The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-10-12

OUTSIDE or strict business the Bun
had choice assortment of names. He
was Mr.. Ralph Montgomery or George
Warren Paget. Esq, or ever so many
other equally well sounding persons
when occasion offered. In his native
village he had been known as Jack Bel-
loo until he left the country, decidedly
for the country's good.
1t was his forehead. round and bulg-
ing, that had gained him his nickname
with the gang
All told, the gang numbered perhaps
fifty-men and women and few pitt
full waits that could not be called chill
dren, though they were small and
young. The most part engaged in light
work shoplifting, palming tickers,
snatching purses from timid hands or
jostling, to their loss. the wearers of
famboyant fobs and scarfpins
Since the Bun had become a leader
he felt himself estopped from the small
things. though often his fingers itched
as he let slip an especially tempting OPP
portunity. The itching was perhaps the
first root of his grievance against Lie
Until her day he had been quite CON
tent to work under orders, although he
was rapacious enough to be full of sour
envy over missing a chance at the big
| things. Lie had made leadership a
condition precedent to herself. She was
not much to look at, but what with wit
and grit and the hghtest fingers in all
| the gang she easily came to be a sort
of queen in it,
For three years she had been the
Buns girl. OF course he was master
full with her-often to the polnt of bru-
tality. But he gave her no rivals until
Long Lou came into the gang and
openly set snares for him. she was
young. still in her teens, handsome
and strapping, with level head and
free. peppery tongue. The Bun did not
go wholly over to her, but he did spend
at least half his abundant leisure and
very much more than half his rather
scanty cash in her company and for
her pleasure.
To speak truth. he was living mainly
upon hope A big thing the biggest in
gang history in hand, but as yet
all outlay and no return. A hundred
yards tunnel is not dug, in "A day even
when there are a bank vault and a
half million at the farther end of it.
! The Bun was waiting upon the tun-
nelers After they were through he
would so at the chilled steel A very
prince OF cracksmen, he knew he
would have it open in three hours.
Then he would take all the swag
money, bonds, plate, whatever was
worth moving home to his fiat, three
miles away, and lie quiet there, while
| others of the gang scuttied off TO take
the hue and cry upon false scent
| Meantime there was spare and lenten
| living at the fiat Because it must be
| kept from the shadow of suspicion
| Lie did nothing in the way of bust
ness, but stayed at home, busying her
self TO make the place tidy ana home
like She never went out save upon
| housewifely errands. Nobody came to
see her. The Bun went away regularly
| every morning toward 10 o'clock. Since
| he wore excellent clothes, paid his rent
| in advance and had way of scowling
at all he met, the other tenants set it
| down that he was either English and
| living upon his income or else that he
belonged in Wall street. lie was care
full always to be home for dinner,
though he went out again almost i'm
medlately afterward. Inevitably Lie
| had much time for brooding. She had
also plenty of food for it.
| The Bun came in always smelling of
tuberose, which Long Lou had adopted
as her special perfume. Further, he
made but pretense of eating the poor
meals Lie set before him. Therefore
she was certain he meant to dine later.
| She would not have grudged him the
| daintiest fare while she ate bread and
water. II she had thought he ate it
alone or only in masculine company.
But where it touches a man, women
are klttle cattle, particularly women Of
| Lies order Carefully, methodically,
she laid her plans
Long Lou was wantOn spendthrift,
always eager to fling away money with
both hands Though she did not know
the game that was on nor the Buns
| part in it, she had a very shrewd suspi-
| cion of it all.
Lie indeed was the only woman
| trusted in that way. Torture would
| not have made her betray the trust. nor
was there enough money in the world
| to have bribed her. In the face Of all
that she sat through many nights, with
her hands clinched, staring at the light
and occasionally smiling hard, des
| perate smile and waiting for that other
night when the Bun would bring home
| fortune.
II came at last, rainy and cold, with
raw east wind, and smothers Of fog
coming up from the river. Lie, listen
Ing with every nerve tense, heard foot
falls, deliberate, yet exultant. Before
the door opened she knew what she
would see-the Bun overrunning with
| joyous concelt. He had the swag neat
i iy slowed in an immaculate and very
English suitcase. AS he swung it upon
| the bed he called huskily to her: "Giye