CHAPTER XVII Zizi's Hunch
"He's afraid," and Norah wagged her head sagaciously, while her gray eyeshad an apprehensive expression.
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid of the truth. You see, Mr. Brice, our friend Rivers is nobody'sfool. He's onto most points regarding this case, and now, he's gettingonto himself. That astute little scrap of humanity, Zizi, knows he is. Ofcourse, living with Miss Raynor, as she does, she has opportunities everyday to see Mr. Rivers, for he's eternally hanging around the Raynorhouse. Oh, I don't mean he's an idler; not by a long shot. On thecontrary, his middle name is efficiency! He puts over a lot of work in aday."
"What sort of work and how do you know so much about him?"
We were in my office, waiting for Rivers, who had promised to come to seeme, and to look into the Gately rooms. It was now nearly half an hourafter the time he had set for his call, and as it was not his habit to betardy, I was surprised. I had begun to look upon Rivers as a man ofimportance, not only in the matters with which we were associated, but heshowed so much general ability and force of character that I wondered whoor what he would turn out to be. For I felt sure he would find himself,and even if he never discovered who he had been he would make a new nameand a well worthwhile individuality for himself yet.
Norah, too, admired him, and seemed to know as much of his capabilities,or more, than I did myself.
"I don't know just what sort of work, but I think it's connected with themysteries we're up against ourselves. And I know about him, because Zizitold me. She sees everything he does,--when she's with him, I mean. Not agesture or motion escapes her notice. And she's watching his attitudetoward Miss Raynor. She says,--Zizi does,--that Mr. Rivers is over headand ears in love with Olive, but he won't tell her so because he is, ashe puts it, a self-named man! Zizi heard him call himself that whentalking to Miss Raynor, and then he just looked away, and resolutelychanged the subject. But she thinks,--Zizi does,--that he's working nightand day to find out who he is, and she's sure he'll find out. And also,he's working to find Mr. Gately's murderer, and he's hunting for AmoryManning. No wonder the man's busy!"
"Well, why is he afraid to come here?"
"I'm not sure that he is; but you know Zizi has a hunch that he's themurderer, and I think maybe he is. That snowflake sketch proves he wasthere that day and as his presence isn't accounted for, why may he nothave been the slayer? And, why may he not have an inkling or a suspicionof it, and dread to verify his fears?"
"But, good gracious, Norah, even granting he was in Gately's office thatday, he needn't have done the shooting. There are about one million othererrands he could have been there on. Perhaps he was a commercialtraveler, selling laces, and drew the design for a sample."
"Sometimes, Mr. Brice, you talk like a Tom-noddy! Drummer, indeed! I cantell you whatever calling Case Rivers followed, it was far different fromthat of a selling agent! I'll bet he was a lawyer, at least!"
"At least!" I mocked her; "understand, pray, I consider my professionsomewhat above the least of the professions!"
"Yes, for _you_ dignify it to a high standing," and the gray eyes flashedme the smile of appreciation that I was looking for. I may as well admitthat I was growing very fond of those two gray eyes and their owner, andI had a pretty strong conviction that after the present case was allsettled I should turn my attention to the winning of the exclusive rightto the tender glances those eyes could give.
But just now, I had to exclude all distracting thoughts, and forcing mymind back to the present situation, I again marveled at thenon-appearance of Case Rivers.
"Perhaps he's fallen through the earth again," Norah suggested; "by theway, Mr. Brice, what do you think about that fall? Mr. Rivers is no doubtunder some strange hallucination, but all the same, may there not be somefoundation on which he based his dream?"
"Maybe! There must be! That mind of his is too sure-fire to hang on sodesperately to a mere dream. He had some experience of a strange nature,and it included something that he looks upon as falling through theearth."
"Such as?"
"I don't know. But I've a vague idea of a motor accident. Say, a motorcar ran into a stone wall, and he was hurled high in the air, and landedin the East River----"
"But I don't see how that implies falling through the earth."
"Well, say he slid down a high bank to reach the river----"
"There's no high bank near the morgue, and he was fished out in thatlocality."
"But he needn't have fallen in there! In fact, he couldn't have,--he musthave floated or drifted a considerable distance to have had his clothingtorn from him--and to have reached the state of exhaustion and freezingthat so nearly culminated in death."
"Yes, but even yet, you haven't suggested anything like falling throughthe earth."
"All right, Miss Smarty, what's your idea? I see you're dying to springsomething."
"Only what I've thought from the beginning. I believe he was in some coldcountry, Canada, or somewhere, and fell down through a mine shaft, orinto a deep old well, or perhaps merely an excavation for a new, largebuilding. But, anyway, whatever it was, his last impression was offalling down into the ground. Then when he struck he was knockedunconscious. Then, he was taken to a hospital, or somewhere, and as thefall had utterly blotted out his memory, he was kept in confinement.Then, somehow he broke loose and came to New York,--or, maybe, he wasbrought to New York for treatment by the doctors and he got away andeither threw himself into the river or fell in accidentally, and when hewas rescued he still remembered the fall but nothing else concerning hisdisaster."
"Good enough, Norah, as a theory. But seems to me, in that case, he wouldhave been sought and found by the people who had him in charge."
"Ah, that's the point of it all! They don't want to find him! They knowjust where he is, and all about him, but they won't tell, for it suitstheir base purposes to have him lost!"
"Well, you _have_ cooked up a scheme! And he killed Amos Gately?"
"Maybe, but if so, he did it unknowingly. Perhaps these people who arelooking after him, secretly hypnotized him to do it----"
"Oh, Norah! come off! desist! let up! Next thing you know you'll behaving him in the movies! For you never thought up all that stuff withoutgetting hints for it from some slapstick melodrama!"
"Oh, well, people who are absolutely without imagination can't expect tosee into a mystery! But, you won't see any Mr. Rivers _this_ morning,--Ican assure you of that!"
She turned to her typewriter, and I took up my telephone.
I could not get Rivers at his home address, and I next called up MissRaynor.
She replied, in agitated tones, that Rivers had been to see her for a fewminutes, and that he had left half an hour before. She begged me to comearound at once.
Of course, I went.
I found her in a strange state of mind. She seemed like one who had madea discovery, and was fearful of inadvertently disclosing it.
But when I urged her to be frank, she insisted she had nothing toconceal.
"I don't know anything, Mr. Brice, truly I don't," she repeated. "I mean,anything new or anything that I haven't told you. Mr. Rivers was herethis morning for a very short call. He said that while his memory had notreturned, he had a queer mental impression of being on a search for apaper when he fell through the earth."
"Did he go down into the earth to seek the paper?" I asked, thinking itbest to treat the matter lightly.
"No," she returned, in all seriousness, "but he believes he wascommissioned to hunt out a valuable paper, of some sort, and while on thequest he fell through the earth, by accident. It was the shock of thatthat impaired his memory."
"Sufficient cause!" I couldn't help saying.
Olive bristled: "Oh, I know you don't believe his story,--almost nobodydoes,--but I do."
"So do I!" and Zizi was in the room. One could never say of that girlthat she entered or came in,--she just--was th
ere,--in that silent,mysterious way of hers. And then with equally invisible motions she wassitting opposite me, at Olive's side, on a low ottoman.
"I know Mr. Rivers very well," Zizi announced, as if she were hisofficial sponsor, "and what he says is true, no matter how unbelievableit may sound. He says he fell through the earth, and so he _did_ fallthrough the earth, and that's all there is about _that_!"
"Good for you, Zizi!" I cried. "You're a loyal little champion! And justhow did he accomplish the feat?"
"It will be explained in due season," and Zizi's big black eyes took on asibylline expression as she gazed straight at me. "If you were told, ongood authority, that a man had crossed the ocean in an aeroplane, you'dbelieve it, wouldn't you?"
"Yes; but that doesn't seem to me a parallel case," I demurred.
"Neither is Case Rivers a parallel case," Zizi giggled, "but he's thereal thing in the way of Earth Fallers. And when you know all, you'llknow everything!"
The child was exasperating in her foolish retorts and yet so convincingwas the determined shake of her little black head that I was almosttempted to believe in her statements.
"You're a baby sphinx, Zizi," and Olive looked at her affectionately,"but honestly, Mr. Brice, she keeps my spirits up, and she is so positiveherself of what she says that she almost convinces me. As for Mrs. Vail,she swallows everything Zizi says for law and gospel!"
"And just what is it you say, now, Zizi?" I asked.
"Nothin' much, kind sir. Only that Case Rivers is a gentleman and ascholar, that his memory is on the home stretch and humming along, andthat 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 herfeet she danced round the room, her forefinger thrust between her redlips, and her little, eerie face contorted as with pain.
"Oh, what is it, Zizi?" cried Olive, running to the frantic girl.
Mrs. Vail, hearing the turmoil, came running in, and she and Olive heldZizi between them, begging to know how she was hurt.
Catching an opportunity, Zizi looked at me, over Mrs. Vail's shoulder,and the message shot from her eyes was fully as understandable as if shehad spoken. It said, "Do not mention any hint of Case Rivers' possibleconnection with the Gately murder, and do not mention the snowflake drawnon 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 inimitableimpudence, 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, someday."
"What were you screaming about, then?" asked Mrs. Vail, inclined to beangry, while Olive looked amused and mystified.
"Emergency," and Zizi grinned at her. "First aid to the injured,--or,rather, prevention, which is worth a pound of first aid!"
"You're crazy!" said Mrs. Vail, a little annoyed at being fooled so. "Ithought 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.
"Yes!" exclaimed Mrs. Vail; "but how did you know I once saw a ladynearly killed?"
"Mind-reading!" replied Zizi, and then Pennington Wise arrived, and weall shamelessly 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 tobring you unpleasant news, Miss Raynor, but you'll have to know sooner orlater----"
"I do know," said Olive, bravely; "you're going to tell me my guardianwas--was not a good man."
"That is so; it is useless to try to soften the truth. Amos Gately wasthe receiver of important Government secrets, learned by Sadie Kent, thetelegrapher. She carried them to Rodman, who in turn transmitted them toGately, who, it seems, had a way of getting the information to the enemy.Of course, the secret wireless station, recently discovered, was used, aswell as other means of communication. I won't go into details, MissRaynor, but Amos Gately was the 'man higher up,' who thought himself safefrom discovery because of his unimpeachable reputation for integrity, andalso because of the infinite precautions he had taken. Indeed, if he hadnot fallen a victim to the personal charms of 'The Link,' his share inthe 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 littlebrown paw into Olive's hand, and noted with satisfaction the faintanswering smile.
"Perhaps," Olive said, after a thoughtful pause, "it is as well, then,that Uncle Amos did not--did not live to be--disgraced."
"It is," said Wise, gravely; "he would have faced a Federal prison had itall been discovered while he lived. That will be Rodman's fate,--if he isnot held for the crime of murder. But I think he will not be. For hisalibi clears him and it was to escape the graver charge that he has toldso much of the spy business."
"And so," I said, "we are as far as ever from the discovery of themurderer?"
"You never can tell," Wise returned; "it may be we are on the very eve ofsolving the mystery. Rivers is on the warpath----"
"I think I ought to tell you, Mr. Wise," Olive broke in, "that Mr. Riverswas here this morning, and he seems to have a slight glimmer of returningmemory."
"He has? Good! Then it will all come back to him. I've been looking upthis aphasia-amnesia business, and quite often when the patient begins torecover his memory, it all comes back to him with a bang! Where isRivers?"
"He went away--I don't know where----" Olive's lips quivered, and soplainly did she show her feelings that we all saw at once she feared thatRivers had fled, _because_ of his returning memory.
"It's all right," declared Zizi, stanchly; "Mr. Rivers is white clearthrough! He'll come back, soon, and he'll bring the paper he's after."
"What paper?" demanded Wise.
"The poipers! the poipers!" scoffed Zizi; "did you ever know a case, oh,Wise Guy, that didn't revolve round and hinge on a poiper? Well, thedockyments in the case is what he's a-soichin' for! See?"
When Zizi acted the _gamine_ she was irresistibly funny and we alllaughed, which was what she wanted to lighten the strain of thesituation.
Rivers was a mystery, indeed. Every one of us, I think, felt that hemight be connected with the Gately affair. All of us, that is, butOlive,--and who could tell what she thought?
But Pennington Wise had a question to ask, and he put itstraightforwardly.
"That day you were lured to Sadie 'The Link's' house, Miss Raynor," hebegan, "you said, or rather, you agreed when Rodman said you were his_fiancee_. Will you tell us why?"
Olive flushed, but more with anger than embarrassment.
"The man threatened me," she said, "he first tried to make love to me,and when I repulsed him, he told me that unless I would promise to marryhim he would tell something that would be a living reproach to the memoryof my dead guardian. I declared he could say nothing against Amos Gately.Then he whispered that Mr. Gately was a spy! I couldn't believe it,and--yet, I had seen just a few things,--had heard just a few words, thatfilled my heart with a fear that Mr. Rodman was speaking the truth. So Ithought I'd better say what he asked me to, though I knew I'd kill myselfrather than ever marry him. But I wasn't greatly afraid, except that Iknew I was in his power. Oh, I don't like to think about that day!"
Olive broke down and hid her face in her hands, while Zizi's thin littlearms crept round her and held her close.
"Only one more query, Miss Raynor," and Wise spoke very gently; "areyou,--were you engaged to Amory Manning?"
Olive lifted her face, and spoke composedly: "No, Mr. Wise, I was neverengaged to him. We were good friends, and I think he had a high regardfor me, but no words of affection ever passed between us. I admire andrespect Mr. Manning as a friend, but that is all." An
d then a lovelyblush suffused Olive's face, followed quickly by a look of pain,--and weknew she was thinking of Rivers, and his possible defection. Never have Iseen a woman's face so easy to read as Olive Raynor's. Perhaps because ofher pure, transparent character, for in my enforced intimacy with her, asI managed her estate, I had learned that she was an exceptional nature,high-minded, fine, and conscientious in all things.
"I cannot think," Olive went on, "that Mr. Manning will ever be found. Ithink he has been killed."
"Why?" asked Wise, briefly.
"You know, he was a Secret Service man. Many times he has had thenarrowest escape with his life, and--I'm not sure of this,--but I thinknow, he was on the track of the nest of spies with which my--with whichMr. Gately was mixed up. A few slight incidents, otherwise unexplainable,make this clear to me now, though I never suspected it before. My uncledisliked Mr. Manning, and it may have been because he knew he was in theGovernment's employ. And though I know Mr. Gately would never have moveda finger to put Amory Manning out of the way, yet George Rodman may havedone so. Oh, it's all so mysterious, so complicated,--but of this I'msure, Case Rivers is in no way connected with the whole matter. He is aman from some distant city, he is unacquainted in New York, and he----"here Olive broke down utterly and fell into a hysterical burst ofweeping.
Zizi rose and gently urged Olive to go with her from the room.
A silence fell as the two girls disappeared. It was broken by Mrs. Vail,who remarked, dolefully, "I do hope that nice Mr. Rivers will come back,for dear Olive is _so_ in love with him."
"What!" cried Pennington Wise, "Miss Raynor in love with Rivers! Thatwill never do! Why, we've no idea who he is. He may be a fortune-hunterof the lowest type!"
"Oh, no, no!" denied Mrs. Vail, "he is a most courteous gentleman."
"That doesn't count," stormed Wise; "although, perhaps, I spoke toostrongly just now when I called him names!"
"Especially as he has no name!" I put in; "in fact, he calls himself aself-named man!"
Wise smiled: "He is a witty chap," he conceded, "and I like himimmensely. But it's up to us, Brice, to safeguard Miss Raynor'sinterests, and a possible suitor for the hand of an heiress ought, atleast, to know his own ancestors! And then, again, unless he recovers hismemory and can deny it, there's a fair chance that he had some hand inthe Gately murder. We can't get away from that snowflake pattern drawn onthe blotter. Rivers was there, in that room, he sat at Gately's desk,opposite Gately himself,--I mean, of course, this is the way Ireconstruct the matter,--and if he didn't shoot Gately then and there, atleast, we have no proof that he didn't."
"I think he did," I admitted, for Wise's statement of the matter wasconvincing,--and beside, Norah thought so, too.
"Well, you think again!" came in a wild little voice, and there was Ziziat my elbow fairly shaking her little clenched fist in my face. "Mr.Badman Brice, you've got a lot of follow-up thinks a-coming to you, andyou'd better begin 'em right now!"
She looked like a little fury as she danced around my chair and explodedthe vials of her wrath. "That Mr. Rivers is a perfectly good man,--Iknow! He and Miss Olive are in love,--but they don't hardly know itthemselves,--bless 'em! And Mr. Rivers he won't tell her, anyway, 'causehe's a nobleman,--one of Nature's maybe,--and again, maybe he's a realone from Canada, or wherever he hails from. But, anyway, he no morekilled anybody than I did!"
"All right, Ziz,--bully for you! As a loyal friend you're there with thegoods!" Wise smiled at her. "But after all, you've got only your loyaltyto bank on. You don't _know_ all this."
"I've got a hunch," said Zizi, pounding one little fist into the otherpalm, "and when it comes to certainty,--Death and Taxes have nothing onmy hunches!"
CHAPTER XVIII Clear as Crystal
"Hello, people! What's the matter, Zizi? I'll be on your side! Bank onme, little one, to the last ditch. And, by jumping Jupiter, Brice, Ibelieve the last ditch is coming my way! No, I haven't got astrangle-hold on that eloping memory of mine yet, but I 'ave 'opes. I'vehad a glimmer of a gleam of a ray of light on my dark, mysterious past,and I beflew myself straight to good little old Doctor Rankin, who's myTrouble Man every time. And he says that it's the beginning of the end.That any day, almost any hour now, I may burst forth a full-memoried andproperly christened citizen."
"Good for you, old chap," and thrilled at the elation in his tones, Iheld out my hand. "Go in and win!"
"Oh, won't it be fine when you remember?" cried Mrs. Vail, wringing herhands in excitement; "why, I knew a man once----"
"Yes," Rivers encouraged her, in his kindly way, "what happened to thelucky chap?"
"Why, he was affected something as you are,--or, as you were----" butWise couldn't stand for what seemed likely to be a long story.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Vail," he interrupted her, "but, really, I must run awaynow, and I want a word or two with Mr. Rivers first."
The good lady subsided, but it was plain to be seen she was disappointed.
"May I come in?" and a smiling Olive appeared in the doorway. "Am Iwanted?"
"Are you wanted?" the eager, hungry smile Rivers gave her was pathetic.For it was so spontaneous, so gladly welcoming that it was as if a lightwas suddenly extinguished when the man, on second thought, hid his realfeelings and advanced with a courteous but rather formal air.
"You're always wanted," he resumed, lightly, but the joy was gone fromhis tones, and a mere friendly greeting resulted. Surely, he was agentleman, but he would make no advances while uncertain of his claim infull to that title.
And then, he looked at her curiously, as if wondering whether she wouldhold any place in his restored memory,--should the restoration reallyoccur.
It was Zizi who broke the silence that fell on us all.
"I want my way, Penny," she said, in such a wistful, pleading tone, thatI felt sure no breathing human heart could refuse her.
"What is your way, Zizi?" Wise said, gently.
"I want us all to go--all of us,--over to Mr. Gately's office----"
"Come ahead!" cried Rivers; "I promised old Brice, here, that I'd go thisvery day, and I broke my appointment. Sorry, old man, but I had to seeFriend Doctor, on the jump. Let's go now, in accordance with the Witch'swhim, and we'll take the big wagon, and all go."
He often called Zizi the Witch, or the Elf-child, and she liked it fromhim, though she usually resented any familiarity.
She smiled at him, but I noted an undercurrent of sadness in her gaze,and I knew she was thinking of the evidence of the snow crystal.
For though Zizi liked Rivers a lot, and though she really had faith inhis innocence of wrongdoing, yet her whole fealty was to Pennington Wise,and her hunch about the snowflake drawing might lead to disastrousresults in more ways than one.
Olive shrank from going to her guardian's office,--she had never beenthere since the tragedy,--but a few whispered words from Zizi persuadedher to agree to accompany us.
And to help matters, I told her that if she preferred not to go into Mr.Gately's rooms, she could remain in my office with Norah, while we went.
Mrs. Vail insisted on being of the party, and ran briskly off to get herbonnet.
The atmosphere seemed peculiarly charged with a feeling of impendingdisaster, and yet, not one of us would have held back. Pennington Wisewas very grave and quiet; Zizi, on the other hand, was as oneelectrified. She sprang about with quick, darting motions, she giggledalmost hysterically and then suddenly became most gentle and tender. Sheran for Olive's wraps herself, and bringing them, put them on with thecareful air of a mother dressing her child.
Olive, herself, was as one dazed. She, now and then, looked toward Riverswith a shy, yet wistful glance, and he looked back with a big, heartysmile that seemed to warm her very soul.
We piled into the big touring car and made a quick run to the PuritanBuilding.
Then we all went to my office first. Norah did the honors as prettily asany hostess in her own home, and her rea
dy tact helped Olive to overcomeher dread of the place.
"Well," said Rivers, at last, "what are we waiting for? I thought we wereto go over to Mr. Gately's rooms. Perhaps Miss Raynor and Mrs. Vail wouldprefer to stay here with Miss MacCormack."
"No," said Olive, firmly, "I want to go, too."
Norah looked at her uncertainly. Then, probably realizing that for Oliveto remain behind would be harder than to face whatever might happen, shesaid, quite casually, "Very well, Miss Raynor, let us all go."
I think we were all imbued with a sense of fear, a sort of premonitionthat the visit across the hall would be productive of grave results.
Rivers was the most light-hearted of the party, and yet I somehow feltthat his cheerfulness was forced.
"The keys, Brice?" he said; "oh, you have them. All right, my boy, goahead."
And then the same stillness that was on the rest of us fell on him, too,and we entered the rooms in silence.
I went first, through Jenny's room, on to the middle room, and pausedjust beyond the desk.
Rivers was next, but Zizi pushed her lithe little body through the group,and came through the door just ahead of him.
Rivers entered with the strangest look I have ever seen on any humanface. It was a transition,--not sudden but gradual,--from the dark offorgetfulness to the dawn of memory.
And then, just as he neared Amos Gately's desk, Zizi, without seeminginsistence,--indeed, without seeming intent,--guided him to the chairopposite Mr. Gately's desk-chair.
Mechanically, almost unconsciously, Rivers dropped into the seat and satat the great table-desk,--just where, presumably, the slayer of AmosGately had sat.
With one of her sudden, swift motions, Zizi put the telephone receiverinto his left hand, which involuntarily opened to take it, and thusexposed to view the snow crystal drawn on the blotter.
A dead silence fell on us all as Rivers sat there staring at the littlesketch. He fairly devoured it with his eyes, his face, meanwhile,becoming set,--like a face of stone.
Then, raising his blank, staring eyes, his gaze sought out Olive and,looking straight at her, he gave a low, piercing cry,--wrung from him asfrom a soul in mortal agony,--and said:
"I killed Amos Gately!"
I think the scene that followed this announcement was the strangest Ihave ever experienced. For myself, I felt a sudden sinking, as if thebottom had fallen out of the universe. In fact, a whimsical idea flashedthrough my stunned brain that I was "falling through the earth,"--or intoa bottomless pit.
The white faces that I looked at meant nothing to me,--I saw them as in adream, so dazed was my intelligence.
And then, they assumed their individuality and I saw that Olive's lovelycountenance was a complete blank; like me, she failed to grasp the fullmeaning of Rivers' confession.
Mrs. Vail, her eyes closed, lay back limply in a chair, and groanedaudibly, while Norah buried her face in a nearby silken curtain andsobbed.
Pennington Wise looked like a man who has just heard the worst,--but whoexpected it. However, the shock had unnerved him, I could see by histightly clenched hands and set lips, as he strove to control himself.
Rivers sat like a stone statue, only his eyes, desperate in theirconcentration, showed the fearful mental strain he was suffering.
Zizi,--bless her!--stood behind him,--hovering, watchful,--more like aguardian angel than a Nemesis, and with her eerie, elfin face full ofanxious suspense.
Rivers drew a long sigh; he looked round the room, appraisingly, hisquick, darting glance taking in every detail, he scanned the desk and allthe things on it, he looked through into the farther room,--the BlueRoom,--and saw the great war map hanging on the wall, and then he rose,straightened his broad shoulders, and shook himself as one who arousesfrom sleep.
Breathlessly, we who watched, saw a great light come into his eyes,--anew self-respect, a new sense of importance showed in his whole bearingand, with a smile of infinite tenderness he looked at Olive and said:
"I am Amory Manning!"
Zizi yelled. There is no other word for it. Her shrieks of joy filled theroom, and she danced about waving her thin little arms like a veritablepixy.
"It's all right!" she cried, in ecstacy, "Oh, Penny, it's all right!" andwith a spring across the room, she landed in Wise's arms, who patted hershoulder, and said:
"There, there, Ziz, don't flatten out _now_!"
Meantime, Rivers was finding himself. He stood still, with his handstightly grasping the chair back, and his face working as he received andclassified the memories crowding thickly back upon his burdened brain.
"Wait a minute," he said, struggling with his thoughts, "I know all aboutit, but----"
"Amory!" cried Olive, "that's your _voice_! I know you _now_!"
We could all note the change in his speech. Until this moment Rivers hadspoken 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 AmoryManning,--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 manbefore us looked so responsible, so capable of self-explanation, thatlike the rest of the assembly, I merely waited his further speech.
"There's so much to be told," he said, and his smile changed to a look ofpain. He gave another glance at Olive, and even took a step towardher,--then he seemed to collapse, and sinking back into the chair he hadvacated, he hid his face in his hands and groaned.
"Go on!" whispered an imperious little voice, and Zizi was behind himagain, her hand on his shoulder, her tones urgent and encouraging.
"I will!" and Manning, for we felt no doubt of his identity now,--spokefirmly and bravely. He did not look at Olive, and it was clear that thiswas 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 blackeyes that gazed at him were soft and tender with something like amaternal sweetness.
This mood of Zizi's, rarely shown, was one of her chiefest charms, andManning 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 moment's thought. "Yes, if you will."
"Very well, then." Manning was entirely composed now, but it was evidenthe was holding himself together by a strong effort. Also, he carefullyrefrained from looking in Olive's direction.
This alarmed me a little, for to my mind, it argued him a guilty man,and, that, in fact, he had declared himself to be.
Norah and I exchanged glances of understanding,--or, rather, of notunderstanding,--and Manning began his story.
"I 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 whohas no intention of shirking any part of it.
"I remember everything--everything,--and it is not all pleasantremembrance! But it must be told, and then I must go at once and reportto my superiors.
"I am Amory Manning, a special agent in the Secret Service. I wasdetailed by the Government to hunt down a certain branch of the enemy spysystem in New York City, and in pursuance of my duty, I learned that AmosGately was the man I sought."
Manning still kept his glance averted from Olive, indeed, he lookedalmost constantly at Zizi, whose dark little face, lovely in itssympathy, seemed to drink in his every word.
"I knew all about Rodman, I was on the trail of Sadie, 'The Link,' and Icame here, that afternoon, primarily to get an incriminating paper, whichwould have been positive evidence against Gately, and I had orders toarrest him if he was unable to clear himself.
"We had a stormy interview, and I found the man was guilty of theblackest treason. He had been a receiver of the stolen information soldb
y 'The Link,' and had transmitted it, by secret channels of his own, tothe enemy government. I charged him with this, and he put up a fight. Itried to overcome him, and take him peaceably, but he was desperate andevaded my grasp. He ran toward that map in the other room, and I stoodjust here, where I am now sitting. I had overturned the chair in ourstruggle and as I suddenly saw him push aside the map and enter what wasbeyond all doubt a secret mode of exit, I fired at him. Of course, Imeant merely to wing him,--merely to prevent his escape,--but as I firedhe turned and received the bullet in his heart. Of course, I didn't knowthis at the time, nor did I know where he had gone. But I heard the cardescend, and knew that it must be a private elevator.
"I ran into that room, and finding the elevator entrance, behind the map,fastened, I flew out to the hall and downstairs. In my haste, there beingno car waiting, I thought I could get down faster by the stairs. Butafter running down two flights, I saw a waiting elevator and got in. Ihad dropped my pistol somewhere when trying to stuff it into my overcoatpocket as I ran downstairs. But I gave no thought to anything savepreventing the escape of my prisoner. Of course, I didn't then know howseriously he was hurt.
"I failed to find the exit from the private elevator, and never dreamingit was in the building next door, I hunted this building for quite atime. I investigated the ground floor, the basement and sub-basement, butcouldn't find it. Greatly puzzled, I began the search all over again, andthen, Olive,--Miss Raynor, came, and--later, I found that others haddiscovered the dead body of the man I had shot.
"I waited only to be sure of this, and then started at once to report tothe Federal Bureau."
"I know it," I interrupted, unable to keep quiet, as the recollectionsurged over me, "and you went down Third Avenue on the street-car----"
"I did," Manning's face showed only an intense effort at reconstructingthe scene, "I was going to stop at my rooms on the way, for something Ineeded, and----"
"Wait a minute," Wise said, "I'm interested in the Case Rivers phase ofyour existence. Don't forget you're the Man Who Fell Through the Earth."
A strange smile passed over Manning's face.
"I'm just coming to that," he said; "I am that man, and I can tell youright now, how, where, and why I made the trip!"
All eyes were upon him. This strange talk,--and he had been so sensibleup to now. Was the hallucination of falling through the earth destined tomar his newly returned sanity?
"Go on," repeated Zizi, and the calmness of her voice restored Manning'spoise, and also raised my hopes of a plausible explanation.
"You were with me, Brice," Manning looked at me, as if for corroboration.
"Yes; I was in the car with you, but we were not near enough to speak.There was a big crowd,--and I was standing at the rear end, while youwere well forward. But I say, Rivers, it's hard to believe that man inthe car was you! Why, you're not the same type----"
"Wait a minute," the speaker waved his hand as if to check interruption,"I _am_ Manning,--I'll explain later,--but now I want to get thatoccasion well in hand. I got off the front end of the car,--I don't knowwhat you did,--and as I stepped off, a sudden fierce blast of wind nearlytook me off my feet. I was right in the middle of the street but itseemed the middle of a howling blizzard, and as I took a step,--I wentdown an open manhole into the sewer.
"This I distinctly remember,--the street cleaners were working there,shoveling the snow into the sewer. They had no business to leave themanhole open and unguarded, but that black squall was so sudden andterrific, no one could see or know anything for the time being.
"However, I knew perfectly well, as I fell in, what had happened, butthen,--and I remember this, too,--I fell and fell,--down, down,--itseemed for miles; I was whirled dizzily about,--but still I fell--on andon,--interminably. I felt my consciousness going,--at first, abnormallyacute, my senses became dulled, and I had only a sensation offalling--ever falling--through the earth!
"There my memory ceases. And as I next remember finding myself in a bedin Bellevue Hospital, and as I have had detailed to me the full accountof my being found floating, nearly dead, in the East River, I can onlyaccept the inevitable conclusion that I was carried by the rush of thesewer, straight out to the river, and picked up for dead.
"That a sign of life was found, after I was taken to the morgue, was ofthe nature of a miracle, and only the most desperate efforts fanned thatlittle spark into resuscitation. The rest you know. The shock, theexposure, the cold, and perhaps a blow or two on my head, all combined,resulted in a total loss of memory as to my identity or to the events ofmy former life.
"I had only remaining the positive recollection of that fall--" Manningshuddered,--"that interminable, that never-ending fall through theearth."
"But you fell through water," said Wise, his eyes staring at the narratorof all this.
"Not to my knowledge. My realization of falling only lasted until Istruck the water in the sewer. That, doubtless, knocked me out for goodand all,--mentally, I mean. I have to thank my wonderful vitality andstrong constitution for the fact that I really lived through thecatastrophe. Think what it means! Hurtled through that rushing torrent ofa sewer half filled with melted snow and water,--flung out into theriver, dashed about among the floating cakes of ice, and all withsufficient force to tear off my clothing,--and yet to live through it!"
"Going some!" cried Zizi, and the sparkle of her dancing eyes and thedelight on her small, smiling face, made the rude phrase seem quite fitfor the occasion.
"And so," Manning went on, quietly, "I have accomplished my quests. Ihave been working hard to discover three things,--my own identity, thewhereabouts of Amory Manning, and--the slayer of Amos Gately. I, myself,am the answer to all three questions."
A silence fell; and then Olive spoke.
"You are no slayer,--you are no murderer. You shot Mr. Gately byaccident, in the pursuance of your duty. You are not only exonerated, butyou did a deed, in freeing the world of a traitor, that entitles you to aDistinguished Service Cross! I respected my guardian,--I was fond ofhim,--but now I know what he was. I have only contempt and hatred of him!You, Amory, are a hero!--my hero."
Olive held out her hands with a beautiful gesture of affection, andManning strode across the room to her side.
"Now I have the only forgiveness I care for," he said, and his face wasradiant. "Now, I must go at once, and report. My duty lies to mycountry,--to my government! Oh, there are so many things yet to think of!They,--the Government,--offered a reward for me!"
"Which you have won yourself!" exclaimed Penny Wise.
"Yes," chuckled Zizi, "and you've won the reward offered for Mr.Gately's--" she hesitated,--"for the man who freed the world of one moretraitorous viper!"
"And, incidentally," I added, "you've cleared up the puzzle of the manwho fell through the earth!"
"It is well that Gately is no more," Manning said, musingly; "he wasespecially dangerous because he was in such a high position and sotrusted by everybody. Rodman was an equal scoundrel, but he workedinconspicuously. Gately banked on his reputation for honor andprobity,--used his own well-earned fame to further the meanest cause onearth!
"Whatever happens, I'm glad he is unable to do further harm. I didn'tmean to kill him--it was an accident,--but the world is well rid of him."
"Amen," said Olive, softly.
"Well, the end justifies the means," said Mrs. Vail, a littlehysterically. "Why, once I heard of----"
Ruthlessly, I shut her off.
"Accept my greetings, Mr. Manning," I said, offering my hand to ournew-found friend. "I'm proud to know you!"
And then there was a scene of handshaking and smiling welcome such as anyhero might be proud to receive.
"Wait a minute," Manning said, at last, "that day, I was hunting a paper,you know. If it was sent off, there will yet be trouble from it. Has itbeen found, do you know, Mr. Wise?"
"No; what sort of a paper?"
"One of the stolen telegrams. It was concealed, I had reason to think,somew
here in Gately's desk----"
"Do you know that?"
"I think so--wait,--I had just thought I knew where to look for it, whenGately said something that made me telephone for assistance in hisarrest. I was waiting for an answer to my call----"
"When you drew the snow crystal!" Zizi cried.
"Yes," he smiled. "And then, I saw something that hinted a possiblehiding-place--ah, here it is!"
He stepped to the desk and picked up the heavy, ornate gold penholder. Hefussed with it a moment, and then, unscrewing it in the middle, showedthat it was a cleverly constructed place to hide a tiny roll of thinpaper.
There was such a roll in it, and pulling it out, Manning grinned withglee. "All right," he cried, joyfully; "this is the paper, a Governmentsecret! See, you read it by that carriage-call check, and it's safe now!"
It was a paper filled with rows of letters, such a paper as had beenfound in Sadie's possession and also in Rodman's.
"Now, I am satisfied," Manning declared; "and now I must go straight downto the Federal Bureau. But first----"
"Sure!" said Zizi, reading his thoughts; "we're excused!"
And with a saucy smile, she flew over and kissed Olive heartily. Then,with an imperious air, she took command, and almost before we knew it shehad herded every last one of us, except Olive and Manning, across thehall to my office.
I was the last to go, and Manning smiled broadly as he called after me,"I want Miss Raynor to say once more that she exonerates me, and thenI'll report to my other Superior!"
Laughing happily, I entered my office, and found it a scene of hilariousgayety. Mrs. Vail was positively cavorting about, as Norah waltzed her upand down the room; Pennington Wise was sitting on the corner of my deskwhistling dance music for them, and Zizi, her arms waving, executed asort of glory dance of her own making-up.
After a time, the door of the Gately room opened, and Olive's blushingface appeared, followed by that of the Man Who Fell Through the Earth.
"I want to correct a misstatement of mine," she said; "I told you Iwasn't engaged to Amory Manning--but,--I am!"
The two came over to my office, and the ovation we gave them was secondonly to our reception of Manning himself a few moments before.
"Are you _sure_ it is Manning?" Wise teased her.
"Yes," said Olive, most seriously. "You see he was in disguise when hewas himself, and so----"
Her voice was lost in the shout that went up at her remark, and shelooked around in bewilderment.
"She's right," said Manning, smiling; "I was. You see, when I became aSecret Service man, I had certain peculiar duties assigned me and it wasimportant that I shouldn't be known. So I adopted a permanentdisguise,--oh, nothing much,--merely a mild dye for my hair and beard,which washed off easily, and a pair of big, horn-rimmed specs, which werereally rather becoming than otherwise. But Olive, and many of myacquaintances knew me only in this way. I wore a Vandyke beard, and asmall mustache of the Charles I type.
"Then you see, when I was taken in at the hospital, and shaved, Icontinued to adopt a clean-shaven face. Also, the dye was thoroughlywashed out in the sewer, and as my memory was washed out with it, Iexperienced no surprise at finding a light-haired man in my mirror.
"Olive tells me, too, that my voice was of a totally different caliber,due, no doubt, to a certain vacuity made in my brain by the loss of mymemory. Oh, well, that's the story. And but for my peculiarity of drawingsnow crystals,--a thing I've done just about all my life,--and but forZizi's quick-witted realization of this habit of mine, I might never haveregained consciousness of my true personality!"
"Probably something else would have brought it about," said Wise, "butyour drawing of the snow crystals began with Brice's first interview withyou. I ought to have found that drawing on Gately's desk long ago!Stoo-pid!" and he beat his head in mock self-abasement.
"Yes," said Zizi, giving Wise a smile that was both impudent andaffectionate, "you should have, oh, Wise Guy! You ought to have foundthat snowflake drawing for yourself."
"Oh, that's what I have you for, Ziz, to look up clews for me."
"Of course you do, Penny Wise. I'm only your Pound Foolish, but at least,I can see through a clew that is as clear as crystal!"
* * * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Obvious typographical errors were corrected.
Non-standard spellings and dialect were not changed.
The Man Who Fell Through the Earth Page 17
