The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-05-04

| tantly.
Seems to me 1t sounded like the birds
at play,
Darling,
Sue, dear, don't believe I'm chaffing.
Bless your heart, love you in the
same old way"
Slowly The Rat raised him from his
lethargy. His bent shoulders quiver-
ed, and he was no longer the huddled
heap In the chair, inert and limp. Up
went his head as he listened-up, un-
til his gaze met that Of the chief.
Look here" he said hoarsely. HE
let her starve. He let her starve on
the top floor OF q Cannon street tene-
mnt. wasn't wise to II up the river.
! wasn't wise to II. l kept hammer
ing away on a Sing Sing stone pile,
thinkin' he was lookin' after her. Why,
] believed him square. II was stripes
and the stone pile f'r me, and f'r him
the Bowery of Saturday, night wit
the easy comeons ready waitin' on
the pavement.
| He come ter see me in the Tombs
before they took me up. III look af-
ter Name, s'elp me- he said. And wit
that / horsed the deputies in the
smokin' car and give me pedigree in
the warden's Office like the real
thing. / thought Dutch was right.
The calendar amt turning like no rou.
lette wheel up at Sing Sing. But it
went heap faster wit the letters
from Dutch what give Names love
at the end. Name didn't write. She
wasn't no scholar. And how was
to know that Dutch was lyin'?"
The Rat halted waveringly. But
the piano refrain sent him plunging
on. They took me good conduct
time of and got me ticket of leave.
And was f'r the home route wit
new suit of paper clothes and me
stone-pile cush in em. / hadn't let
'em know was comm. wanted to
surprise Name. 1t was dark wen
got ter Cannon street. l meets
Sweeney, the janitor, on the top of
the stoop, after rushin' the can.
Fifth floor?" l asks, thinkin' maybe
Name had moved. Sweeney eyes me
and says, 'wot're you handin meT
Name Gilligan. you mutt says, and
pushin' past him made as If ter go
upstairs.
Sweeney crossed himself, and wit
that l knowed there was somethin'
gone wrong. 1t struck me cold be-
fore he spoke, and I've never felt
warm since-but once" The Rats
yellow teeth rasped against one an
other like terrier worrying a bone
He went on thickly.
Didn't they put you nextT says
Sweeney. Next ter what?' asks.
Name Gilligans dead in Bellevue
these six months he says"
The Rat put one hand to his head
painfully. when Sweeney says that
somethin' busted in here" he said.
I've been gone a bit in me nut ever
since, but not too much gone fr find.
in Dutch Gallagher. Why, a dog
wouldn't have treated Name the way
he'd done it, Shed been starved.
The ambulance doctor what come
when Sweeney found her senseless in
the hall said she hadn't ben eatin'
enough f'r weeks. Dutch had left
her. She'd hooked everything she
had except the ring I'd bought her.
They buried her wit that on. He'd
been writin' to me and sendin' me
Names love after she was dead, and
he knowed it. I'd been doin' the time
fr both Of us, and he'd let Name
starve."
Calmly The Rats hand went out to
where the knife lay upon the desk by
the stained handkerchief The chief
did not stop him. His breath was
coming and going in little puffs, and
his mouth was trembling at the corn.
ers, as if he were trying to be very
calm and found it hard work. The
Rat took UP the knife as he might
have grasped friendly old pipe. He
crooked his fingers about the handle
and weighed the blade in his grasp.
1t was all mechanically, jerkily done.
He was dealin' faro in q brace
game on Fourteenth street." he said.
Il waited f'r him that night. And
when ! seen him leave followed him.
When he got to Chrystie street I was
wit him, but he didn't know It,
sneaked up them stairs behind him
quiet as death, and when ! turned
around at the top landin' ter look by
the gaslight if anyone was followin',
! seen Name walkin' up after me and
pointin' toward Dutch on ahead, and
! knewed then l was doin' what was
right"
The Rats voice wavered for the
moment. His lips parted drily. and he
licked them with a swollen tongue.
1t was as if he were going on. Then,
Of a sudden, there came the hollow
sound of the street piano stop, as
the Italian at the crank changed
tunes. The chief started to his feet
with a smothered curse. In through
the open window crept the music:
Break the news to mother.
Just tell her that ! love her.
Just say to her l."
Like one startled from an awful
dream, The Rat shivered and rolled