Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

938 Bernice and Newton will form a part of the mob. The way 1 understand it, now that the performance is over she’s enter- taining the whole cast.” ‘“And she would,” Jim accepted, grin- ning. “ She’s that sort. But she’s sure a friend to the little pigeon, and—well—true friendship’s worth a lot. So he’s going back home to-morrow?” “ That’s what he said,’ Danny nodded. ‘“ Ar’ see here, Mr. Jim—what’s he goin’ to do with our bus?” “J dunno, young sleuth,” Bryce said as he lighted a cigar and blew out smoke. “ I dunno. Unless he ships it, it looks to me as though our gas buggy was apt to prove a total loss.” “ Gee—an’ he just bought it! It ain’t even broke in yet, not really.” Danny sighed. But there were no sighs at Mrs. Perrin- ger’s that night. Or if so, they were sighs of relief rather than sadness; sighs blended with unshed tears of happiness. Judson and Quagley were there; Newton, of course —smart in khaki and brass; and the little pigeon. ‘“Mr. Dual,” she said, and took his hand and pressed it to her breast, “ how can I thank you?” Semi looked down into her lifted eyes, no longer clouded, but wide—lighted with the light of the future. “ By being glad,” he said, and smiled. Dinner was served. Bernice Rand sat between her father and Newton. There was only one topic of conversation, of course. Mrs. Perringer with Dual on her right was in her element. ‘““Tt’s wonderful—wonderful!” she de- clared. ‘ To think that Mr. Dual knew that dreadful man for what he was from the first. Oh”—she turned her eyes to Semi —‘ Mr. Judson told us you did; that you knew he was Neptune—read his mind— knew what dreadful things were in it— just as you did mine the first time we met —and how, just from studying your astro- logical figures, you knew he was rushing headlong to his death. Of course I have heard of such things—but I never thought T would be privileged to see a demonstra- tion of it myself, even though I have been ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. interested in such things for years. But, even so, I can’t help feeling that it’s little short of miraculous.” I caught Jim’s eye, and he winked. But Haddon smiled slightly in his quiet way. ‘And yet, I fancy that our friend Dual will tell you that the whole thing is but a working out of natural law from first to last,” he said. ‘“ I’ve known him sev- eral years, and worked with him before. That’s why I called him into the affair— sent him Miss Rand’s and Lieutenant New- ton’s birth dates in order that he might de- termine their innocence before he even started out here—” “Oh, you naughty man!” Mrs. Perrin- ger cried, turning again to Semi. ‘“‘ You’d done that before I met you—you knew al- ready. And I thought what you said at my reception was something you’d worked out after you got here. One never knows, do they? Life’s such a funny thing—so dreadfully mixed up! But you really did determine her innocence from a study of her signs?” “Yes, Mrs. Perringer.” Dual inclined his head. “‘ And my announcement at your reception was but the voicing of a known fact—save that it served the purpose of somewhat disturbing the enemy’s camp by attracting their attention to the ability I claimed, rousing in their minds a question as to whether or not I would or could go farther into the matter than I had.” ‘And why did you have me write down the date of my birth, which you already possessed?” Bernice asked quickly. “I know now you had an object in that. You seem to have a definite object in every move.” “Tt gave me a specimen of your hand- writing,” Dual explained. “Later that served to verify the message which was found at Miguel Ramirez’s place as yours.”’ “You see. That’s what I meant,” Had- don spoke again. “If you'll look back, each event followed the other in a natural sequence in the whole thing. It all worked out naturally from first to last. Take the instance of the bottle Pulfer claimed to have found at our friend Rand’s. Stanley told me last night that he knew Pulfer. meant to bring it back when he went out Ccomiclbooks.e©