Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

142 _ She swallows everything Zizi says for law and gospel!” ‘“‘ And just what is ft you say now, Zizi?” I asked. ‘Nothin’ much, kind sir. Only that cse Rivers is a gentleman and a scholar, that his memory is on the home stretch and humming along, and that if he’s after a paper, he’ll get it!” ‘And incidentally he’s Amos Gately’s—”’ A scream of agony from Zizi interrupted my speech, and jumping to her feet she danced round the room, her forefinger thrust between her red lips, and her little, eery face contorted as with pain. “Qh, what is it, Zizi?” cried Olive, run- ning to the frantic girl. Mrs. Vail, hearing the turmoil, came run- ning in, and she and Olive held Zizi be- tween them, begging to know how she was hurt. Catching an opportunity, Zizi looked at me over Mrs. Vail’s sheulder, and the mes- sage shot from her eyes was fully as under- standable as if she had spoken. It said: “Do not mention any hint of Case Rivers’s possible connection with the Gately murder, and do not mention the snowflake drawn on the blotter in Mr. Gately’s office.” Yes, quite a lengthy and comprehensive speech to be made without words; but the speaking black eyes said it as clearly as lips could have done. I nodded my obedience, and then Zizi giggled, and with her inimitable impudence she turned to Olive and said: “‘ I’m like the White Queen in ‘ Alice’; I haven’t pricked my finger yet, but I probably shall, some day.” “What were you screaming about, then?” asked Mrs. Vail, inclined to be angry, while Olive looked amused and mystified. “Emergency,” and Zizi grinned at her. “ First aid to the injured; or, rather, pre- vention, which is worth a pound of first aid!” ‘““¥You’re crazy!” said Mrs. Vail, a little annoyed at being fooled so. ‘‘J thought you were nearly killed!” ‘When you knew a lady once who was nearly killed, did she yell like that?” asked Zizi with an innocent smile. THE ARGOSY. “Yes!” exclaimed Mrs. Vail. ‘“ But how did you know I once saw a lady nearly killed?” ‘* Mind-reading!” replied Zizi. And then Pennington Wise arrived, and we all shame- lessly ignored Mrs. Vail and her yarns to listen to his report. ‘“There’s a lot doing,” he said. ‘ And,” he added gently, ‘I’m sorry to bring you unpleasant news, Miss Raynor, but you'll have to know sooner or later—”’ ‘““T do know,” said Olive bravely. “ You're going to tell me my guardian was —was not a good man.” ‘‘ That is so; it is useless to try to soften the truth. Amos Gately was the receiver of important Government secrets, learned by Sadie Kent, the telegrapher. She car- ried them to Rodman, who, in turn, trans- mitted them to Gately, who, it seems, had a way of getting the information to ‘the enemy. Of course, the secret wireless sta- tion, recently discovered, was used, as well -as other means of communication. I won’t go into details, Miss Raynor, but Amos Gately was ‘the man higher up,’ who thought himself safe from discovery be- cause of his unimpeachable reputation for integrity, and also because of the infinite precautions he had taken. Indeed, if he had not fallen a victim to the personal charms of the Link, his share in the wrong might never have been learned.” Olive listened to all this, white-faced and still, her lips a tense, drawn line of scarlet, her expression a stony calm. Zizi, watching her closely and with loving care, slipped her little brown paw into Olive’s hand, and noted with satisfaction the faint smile. ‘‘ Perhaps,” Olive said after a thoughtful pause, “it is as well, then, that Uncle Amos did not—live to be—disgraced.”’ “Tt is,” said Wise gravely. ‘“‘ He would have faced a Federal prison had it all been discovered while he lived. That will be Rodman’s fate, if he is not held for the crime of murder. And I think he will not be. For his alibi clears him, and it was to escape the graver charge that he has told so much of the spy business.” = ‘‘ And so,” I said, “‘ we are as far as ever from the discovery of the murderer?”’ OOO = a C© SS (CO