The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-17

and nodding mt Drigo said:
These parties is a-waitin to see your
He had not yet noticed Drigo, who sat up
in dark corner watching him as il TO find
out what sort of n man they had to deal
with. Putty now examined him in the
same way, and then turning to Taras, who
had entered from the passage, treated him
to a long stare.
1--WE want to know if you can let us have
the use of room for few nights said
Taras.
For a private purpose" added Drigo,
rising, and dropping his voice as he came
closer said, with a wink, "unbeknown to
outsiders, you understand"
Putty nodded, and addressing me said,
Hook it," as he took down a pot and drew
himself some beer. Taras gave me pleas
ant nod as l skunk out by the front door.
That altered my destiny. 1t was not an
uncommon thing for me to be sent ont of
the way when Putty had business affairs
to talk about with his customers across the
bar of the Joy, and never troubled my
self even to wonder what his secret deal
ings were, but that kindly look in the face
OF Taras excited a strange feeling of inter-
est in my mind, which made me curious to
know what business he had to transact
with such rascal as the bloke.
l slipped down Ferryboat alley to the
shore, climbed up the rotten timbers on to
the balcony and edged myself into the bar
parlor, where could hear pretty distinctly
all that was said in the bar.
Drigo was speaking but his broken Eng
lish and the low, crafty tone of his voice
made what he said unintelligible to me. 1t
seemed TO perplex Putty also, for presently
interrupting him he said with irritation:
It r
so cussed sly over this here business /
must know all the particlers straightforard
afore go into it. Here, likes your looks
better AN what do your pardner's, mate
Lemme hear what you've got to say"
"The matters simple enough" replied
Taras. Three friends have left their coun-
try for certain reasons. To do so they en-
gagged themselves as sailors on board ves-
sci bound for London. Their contract binds
them to return with the ship to their coun-
try, and they cannot openly break the CON
tract without rendering themselves liable
to be taken back by force. But they intend
to desert, and our object Is to provide q
place of refuge to which we may convey
them by night from their ship as soon as It
arrives, and where they may change their
seagoing clothes for the dress we shall have
in readiness for them. We chose this inn
for that purpose because it is conveniently
near the dock ind is not open to observa-
tion. lfyou do not choose to let us use your
house, we must find another. That is the
whole matter"
Now 1 tumble to it right enough" said
Putty. II see you're gentleman, sir, and
/ alters likes to deal with gentlemen. But
you will understand, sir, that all this here
is agen the law, and / lay myself open to
lose my license and get month or two Of
hard even for lettin Of parties into the house
after elosin hours"
II will pay you for your risk. How much
do you wantS"
"lt's more risky than what you think. It
looks dead and alive hole, as no one comes
anigh once in n blue moon, but the coppers
keep bloomin sharp eye on us ali the
same. When do you expect this here YES
SELF"
Tomorrow. But it might be DELAYED
till Saturday"
"That means sittin up on the lookout
two or three nights. OF course the lob
would be pulled off when nobody much
amt about?"
Between and 8 in the morning, if posi-
ble.n
"That'd do" Then after little consid-
Grafton Putty said: Here, I'll tell YOU
use of my room for a dollar a night while
you're on the lookout, aud you shall hand
over five quid the night the job is pulled off
and your mates get clear, Now can't say
fairer than that, can Iyn
Taras accepted these TERMS and after
some further discussion he and Drigo left
the JOY, saying they would return the fol
lowing afternoon.
| slipped out of the Joy by the way had
entered it and hurried round to the front,
impelled, | think, by some unreeognized
hope that Taras would nod to me again. |
know that | sank down on the steps of
Baxter's wharf disconsolate when / saw
him in the distance turn the corner of Fer
ryboat alley bud disappear without looking
back.
had been sitting there in dull apathy,
my elbows on my knees and my chin in
my palms, a quarter of an hour or 20 min
utes, when / heard a step in the alley and
turning my eyes saw Drigo coming back.
just before he reached the Mariners JOY
he stopped and facing about waited couple
OF minutes or so, looking up the alley as if
to make sure that be was not followed
Then he diyed quickly down the two steps
and entered tue house. | had taken dis
like to the man from the first. There was
an evil, wicked look in his face. There was
treachery In his furtive glances, in the very
stoop of his shoulders. Why had he come
back alone' What further business had
be with the bluke which he could not have
done when Taras was with him2 These
questions aroused my faculties into un-
wonted energy. Once moro ! slipped round
to the back of the house and up the balcony
into the room behind the bar.
Drigo Was talking to Putty, but in such
a low key that | could make nothing of the
sounds that reached me. / caught a
glimpse of them through the crack of the
door-their two villainous heads close to-
gether over the bar-and drew as near as I
dared, yet still could distinguish no
words.
''Bnt what are you going to dc with him
them Putty asked. and his voice, though
low, was distinct enough-perhnp because
i was more used to it.
II could not gather the reply; but, raising
his voice TO give emphasis to the offer,
heard this clearly:
'lIe offered you e5; I'll give you double,
and you can betray MS to the police if we
don't pay up
And tenner won't pay me to be a hac-
cessory to murder
Drgo silenced him with long "hist,"
and stepping sideways to cast glance into
the parlor he caught sight of me- He gave
the alarm to Patty in hurried tone of
terror, and the next moment a pewter pot
flew at my head. | was quick enough to
duck and avoid the missile, but only es-
capped falling into the savage hands of the
bloke by tlingimg myself over the balcony
and falling into the mud below.
Don't let me get nigh you this side Of
next month, you =, or III pull the wea-
zahd out OF YOU, " he cried, shaking his fist
down at me as skunk of around strand
ed barge.
CHAPTER II.
AMYSFERY.
lodged in BaXter's wharf, There was a
hole in the(side Of the wall, under the
stairs, for yentilating the cellars, closed
with an iron grating One Of the bars was
gone, and through the narrow opening |
could inst muung. In -ttp,.,.ya.-