Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15

Know what's COMM now. eh7'' PIN
sneered. Il thought yuhd wake up
He put on his coat and his cap with the
air of workman who has finished his days
Job" He locked the door of the sweatshop
coolly. He stepped back to the window.
"I'd like to stay an hear yer verdict. puss.'
he said. straddlfag the sill, but there's like
ly to be an alarm of fire rung into the truck
house pretty socn. / got to get back
He dropped the blanket, climbed out on
the fire escape and closed the window with
a slam. Then he begain to raise it again,
inch by inch, with the care and noseless-
ness of burglar; and when he had propped
it up with his Jimmy" he put his eye to
the peephole and grinned in the dark
The man had sunk back weakly in the
chair. breathless with a struggle to free
himself. his nostrils working like the gills
of caught fish, his eyes drawn aside, In
fearful fascination, to the cat. 1t had gone
across the room to the corner in which PIN
had first seen it. eating the herring, and 1t
was smelling and licking the floor where
the fish had been. When it had cleaned up
every last scent there it looked up hungrily
at the string above the table, polishing its
chops with wi:stful tongue.
The man made a gurgling noise to attract
Its attention, ard it trotted over to him to
rub against his tied leg. He tried to smile
invitingly down on it with a muffied grin. at
the same time that he worked treacherously
at the cords that held his hands 1t jumped
on his knee and mewed at the fish, He
Jerked vainly at his bonds. The muscles in
chew through the twist of blanket that held
him gagged. 1t was useless.
He was glaring desperately at the friend
ly animal when it made as If to jump from
his leg to the table, and he threw it to the
floor with a quick fling of the knee.
PIN put his hand to his mouth. his Shout
ders shaking.
The man was almost weeping in the help
lessness of rage and fear. The cat had
seated Itself at his feet, looking up at the
fish, with its back to him, and whisking It's
tall across the toe of his shoe. And then
the bound foot, held at the ankle, wriggled
to raise its heel, and, when the tail came
back, snapped down on 1t like rat trap.
The cat jumped with scream of agony,
and finding itself held. writhed around to
bury its claws in its masters leg, biting and
scratching like wild thing, SO that the man
stiffened in his pain with a start that re-
leased it, and it bounded off to far cor
ner, where it sat down to lick its bruised
tail.
PIN sti1ed chuckle.
The man opened his eyes and blinked away
the smarting tears, his face white with pas
sion. The cat dressed its wounds and
watched him furtively. He bent forward
in his chair and stretched his neck as If he
were about to spring. The cat crouched.
The chair creaked. The cat backed against
the wall mewing plaintively. He shook his
head at 1t with choked growl, and it be-
gan to crawl away toward the other end of
the room. He followed 1t with glitter
ingly vindictive eye. 1t darted across be-
hind the table and skulked out of his sight.
Evidently he had intended to keep it in
such terror Of him that 1t would forget its
hunger, but here, now. 1t was safe from him
and nearer the fish than before. And If he
sat quiet it would be on the table soon as
it found it's scent. He blinked and studied.
Then suddenly he sat up TO brace himself
in the chair and kicked out at his letters, in
a passionate CONFUSION, with both feet
with the unforeseen result that he threw
himself off his balance. toppled over squirm-
ing, and fell heavily on his back; and the
cat frightened by the noise, leaped for
shelter under the table, caught in the meshes
of the lace curtain that had been spread for
a cloth, clawed and rolled around in fight
ing frenzy and brought down the lamp.
1t broke in flaming explosion on the
floor.
Now" PIN gloated, well see how he
likes a little scorching himself"
The fall had broken the back off his chair,
and when he rolled over on his face he
found himself to this extent free that he
could straighten himself out. His legs were
still tied to the rungs; his hands, pinioned
behind him, were fastened to the spindles of
the back; but by resting his forehead on the
floor he could draw his knees up under him.
The bed was already af1re with the splatter
Of blazing oil and the room was filled with
a smoke which PIN could smell through the
blanket. The cat had fought itself free of
the burning curtain after rolling into the
mattress with 1t. And when the man got to
his knees he turned to see the whole room
behind him apparently in blaze. He made
a frantic effort to jump to his feet; the chair
tripped hin: and he came crashing down at
full length on his face. He did not move
again.
Serve yuh right If left yuh there" P::,
said stripping off his coat.
He took a knife from his pocket and
opened 1t. He tore down the blanket from
the window and wound it about his arm
Then he Jumped into the room, with his ell
bow shielding his face, and dashed through
lie i'm Ia
with a few deft slashes, opened the hall
door and threw him out on the landing after
the cat. Having carefully shut the door
again, he muffled his hands IN the blanket
ran to the mattress and rolled IT up over
the burning clothes ia stffle the flames. He
overturned the table on the bed and stamped
out the fire in the bedding that lay on the
floor. And finally, having smothered the
burning oil with his blanket, he slipped
through the window. closed 1t after him,
and raced down the ladders with his Jimmy
and his coat under his arm.
He dropped at the feet of Long Tom
Donnelly. ''All right" he said; ITS all
over"
"Whatd yuh DOR Donnelly asked.
We'll" PIN said. III yuhll go up there
an get the waddin' out of yer friends jaw.
praps he'll tell yuh. M'own opinion Is, II
you want to know the facts yuh'll have to
ask the cat Here, take this jimmy
a minute"
He began TO put on his coat; and he
stopped, with MS driIlS way III lHc
sleeves, to cry: "What're you dom here?
/ thought I toll you to stand by the alarm
box at the corner"
Donnelly cleared his throat. 81 lef' a cop
there" he explained. Il thought yuh'd
want me here to help yuh,-p'raps."
PIN thrust his head forward to stare at
him in the dim light. ~ COPY he said.
with a hoarse oath. "A cop!'
Sure" Donnelly replied, in too innocent
tone Whats the matter with that?"
PIN clenched his teeth and cursed him.
"Oh, yuh long scut." he said. "Yuh vine
gary face. That's what yuh done, Is it?'
He jerked his coat on with twist of his
shoulders. That's yer game, Is it?'
Donnelly took a step back and changed
the Jimmy from his left hand to his right.
PIN looked at him long time and then
laughed-a laugh as mirthful as the leer of
a skull.
AN that's Donnelly," he said. That's
Long Tom Donnelly, Ell? There's head
fer yuh, now, amt 1t? There's a sharp
brain, Ell? Gad!' He threw back his head
and cackled. The cap'n II laugh to hear
this Turn aroun' till pat y on the back
Tom-with the toe O. my boot. Turn aroun.
MOI"
What's wrong with your Donnely COM
plained II amt done nothln to yuh. l
didn't know what yuh were up to-up there.
l thought any one'd do at the box as well as
me-"