Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 164: what you’re looking at

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

154 to overcome the physical weakness from which he suffered, but his eyes were bright, and his high-pitched voice clear and un- trembling as he answered the preliminary questions of the court. To his friends—the man on trial and Flora and her father among the witnesses yet to be called—he looked very bent and diminutive as he stood there between the two tall Indians. He told of the arrival of the lovers at his mission and mentioned a private conversation with the prisoner, a confession made to him by the prisoner, and a sealed envelope given into his charge. Then he spoke of the marriage, and an expectant murmur made itself audible from the body of the hall. Flora had many well wishers among the townspeople gathered there—poor miners’ wives whom she had helped when times were particularly hard, and others who knew her only by sight, but whose sym- pathy and pity were won by the romantic incidents of the flight, her beautiful face, and her brave bearing in court. . “Did you know him for the murderer of Swithen when you married them?” asked Judge Robson. “T certainly did, your honor,” came the priest’s instant reply. ‘‘ And I married them, and gave them my blessing—and I kissed the bride—and I’d be glad to do it all over again. But then the fire destroyed my little church and my house, and with it the letter he gave me, and the marriage register. So you will have to take an old priest’s word for these things.”’ ‘What do you know of the prisoner? Is Victor Kent his real name? Is he an ex- plorer? By what name did he sign the register?” ; ‘“‘T know his name well enough.” Father Quinn spoke almost defiantly. “ He told it to me; and he wrote it in the register. It isn’t Victor Kent—I’ll tell you that much; and when he says I can tell you more, I’ll do so, your honor.” Flora started and turned amazed and questioning eyes to her husband. Her father was whispering to her, but she made no an- swer. Victor met her look unswervingly and with a smile, and she smiled back. The judge’s next question rang sharply through the heavy silence of the hall. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEFKLY. ‘What name did the prisoner sign in the register?” Father Quinn turned toward the prisoner and received the answer to his unspoken query in an unmistakable shake of the head. The priest shook his at the judge and remained with closed lips. While the judge still waited his reply Victor was whisper- ing urgently to the armed constables at his elbows. For a moment they seemed in doubt and then they stared searchingly in the direction of the door at the farther end of the building. One of them turned and spoke in a low tone to a member of the force who stood directly behind him, and that man made his way down the nar- row aisle between the crowded benches and stationed himself at the door. Victor fol- lowed his movements coolly. Judge Robson’s face worked with an im- patience that he could not keep out of his voice. His heavy brows were drawn to- gether in a scowl and he tapped on the desk with a thick forefinger. What is all this quibbling about, Father Quinn?”’ he almost shouted. “ You must answer the question of the court. What is the prisoner’s name?”’ Again the old priest and Victor exchanged glances. “ Certainly, your honor.” At first Father Quinn’s tones were propitiatory, but as he continued he, too, seemed to lose his pa- tience. ‘“ When my conscience permits my tongue to do so. You must not hurry an old man. Yes, he told me his true name— and he wrote it in the register—but the lady did not see it. But what would she have cared if she had? It was he whom she loved, to be sure, and not his name. But he is also Victor Kent—the real Victor -Kent—the explorer. There isn’t any other —an able man, your honor. But he is an- other and a greater person than that, and if I were free to tell you what I know, you wouldn’t be sitting there like a silly fool—”’ His excited eloquence was interrupted by the crash of an overturned bench and the sudden outbreak of a disturbance in the crowd near the door. Turning instantly Victor saw two men struggling with three members of the force. An automatic was COMmiclboo SS C©