Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

240 ‘There is one here guilty of an act of oppression,” she prayed. “ He is no evil- doer, only a product of his time, misled by ignorance. Give us vision to see the truth and strength to deal justly by him.” Fortune felt his cheeks burn. He was bitterly humiliated that a mere girl of the Folk should speak in his defense, yet more than humiliation, he felt a confused sense of shame. With sudden surprise he recog- nized his own wrongdoing. He did not know where to look or how to bear himself. “Comrades,” Zorn stepped forward again. “ This man here, our prisoner, is Fortune,. overcaptain in the army of the Tower People—” A groan of derision interrupted him, ‘He is a soldier—a brave soldier, and a skilled one, nevertheless,” Zorn continued firmly. ‘ There is no need to let our preju- dice blind us to that! He also is a young man, hasty, ignorant of any rights save those of his class and his superiors—and he is guilty of attempting to seize our own Mary.” Again the muttering interrupted him. ‘“T have heard all the story,’ Zorn re- sumed, after a moment. ‘“ I know something of what this young captain has done on the north wall. He is that same Fortune who held back the Wild Fork with but half a company at his back.” - Now men craned their necks eagerly to stare at the hero of the wall. Old habit returned and Fortune stared back haught- ily, disdainful of these humble men. “Tt is easy to say, ‘kill this man,’” counselled Zorn, “It is simple enough to do it, but what does it profit us? I ask you to consider our own need. We must have such a man as this, a soldier who can make soldiers of us, if we are to carry out our plan. ‘ Chance sends us the very man we need. Shall we use him?” “Will he serve us?” shouted a frowzy- headed fellow, whose face was smudged with soot, evidently from the armorers can- tonment. “ Never!” said Fortune with bitter em- phasis, staring proudly down on them. The hubbub renewed itself. Zorn turned a flashing eye on the defiant soldier. “Cheap words, young captain!” he de- THE ARGOSY. . clared with a scorn that made Fortune wince. ‘‘ Cheap words! But you are young —and ignorant.” ‘To the assembly he went on: ‘“‘ Mary herself disclaims all wish for vengeance against this soldier. She will sacrifice personal feeling to the good of the cause. I ask that you ignore his youthful defiance, that you reason like men—and give me time, time to open his eyes—” “Yes, but he defies us!” shouted the armorer, “ He'll betray us!” yelled another in the blue smock of a road-mender. “ Comrades,” began a third, a wild-eyed, long-haired fellow whose skin was dirty yel- low from close living, and whose clothes were covered with the lint and yarn of the looms, “‘ comrades, what good can come of coddling one of Wolff’s slave-drivers, one of these oppressors of the weak? Kall him—” Mary herself interrupted here. Men glancedinto her bright eyes and looked aside guiltily, but they listened, and it was evident the girl could turn them ary way she chose. “I ask you for this soldier’s life,” she began eagerly, ‘“ There has been one mur- der because of him already—his man is dead by Shard’s hand. In time to come his kind must pay in bloodshed for the wrongs they have done. The city will drip with their blood, and the innocent will die with the guilty. In the name of humanity let no life be taken that we can spare! ‘“ By all right this man’s fate is in my hands. I choose to spare him, less from pity—though I hope I can pity even such a soldier of the Tower People—but more because I see in him the tool we can use in our work. Let him live among us thirty days. Let him have every opportunity to learn what it is we are doing. If then he cannot see the justice of our cause, if he cannot join us, I give him back to you. Do you consent?” “Aye! Let him live!” The consent was general. . Fortune had stared in dumb amazement at this girl who pleaded for his life. In every word he read her contempt for him, but instead of resenting it, he was over- whelmed by shame, Still his confused mind (E(0) TOO AMG SJ iGO