The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

96 ‘“Pachard!’’ softly exclaimed Camper. “Y remember now.” Dr. Manning continued: ‘“ Mr. Pachard came to live here during the management of my predecessor, who gave me his life history. It has been his daily custom to visit the Arms for a few hours. During the last few months he has had spells of imagining he was running the place. The proprietor. has humored him, the regular patrons admire and respect him, and, like the employees, never pretend to see him when his mind is clouded. Unfor- tunately, he had one of his spells to-day. Possibly to-morrow he may be normal.” Camper squeezed my arm. I was begin- ning to- anticipate the rest of the doctor’s recital. “He is Camper. “Extremely so, as was his father before him. Understand me; he is not unbalanced in any sense of senility. ‘His mind has merely turned back some fifty-odd years. To-day he had the illusion he was proprie- tor of the inn and that Lincoln was calling for volunteers. During the Civil War it was his custom to refuse to serve a guest who did not wear the national colors. If such came to the inn, he was presented with a small flag by his host. If he hesitated in accepting it, he was shown out.” ‘* His father—strange yarns when I was very patriotic,” interposed a boy—did his father figure in the capture’ of André?” cried Camper, tripping over his ‘words in his eagerness. ‘“T don’t recall his mentioning anything like that,’”’ slowly responded Manning. “He may have to my predecessor, however.” If the two said more along this line, I did not hear them, for now my eyes were fixed on a photograph on the doctor’s desk. ‘““T must take that picture. I'll see you get it back, all right,” I said, pointing to the likeness of the waiter who had thrust the flag into poor Batak’s hand. ‘‘ A remarkable story, only it’s cruel the death of a friend must figure in it,” I said as we were returning to the city. ‘‘A miracle instead of a story,” impres- Bively corrected Camper. “I now humbly beg your pardon and ask your forgiveness.” THE ARGOSY. I believed he had cracked in earnest. My expression betrayed this fear. ‘‘ T mean it,” he assured, resting his hand on my shoulder and glancing back to make sure we were isolated from the other pas- sengers. ‘‘ When you entered my office to- day there was a thin package of papers on my desk which contained my summary of the industrial mobilization committee’s work for the last two months. ‘“ ] was the only person who possessed all that vital information. Should it fall into the hands of a spy or a traitor the result might be disastrous to the nation. Yet those papers disappeared shortly after you ar- rived in the office. Batak and I were the only other persons in the room when they vanished. Only one hypothesis was possi- ble—either you or Batak took them.” ‘“‘Good Heavens!” I choked. “Me! “Softly,” he warned, pressing my shoul- der. ‘“‘ The papers were on my desk when I rose to greet you. You passed close to the desk when you went, to the window. Batak walked by the desk when he pro- cured me a towel. I discovered the theft while wiping my hands. I had two courses open to me: to summon help and have you both searched, or accompany the two of you to Storville and perhaps learn which was guilty before taking any action. ‘Each of you had been my trusted friend. I had no reason for suspecting one more than the other. So I came up the river to fight it out with the two of you. I will confess my mind began turning against you when you seemed so eager to leave us before lunch. I had been waiting for one of you to make excuses for breaking away long enough to conceal the papers. “I regretted then I had not had you both searched, although that would subject an innocent man to a terrible humiliation. So I insist Mr. Pachard is’a miracle rather than an interesting special for your Sunday edition.” ‘‘ Batak—André?”’ I faintly whispered. ‘“No—an Arnold,” Camper grimly re- plied. ‘“ He was an American citizen and he was a traitor. When I placed my hand over his heart to see if he tived, I found the papers inside his waistcoat.” comicbool< CO