The Lambertville record., 1902-10-08
, A WOman's
, UnreNSOn
! BY MARTHA
MCULLocH-WILLIAMS
Copyright, 1901, bp 4. s. Richardson
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was Mr.. Ralph Montgomery or George
Warren Pagct, 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 tho 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
flfty-men and women and few pitt
full waits that could not bo called chill
drcn, though they were small and
young, The most part engaged In light
work shopllfting. paiming tickers,
snatching purses from timld hands or
jostling, to their loss, the wearers of
famboyant fobs and scarfplns,
Since tho Bun had become leader
he felt himself estopped from the small
things. though often his fingers itehed
as ho let slip an especially tempting op-
portunity. The itching was perhaps the
first root of his grievance against Iize.
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 II chance ut the big
things. Lie had made leadership q
condition precedent to herself She was
not much to look at, but what with wit
and grit and the lightest fingers In all
the gang she easlly came to be sort
of queen IN 1t.
For three years she had been the
Buns girl. or course he was master
fui with her-often to the point 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 strnpping. with Lowell head and a
free. peppery tongue. The Bun did not
60 wholly over TO her. but he did spend
ut 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--was In hand, but as yet
all outlay and no return. A hundred
yards tunnel is not dug In Il day, even
when there are bank vault and n
half million at tho farther end of It.
Tho Bun was waiting upon the tun-
nelers. After they were through he
would go at the chilled steel. A very
prince of cracksmen, ho knew he
would have 1t open In three hours,
Then he would take all the swag--
money, bonds, plato. whatever was
worth moving home to his fiat, three
miles away, and lie quiet there, Will,
others of the gang scuttled off to take
the hue and cry upon false scent
Meantime there wns spare and lcnten
| living at the fiat. Because II must be
kept from the shadow of suspicion
Lizo did nothing IN the way of busi-
ness, but stayed ut home. busying her
self to make tho place tidy and home
like. She never went out save upon
houscwifely erranda. Nobody came to
sec her. Tho Bun went away regularly
every u.orning toward 10 o'clock. Since
he wore excellent clothes, pnid his rent
In advance and had n way of scowllng
at all he met, the other tenants set 1t
down that ho was either English and
living upon his income or else that he
belonged In Wall street. He was care
full always to be home for dinner,
though he went out again almost I'm
medlntcly afterward. Inevitably Lizo
had much time for brooding. She had
also plenty OF food for 1t.
The Bun came In always smelling OF
tuberosc, which Long Lou had adopted
as her special perfume. Further, he
made but n pretensc of eating the poor
meals Lie set before him. Therefore
she was certain he meant to dine later.
She would not have grudged him tho
dalnticst fare while she ate bread and
water, IL she had thought he ate 1t
alone or only In masculine company.
But where IL touches Il nun. women
are kittlc cattle, particularly women Of
Lies order. Carefully. methodically.
shc laid her plans.
Long Lou wus wanton spendthrift.
always eager to fling away money with
both hands. Though she did not know
tho game that was on nor tho Buns
part In It, she had very shrewd suspi-
cion of II all.
Lie indeed was the only woman
trusted IN that way. Torture would
not have made her bctray the trust, noi
was there enough money In the world
TO have brlbcd her. In the face of all
that she sat through many nights, with
her hands clinched, stirring Mt the light
and occasionally smiling hard, des'
| pcrate smile and waiting for that other
night when the Bun would bring home
fortune.
1t came ut 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 sect the Bun overrunning with
| Joyous conceit. He had the swag neat
ly slowed In an immaculate and very
English suitcase AS he swung 1t upon
the bed he called huslkily to her: "Give
us beer. old gal! I'm dry az char
| coal, but haven't dared wet my throat
| since came out of that beastly hole"
"There IL no beer" Lie said, not stir
ring from her seat.
The Bun almost gasped. When
told you to have ito have everything
comfortableT he snarled. Are you
out o your mindp
mo. Seems to me you've been out q
yours this long Time" Lie flung back
ut him. lie caught her by both shoul-
ders and shook her as a terrier shakes
rat
You get me something to eat-tt
drink? he growled. "No more fooling
l amt In the mind to stand ii. l have
got to stay here until the usual time
BY the Lord. | won't stay hungry"
How'll you help it?' Lie asked
"rhere Is not SO much as crumb, d
cheese pairing, In the house,
80! You've trickcd me. You think
that's the way to keep mo from another
woman-and better one" the Bur
said In kissing whisper. He was mur'
derously angry.