The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-24

his absence lasted nearly three years and
he brought back only a new suit of
clothes, pallid face and most unpleas-
ant trick of the eyes.
When Richard Cober was in luck he
was lavish with his kids" and at all
times liked nothing better than to have
them tumblng over him.; and whether or
not he was in luck, there was nothing
their mama could want that he did not
find way to provide For the most part
he looked uncommonly sharp and hard;
but in his daintily upholstered fiat in
Clinton place he was at least adored. He
sang songs and cut Il doube-shuffle for
the kids and played at blind mans bluff;
and Mrs. ober possessed jewels that
would have made Sadie Meeker's frosty
eyes burn with desire.
One afternoon while Bessie was dandlng
a doll half as big as herself and Richard
and Bobbie were doing a cake-walk with
an energy and freedom of grimace and
gesture that made her scream with laugh
ter, the door opened and a gentleman,
who had held little colloquy with the
maid IN the hall, entered unannounced.
The gentleman was Detective Minck
"Eighteen-carat place you got here
Buck. old sport; pie-anna. French clock
Turkey rugs, nice kids; things been goin'
your way"
Don't look as if you'd been up against
hard luck yourself Skip, kids Mr..
Minick and me will be wanting to bill and
coo in private
"Somethln' dom ?" he asked with Ia
comic elegance.
"a little matter O. my own. 1 want you
TO put me next
What the blazes do you. come to me
about next for? l amt next to nothin'
N this town exert you dead ones at the
Front Office"
"Read the papers lately?'
Zone o you fly cops croaked an you
want to touch me for a bouquet for the
stiff2'
"seen the details O. that sandys job?"
ooh, it's that, is it? You can search
me. You'll have to guess again if you
want to pick winner. l amt mixed up
in that. / haven't done any work in
this town for five years: I live here an
you know well enough that where I live
there's nothin dom. I've got too much
at stake
Don't suppose I'd be sittin' here rub
BERN at your wallpaper if you done it,
do YOU? But l want you to get mixed up
in it, There's five thousand semoleOns
reward. an 7 need EN- in my business
"Who told you t ! was interested in
your business? I got troubles O my
own. 1t won't do. Charley; give it to
you straight. I didn't do the job myself.
and don't know who did; but if I did
know I wouldn't tell you. amt got
nothing against you personally: you al
ways treated me square, an I'd go as
far for you as another man; but never
yet. beefed on pal an I'm not goin' to
begin. I'm bad lot. if you like, but
wouldn't turn mouthpece for the whole
five thousand
BETTER wait till I offer EN- said
Minck intently; "what'll you do for
this?''
Minick passed him with one hand a
other fingered revolver in his coat peck
ct. Minick's acquaintance whom he met
in the way of business were sometimes
spasmodic in their movements. Also Rich
ard Cober was 'age thirty-six, height five
feet eleven and a quarter complexion
dark, eyes blue, hazel hair, prematurely
gray and black beard-that is to say,
close-cut mustache-solid black, teeth
good. nose large and pugnacious. weight
a hundred and sixty-fve pounds
Swell place you got here, Buck, pie
anna, French clock, Turkey rugs, nice
kids; 1 should think you'd hate to shift"
Minick was to be congratulated on the
completeness with which he had thought
out his case.
81 don't want to be hard on you, Buck;
I'll give you time all right to turn the
thing over In your mind: but understand
me- I want those semoleons. 1t you
should happen to discover way of help
ing me get them, well-it's been six years
since l seen Bud Denmer in Joliet; l
might be so stuck on myself l couldn't
recognize him in the street if I passed
him dozen times a day; an I'm the only
man on the force that's on to his mug.
If you shouldn't happen to discover way
of helping me, that telegram reads cuffs
in Clinton place, Jail in Akron, stir in
Columbus, free rides between pints and
free grub an lodgin' everywhere
"Dick, you've said time after time that
if it ever came to pass again where
you had to choose between me and the
kids and gun you'd let the gun CO. and
you're up against that choice now" urged
Mrs. Richard Cober when Minich had
got enough money saved up to quit the
business anyhow. I've often told you that
with what we have in the bank we could
go over to London bring up the kids re-
specially and live decently ourselves"
"a man like mes no business with kids,
Nell, old girl; nor with woman either, >
said Cober YEARLY not for the first time
in his life cup against" the eternal diff
ference between woman's world and a
mans.
That evening after his pacific interview
with Minick, Cober loitered listlessy about
the better sort of haunts Of the Powers
That Prey. Richard would have been too
shrewd, which is to say he loved his own
skin too intellgently to put direct ques-
lions about the Sandys job, nor would
there have been the least ceason why he
should have been the least reason why ne
should ask questions.
He had fully mastered his ideas in this
connection when he entered "The Green
| a, ooI. nod