent of any intentional wrongdoing, be shut up this morning in a filthy jail, along with a father who is as fine an old man as ever breathed?” “Newton!” Colonel Knoll began in very much the tone, I fancied, he might use upon a parade ground. But Semi lifted a hand to stay him. ‘“‘ Please,” he said in the mellow accents he so frequently used when dealing with troubled human souls. ‘“‘ One may not feel surprise that Lieutenant Newton is mentally perturbed. It is so hard at times to decide between what is evil and what is good. Yet I am not one to mouth platitudes, Mr. Newton, unless convinced in my soul of the truth of the things so mouthed. There is, however, a story concerning a man who journeyed down to Jericho and found him-: self beset by thieves. I mention the matter merely to point as its moral that one does not always choose his friends, in need.” ‘“‘T—beg your pardon,” Newton actually stammered, a light flush creeping into his cheeks. ‘I’m upset, as I see you under- stand. But would you mind my asking just —who the devil are you? I’ve—er—read the morning paper and I couldn’t help not- ing the name. Then Cleland comes in and tells me you’re somebody Haddon got to come out here because of this infernal mud- dle in which I’ve managed to involve others besides myself. It’s rather hard to—well, orient the thing exactly.” ‘“‘ As to who I am,” Dual returned slowly. “ Suffice it to say that I am one who has lived to see innocence assailed in many an instance, and yet having lived a little longer to see that selfsame innocence preserved. Hence it is that I say that he who is armed with innocence in his soul, is armed with buckler and shield. Yet to be so armed, one must be innocent, indeed.” “You doubt it?” Newton demanded quickly. ‘“ Lieutenant Newton,” Dual questioned almost sharply, ‘“‘ where did you get those birds?” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “ Why—from an old Mexican over east here—Miguel Ramirez. He raises turkeys and all sorts of pigeons, mostly for sale as squabs, but has a few carriers,” Newton explained. ‘And who, besides Miss Rand and her father, knew of your using them?” ‘“ Why, the railroad representatives here, the station agent where they were thrown off. It wasn’t any secret.” Newton frowned. ‘* Lieutenant Newton.” Dual arose. Al- most it seemed that he towered up. ‘‘ Why, when you were continually going across to the Rand ranch, did you not bring the drugs back with you, instead of trusting to pigeons, freighted with quills?” “Yes, damn it, why didn’t I?”? Newton flared, also rising. ‘‘I’ll tell you. Because I’ve never had anything at all to do with the filthy drugs. I’m glad somebody has had intelligence enough to ask the ques- tion at last. It’s the weakest link in the chain of evidence against me. It’s the thing on which I’m really basing my hope. Why would I be fooling with those pigeons when [I could go over there and carry back as much as I liked?” “Why, indeed?” said Semi-Dual. ‘“ Un- less you did not care to have too much of the drug about—unless you used the pig- eons as a sort of emergency measure, to maintain a supply at such times as you found it inconvenient to go after it your- self?” For a moment Newton stood regarding him in utter silence. And then he went limp, sank down into his chair and covered his face with his hands. “My God,” his voice came _ hoarse. ‘““Tsn’t there any explanation of this ghastly business that can’t be twisted into the worst possible light? I admit it was nonsensical to use the birds as we did—but that’s all it was. It was just a bit of romantic non- sense. It’s rather hard to explain. It sounds maudlin, speaking about it this way, but to us—at the time—”’ He broke off. The fingers that covered his features quivered, and he dashed them down, and laughed in the short, hard fash- ion of jangled nerves. “The dove,’ Dual spoke again. “I GoMmilGebsoo ©) SS (CO) nn