The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-10
Copyright. 1904. by
WILLIAM HAMILTON
osBoRNE

: ~-s->->-< >->-~%->-s
dressing room. For he was not only a
strong-arm man and a swindler, too.
he was lightning change artist in the
bargain. - 5.
Across the street two young men
with numbers, that did quite as well
as names, sat in a dark alley way. They
were waiting for low whistle. In a
short, time they heard it. They
emerged from the dark alley way
looked carefully up and down the mar
row street, and then glided noiselessIy
across. They entered the little she'd
AS they did So. a man standing IN
the center of the floor showed light
Ior brief space of time
Holy Geei" they exclaimed, under,
their breaths, as they looked upon
MIN, who'd thought it 2" The MEM
held the light smiled good naturedly.
Then he frowned and pointed to thee
figure on the floor. There I am he
said, right as a trivet I'm not likely
to wake up till morning, but you ear.
take the rag and the dope along with
you for prudence sake. Now, CALI
your little old cab out there and bum
dle me in and take me down to the
swharves and dump me into any out
ward-bound old hulk that's goin' to
sail at once. =.
He pulled out a couple more bills.
This now" he said, and the rest
when the things all doneo
He waved his hand after the man .
ner of Ellington O'Keefe, carefully adj
justed his watch chain about his neck,
cautiously opened the door to the lit -
tie shetland strolled away.
AT the corner of the street he paused S
Just long enough to see shabby fly
draw up to the curb and to see two
figures step inside with heavy bur-
den swung between them. Then with Z
heavy load lifted from his mind and
conscience, he swung on up the street.
Ii he had an appointment with a
friend that night, he may have kept 1t.
and he may not; but certain it is that !.
at about half-past 8 that night he
passed up through the brilliantly
lighted main thoroughfare of the city
OF Monroe, bowling right and left to
many people on his way toward his
home. Certain it is that once he
reached the house, he swung up the
steps with an air of certainty, adjusted
his key into it's proper hole, nodded to :
his housekeeper inside and then
passed on up to the den and smoking
room of Ellington O'Keefe. There was
just one man in the whole world who
could have done these things with GER
tainty; just one man who could have
arranged everything beforehand as it
had been arranged-and that man was
none other than this man.
In the ramShackIe old fly No. 399 had
stuck his head out of the window and
addressed the driver
Now, Billy he said, drive like fire
to you know where" you know
where" was long distance off. 1t was
matter of miles Finally the old
wheels of the fly went Gathering over
the loose boards of a superannuated
dock-almost the last dock in the vicin-
1ty. Once more No. 500 stuck out his
head. There she isl he said, making
out at the end of the pier, through the
thin fog, the haZy outlines of a sailer.
Drive to the forward gangway, Billy.
That's the ticket Now"
The cab came to a stop. One of the
two gave vent to low whistle. He
was answered from the deck of. the
vessel.
You, Jenks?" asked the cabman.
Me. all right answered the man
on the boat ttfsat ?
Wen, here's how" answered No.
from the cab. We've got him right
and tight. jerks, and he's your meat,
and the Sally Mays to boot"
The man they called jerks leaped
to the dock. fetching a lantern with
him. AS he reached them, he paused,
viewed the figure at their feet with the
air of connofsseur. Then with one
foot he felt of it.
He'll do, I guess. He's got bit
too much flesh on him, but I'll soon
work that off, I guess He'll be with
me FIR just about a year and a day,
reckon he went on, expectorating
freely, "and by that time he's liable
to get trained in"
Shouldn't wonder bit," said the
others jerks pulled out a flask and
passed it around.
Here's wishin' you both luck" he
said, taking the first swig. Pm off at
two tomorrow morning" He pulled
out a couple of greenbacks and hand
ed them over.
right he growled, "and if I amt got
a bargain I'll take it out'n his hide and
not out O. you. See?
'S'long," they answered, moving off.
Slong," he responded, swinging his
lantern by way of farewell.
The man on the box whipped up his
lean and bOny horse, and the men with
numbers instead of names drove off
into the night.
They were quite unawares of the fact
that all this time a man with gold
chain about his neck had been stand
ing out of sight behind pile Of lum--
Der watching carefully all that had
been done. This man stood there
until he had seen jerks and one of the
ships crew drag the unconscious fig
ure into the vessels hold. Then he
breathed a sigh of relief strobe softly
UP the QOck, HdlieQ q eau VI HIS OWL
and made off, He reached the center
of the town about $50 and dismissed
the cab.
He had not heard the conversation,
and he had not heard the men in the
cab call the man in the boat by the
name of jerks. And he had not seen
the face of the man in the boat, for !
the lantern had illumined only jerks
legs and the figure of the man who lag,
prone upon the dock. But he was
satisfied. The deed was done, and he
could afford to risk the rest.
ITO Be Continued)