Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

616 ‘Well, we are going to shoot you with a dose of morphine to benumb your nerves and the scopolamine to kill your imagina- tion. Then you will answer, truthfully, certain questions whether you wish to do so or not.” The man with the revolver held it level with my forehead, while I was roughly helped off with my coat and my right sleeve rolled back. Then I had to submit to a terrific injec- tion—I imagine I could feel it coursing like fire through my veins. “T can’t tell anything I don’t know,” I whispered stubbornly, “‘ and I did not steal that formula. ® The masks on the faces seemed to dance before my eyes and I blundered into dark- ness. When I awoke, or came to would be a better expression, I thought I must be in a standstill in some wonderful dream, all too wonderful to be true. I was back in my apartment at the Albertson, lying in my bed, and Julia, more beautiful than ever to my eyes, was bending over me. TI felt no impulse to move, save to take her hand, for I was as weak as a kitten. Julia, my dear,” I whispered, “is this all real—or will I pinch myself and wake up?” She kissed me, and I knew that was true. “I don’t understand, dearest,” I went on. ‘ The last I remember I was forced to undergo a terrible truth experiment and—’’ “Your friend, Colonel Chalmers, will ex- plain,” she said, and that lovely voice in my ears was hers, I knew. Then I saw my old boss sitting there big as life at the foot of the bed. “Tt’s a wonder they didn’t kill you,” he said savagely. ‘“‘ We had the devil and all of a time bringing you back to conscious- ness. Whatever it was they gave you it must have been a tremendous overdose—”’ “Yes, I know,” I said hurriedly. ‘‘ They ‘gave me scopolamine to try to find out about the formula. I remember going out —and that’s all. What happened?” “We knew that the heads of the opium ring were all gathered there at headquarters THE ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. this morning, not trusting each other any too well,” said the colonel, ‘‘ when such an ‘important prisoner as you was to be given the works. “The house had been surrounded since dawn by a big squad of our men, as well as city detectives. A half hour after you showed up we sprung our raid—gathered in the most important of prisoners and docu- mentary evidence that will lead to some great hauls of dope.” ‘ They couldn’t get anything out of me in that half hour,” I said feebly. “I could only tell them—if anything—that Peter stole the formula.” “But he only thought he did!” ex- claimed Colonel Chalmers. ‘Then what happened to it?” I asked. “Who else could have taken it out of that volume of Darwin’s?” “T have the formula,” said the colonel triumphantly. ‘Old Robinson fooled his son and you, too, having you bring it to me without your knowledge.” He drew a letter from his pocket. “This is the note Robinson wrote under your eyes. Listen to this: DEAR CHALMERS: My son is listening at the top of the stairs— so I have pretended to hide my formula in a copy of Darwin’s “ Origin of Species.” In- stead I have placed there a hash of scientific words. Peter will certainly steal that for the dope ring, but give me time to get the real formula on to you, by Dr. Warner. You will find it inclosed. “ There is more, but that’s all bringing news to you. I never told you, doctor, because I thought it best for you to be in ignorance—you couldn’t tell what you didn’t know! They thinking you a thiev- ing young doctor, I felt sure you could be used as a bait to draw us to the higher-ups of the dope ring. But I didn’t expect to have you nearly killed in doing so.” “Tl be all right now, doctor,” I said, clasping Julia’s hand. “ Get your old for- mula under way to put opium off the face of the earth—there are other drugs for the narcotic squad to work on—but not for me until we have a vacation honeymoon—at last—at long last! END (E©) .OOKS (EO)