The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-19

a half scream. You done him. he
howled. Just as you'll do me-
Don't be a fool said the chief gently.
There were beads of perspiration on his
brow. He would have liked 10 beat in the
face of the sodden creature in front of
him. But instead he purred to him. This
. was different. Rat" ne said wheelingiy'
Gallagher was Drunk. You know he was
always ugly when he was drunk. There
was fight He was going to kill you.
and you killed him. You killed HMM
self-defense. You understandable self de-
| Tense
The Rat leered openly. "Doyers street
FIR you" hec huckled with cunning look.
'Doyers street and the long pipe dreams"
The chief threw himself back IN his
/ chair disgustedly. The electric fan whir-
red upon its shelf above his head, fut-
/ tering the loose desk papers. and twist
/ ing awry the coarse red locks about The
Rats forehead. Otherwise it was very
still, and it was also very warm. They
I had taken the bracelets off the prisoner.
/ and he sat twiddlins his greasy felt hat
/ between uncertain thumbs. Thee hief
chewed an unlighted cigar and walked to
/
/ gloomily down into the gray courtyard.
/ there came the sudden flourishng notes
/ of street piano, playing to the urchins
! from Mott street on the strip of asphalt
/ beyond. He could hear the echo of the
/ happy childrens voices while they fiocked
to them usic box. He knew just how 1t
/ loked. although the dirty brick wall hid
it from him.
There was the smiling-faced Italian girl
with the tambourne. gathering the nick
els from the idleTs strung precariously
along the iron basement railing, watching
the dancing. Even the nurses from St
Barnabas Home next door would be
peeping approximately out of the DOWN
stairs window. The piano was finishing
the hnal bars Of the intermezo from
"Cavalleria Rusticana,'' left over from
the last stopping place on Elizabeth
street with all its Impossible trills and
cadenzas- The street pianos always play
ed "Cavalleria Rusticana" in Mulberry
street Thee hief wondered why
Then there was the quick pause as the
man at the crank turned the change stop,
/ and gay waltz foated over the brick
wall into the courtyard. BY the shrill
little cries of delight that followed it. the
chief knew the children were dancing. 1le
turned away from the window dejectedIy.
The piano rasped upon his nerves AS he
turned he saw The Rat sitting upon the
edge Of his chair, his head raised toward
the echoing rhythm. Thee hief stared for
an instant and then slid softly into his
seat behind the desk, as the street piano
rippled:
There's just one girl in this world for
me,
Only one girl has my sym-pa-thee.
Shes not so very pretty, nor yet Of high
degree,
But there's just one girl in this world
for me-"
The Rat was muAbing to himself and
smiling as If he were remembering some
thing pleasant. His lips We're curled back
to the buns. and his enjoyment was not
edifying. and when his gaze wandered
past that of the chief. the head of the
detective bureau knew that it penetra ted
the gray cartridge paper OF the wall be-
hind him. and knew. too. that The Rats
mood was far flung. The man was still
jerking his head up and down with the
staccato tempo of the piano.
"Coney. Coney and two camp-stools on
the deck by the dago liddlers both ways"
he muttered. He said it aloud. but it was
as if he were talking to himself, The
chiefs hand moved toward the electric
push-button and then paused irresolute.
TIE outpouring notes of the street piano
trickled like cool water through the room
closeness.
"COney in the summertime repeated
The Rat vacuously. It's Gods own
country Coney fr me of a Sunday after
noon wit the sunshine and the troleys
jamful. S the limit what ell swelled
out his sparrow chest proudly toward the
playing: IS the limit he -hucked
wit a shine and a new cellulod rim and
"A nickel stogie in yer transom. yer on
IF yer money, and yer it. Say, I've
danced rings round the other spielers in
Stauch's wit Name"
The Rats voice softened almost imper-
ceptiby, but the chief caught the change
and gripped the sides of his chair. breath
ing irregulaTly as if afraid to break the
spell
There was the job OF dishwashin' at
the Tfvoli: six plunks comm reg lar every
week wit now and then a small pike in
the poolroom over the VoIks Garden. I
was weafin clothes and I made good
1t was me swell front what won out Wit
Name l wasn't pretty. but me front
sent me home in a canter And Name
wasn't no chowder party pal Shed i
mem ~ overnight and a good eye f'r
white man. And the man says she was
stuck on Dutch GaIagher's a liar"
\ fierce anger wiped the smile from his
scattered features. and made the chief re-
coil in almost fear The very devil was
in the stUnte1 eX-Convict's face. and the
kuotted pulses in his thin temples were
throhbing riotously beneath the tisht
drawn skin.
There's Just one girl in this world for
me-" rippled the piano from outside. with
a final burst Of treble Then the music
ceased suddenly with the hollow knock
the lid OF a box makes when it is let
fall And at the sound. The Rats head
dropped upon his breast again.
The chiefs right hand crept slowly 20
the pencil tray and scrawled a few word;
upon q piece OF paper which he gently
tore from yellow pad Keep The Quincy
playing Don't LEI him stop" the pencil
traced. lie looked furtivsiy AZ The Rat
The little mans head was still sunken
gpon lis sciled waistcoat. and he did not
notice when the other tiptoed 10 the green
door. and thvustinE hand ont beyond.
riptCel back again to The desk. waiting
The renewed tinkle OF the piano foated
into the courtyard. and the detective
smiled - he distinguished the tune Il
was The refrain af Z sentimental ballad
which made The audience at Tony CaSto-'S