Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

TRACING THE SHADOW. ‘Oh, Penny; it’s all right!” And with a spring across the room she landed in Wise’s arms, who patted her shoulder and said: “There, there, Ziz; don’t flatten out now!” Meantime Rivers was finding himself. He stood still, with his hands tightly grasp- ing the chair-back, and his face working as he received and classified the memories crowding thickly back upon his burdened brain. ‘‘ Wait a minute,” he said, struggling with his thoughts. ‘I know all about it, but—”’ ‘“Amory!” cried Olive; voice! I know-you now!” We could all note the change in his speech. Until this moment Rivers had spoken in the peculiar tones I had noticed the first time I met him; monotonous tones, almost devoid of inflection. Now his voice was normal, and even more melodious than the average. Surely the man had found himself, but if he was really Amory Manning—well, my mind refused to go further. And he had also said that he killed Amos Gately! But I felt no need of asking questions, or even of wondering, for the man before us looked so responsible, so capable of self- explanation, that, like the rest of the as- sembly, I merely waited confidently his further speech. ‘‘ There is so much to be told,” he said, and his smile changed to a leok of pain. He gave another glance at Olive, and even took a step toward her; then he seemed to collapse, and sinking back into the chair he had vacated, he hid his face in his hands and groaned. ~ “ Go on!” whispered an imperious little voice, and Zizi was behind him again, her hand on his shoulder, her tones urgent and encouraging. ‘““T will!” And Manning, for we felt no doubt of his identity now, spoke firmly and bravely. He did not look at Olive, and it was clear that this was intentional. Instead, he turned to Zizi, and seemed to address himself to her. He couldn’t have done better if he wanted helpful sympathy, for the black ‘that’s your 147 eyes that gazed at him were soft and tender with something in them like maternal sweetness. This mood of Zizi’s, rarely shown, was one of her chiefest charms, and Manning gratefully accepted it and let it help him. ‘Shall I tell all—now and here?” he asked, glancing at Pennington Wise. ‘“Yes,’”’ said the detective after a mo- ment’s thought. ‘“ Yes, if you will.” “Very well, then.” Manning was en- tirely composed now, but it was evident he was holding himself together by a strong effort. Also, he carefully refrained from looking in Olive’s direction. This alarmed me a little, for to my mind it augured him a guilty man, and that, in fact, he had declared himself to be. Norah and I exchanged glances of un- derstanding—or, rather, of not understand- ing—and Manning began his story. ‘“T think I will begin right here,” he said in a slow, methodical way, and with the air of one who has a disagreeable duty to perform, but who has no intention of shirking any part of it. “I remember everything—everything— and it is not all pleasant remembrance! But it must be told, and then I must go at once and report to my superiors. ‘“T am Amory Manning, a special agent in the secret service. I was detailed by the government to hunt down a certain branch of the enemy spy system in New York City, and in pursuance of my duty, I learned that Amos Gately was the man I sought.”’ Manning still kept his glance averted from Olive; indeed, he looked almost con- stantly at Zizi, whose dark, little face, love- ly in its sympathy, seemed to drink in his every word. ‘“T knew all about Redman, I was on the trail of Sadie the Link, and I came here that afternoon primarily to get an in- criminating paper which would have been positive evidence against Gately, and I had orders to arrest him if he was unable to clear himself. ‘We had a stormy interview, and I found the man was guilty of the blackest treason. He had been a receiver of the stolen information sold by the Link, and GOMIIGIOO SS (CO)