The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-20


plundcr might at any moment be re-
moved. The room was nearly dark, and
tie door unlocked; the woman would pro-
! badly lie ike log IL she We're not actual
Is kicked fhto wakefulness. Slotty deter
mined TO venture In. Slipping or his
shoes and noiselessly raising the latch,
Slotty stood within The room, while the
great mountain OF flesh snored on. The
door was roclosed. and then he applied
| himself TO the opening OF the hide on the
opposite side OF the room. This hide con-
sisted Of that part Of tho sloping roof
shut Off near the window by a low par
tition OF lath and plaster. In this parti-
, ton an ingenious door had been ntted,
made OF lath and plaster. so as TO give
forth the same echo when sounded. the
whole being concealed by having pasted
over II tho lively horrors OF the Police
News. The removing Of this covering
| cost Slotty some work, but at last the
door OF the hide was open and the arm
of the intruder eagerly thrust into the
aperture.
To his intense disappointment he
/ touched no box or bundle OF jewelry. He
I groped madly about-further and further,
! Till he lay sprawling and sweating on his
face, with his arm up TO the socket in the
hide, swearing rapidly in an enforced
! whisper all the while. Then a new
thought came-the hide was long aud
deep, he himself was slender to a fault
he would go inside and make a thorough
search.
He wriggled I'm at the narrow hole-he
got inside-he CROPPED and crawled
through every inch of the sitting hole
and then, II he had been gifted with in
vention. he would have sworn with great
er rapidity than before. The hide was alb
solutely empty! Perhaps one or two OF
his exclama tions, more uaguarded than
the rest, had reached the garnet and dis
| turbed the peaceful slumbers OF Apple
Jelly's wife. At all events. Slotty had
scarcely put out his head at the door OF
the hide and wedged himself into the mar
row doorway, with the intention of wrg-
Cling out again, when the gigantic wo-
man started up, and in a dazzed way,
stared round the room. The light was
dim, but IL was nevertheless good enough
TO reveal the head and shoulders of a man
protruding from place more sacred TO
the occupants than the garret itself.
With a sharp cry OF anger and alarm the
strong woman started up and seized the
first weapon that came 10 hand. which
chanced TO be a strong earthenware dish,
which she brought down on the protrud-
ing head with force that had the
weapon been stronger. must have smashed
the skull into fragments. Something had
10 give way, and fortunately for Slotty.
IT was the weapon, which was shivered by
the blow. but not till IL had inflicted on
Slotty concussiOn that made him sprawl
in frog-like way on the floor. too much
stunned to be able either to speak or es-
cape.- Before he could recover, he was
dragged up with one jerk OF the muscular
arm; and though he was then recognized.
he was, in spite OF protests, kicked all
! round the room. and finally carried out OF
the garret and along fhe passage. and
! then preciptated with much zest down
the worn and coVk-screw stairs.
A Toy, 70 hap
MacSio's" said thc woman as a parting
warning allud'ng to the public house in
which Apple Jelly was at that moment
showing such surprise at my visit, and
| he'll give we twice what I've give ye."
Poor Slottyl II ever a man had cause TO
feel angry IL was he. Injury had been
heaped upon injury, and now insult and
thro at were added Whom he became SEN
STOLE enough to sit up and groaningly feel
his sore bones and aching skull. will II be
wondered at that his first feeble effort
was TO get out his beloved tobacco knife?
Jelly isn't nabhed yet-he's down at
Mackie's. and M'Govan's been slower nor
usual--Pll nab hlml" was. his venseful re-
mark, as he deliberately unclspsed the
knife and began to sharpen it's point on
the stone steps upon which he was seated.
IT is clear that Slotty was far too hasty
ever 20 make good detective.
AS soon as he wae satisfied with the
able to stand upon his legs with some
frmness and without his head swimming
at every step, Sotty left the stair and
close, and made his way TO Mackie = pub
lie house. As he was about to cross the
street and enter, ] appeared at the door
with Apple Jelly fastened to me by the
wrist, and in his haste TO duck into an en-
try out OF sight Slotty forgot his inten-
ton with the knife. As soon, however, as
he found that he was not pursued his
rage returned; and seeing that we passed
up an adjoining close to avoid the COM
motion OF the open streets. Slotty dived
into the close in our wake. When We
were near the top OF the close, my pris-
oncr suddenly staggered against me, as
IL he had been jostled from behind, and
cried OUT" Somebody's hurt me! think
I'm stabbed"
AT the same moment a rush of footsteps
! down the close caught my ear, and 1 dis
tinctly saw a man running; but Jelly's
I rText remark reused some suspicion in my
mind that the whole was a plan for es-
| cape.
/ There he's running, Jamie-loose the
| bracelet and after him.
"And lose you at the same timer" re-
marked, with a knowing look" No. thank
you"
But I'm stabbed, oh, II I didn't know
| bettor I'd swear this was Slotty's work.
| It's just his style"
still thought he was shamming, and
| insisted on HE walking out into the High
| Street; but after one or two rroa ming
steps he dropped on tho pavement, look
! ing horribly CHASTITY, and piteously de-
/ claring he could walk no further. / had
| him carried up 10 tho office. where an ex-
animation speedily showed that he had
| been stabbed In the sde--the knife hav-
ing actually passed into tho flesh. and.
| after glancing against a rib. passed out
| again in front. IL was not very dan
| gerous stab, but as IL bled profusely at
! both holes. jelly soon looked more pale
! and death-like than he had ever seemed
| while affecting Illness in prison.
Next morning my first business was a
| trip across 10 Burntisland. when the mo-
ment read the address on the lid ex-
| claimed
II believe that stab was from Slotty. .sf-
| ter ALL"
The articles found In the trunk-always
4 excepting the greasy rags which Slotty
! owned as clothine-were easily identified
as part of the stolen property. and. apart
from the stabbins altogether, 1 now be-
gan To- have strong wish to find out
Slotty's abode. Leaving that task 20