The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-01-09
CHAPTER XIX

to the mad purpose. Miss Agatha
and Cochrane were my allies. They
followed my lead and, at need, took
the lead themselves. We hammered
the Captain with reasons, prodded
him with persuasion, while he
walked the floor as though he sought
cover from our argument. All
through the clash of voices and pur-
poses, Allegro sat silent beside her
aunt but the pent excitement
reached her. Severity left her face.
Color came to it and her eyes woke
up and moved quickly from speaker
to speaker. Sight of her helped me
stand up to Shannon.
From the second when lifted my
voice, knew the least falterlng
would emphasize the desperate fan
tasy put forward. At first I feigned
confidence, linking fact to fact in ar
bitrary union. Then, as I spoke, I
converted myself. It seemed as
though speech washed away mys-
terry to bare at least coherent out
lines.
Cochrane sat beside me. His in
nocent face was drowsy but his nim-
BILE mind kept pace with mine, en-
dorsing my contentious, supplying
pointed comment when Shannon
baked. Miss Agatha said little, but
her rare words cut. We outraged
the policeman's sense of propriety
and stripped that from him. We
pried his mind loose from official
procedure. He withstood us stub
bornly, tramping to and fro, rum
ping his hair, now and then shak-
ing his head like a fiy-pestered
horse. He took that afternoon the
sweating he and his associates had
dealt to many.
''It's-it's Illegal" he blurted at
last with cornered air and glared
at Cochrane who chuckled.
49," Jerry drawled, sis a length
of rubber hose"
1t was luck more than logic that
broke Shannon at last. He raked his
hair and shook his head again.
Maybe" he granted, ''it would
make a good movie. But the girl
has an alibi. You can't get over
that. Somebody downstairs-Hoyt
it was, saw her come in"
I got up. eff that's all that gags
you," I said, 'I'H see Hoyt. He'll
back our play. His story will be
that he didn't want to get lady into
trouble"
l did not wait for Shannon's OBJ
lection but opened the door, almost
upsetting Al who guarded it. found
Hoyt at the switchboard. I told
him, as quickly as 1 could, what I
wanted and why. He gasped and
boggled and at last consented, when
l reminded him of his earlier offer
of aid. Then he whispered some
thing that sent me hot-footing it up
the stair again.
I saw when re-entered the work.
room that Shannon wavered.
PERSONALLY, Captain Shannon"
Miss Agatha was saying, 81 place
justice above orthodoxy. The muir
der was unconventional. Why
shouldn't the arrest be equally so?
/ know he did it. You think he did.
If he didn't, lone or Everett did
and the two survivors are accesso-
ries after and, perhaps, before the
fact. Are you always so-wedded to
legal formality, Captain"
Cochrane leaned forward.
Listen" he wheedled, what can
you lose? Say it doesn't click. Sc
what? Are you worse off? It's
crazy idea. Sure But so is this
whole set-up. We're trying to give
you the chance to tear this case wide
open-and solo at that. Do you want
to be just captain all your life?"
Allegro was watching me. She
alone in the room seemed to feel
the tidings 1 bore. Shannon spoke
with the muffled roar of the hard
pressed.
''All right. Suppose I go goofy and
throw in with you? How are you gon-
ma work it? Tell me thatl Call up
Lyon-at the Babylon-and say,
Can we bother you to come on
down here so we can tell you what
we've got on your sister, before we
make a collar?'"
In the silence he glared about and
breathed loudly through his nose.
said as quietly as / could:
IF that's all that's worrying you,
Lyon is next door now. He came in
a while ago, Hoyt says"
by God!" Shannon said at last
in an unwilling voice.
I went on: Eddie will ask him
to stop in here, when he starts to
go. You might send your man down.
stairs just to make sure that he
does"
Shannon wavered for the last
time. Then he squared his Shout
ders, inhaled like one entering
cold plunge and called: Gail"
ITO BE CONTINUEDJ