Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26

suspicious. Even in that shadowy sub
stratum to which he had been temporarily
driven, good gratis, he knew, had to be
sought for long and arduously. And he
had no love for that ever-furtive under
world and its follies. 1t was life that
rested on cynicism, and no man could be q
cynic and live. That he knew. He nursed
no illusions as to the eventual triumph Of
evil, in the ever-shifting order of things
earthly; and he remembered, with sting
of apprehension, the JOY with which he had
plunged into the thick of that street-corner
group of untainted fellow-men.
Il think I'd rather get at something de-
cent again. he grumbled, pushing away
his bean plate, but still waiting, with a
teasing sense of anxiety, for the other to
explain more fully
Il guess we'd all like to shy around the
dirty workout a dead-sure things good
enough now and them
But where's all the money, in this
cinch?" demanded Durkin, little impa-
tiently.
tell you right now, I'm no piker! Get into
a cab with me, and then I'll lay everything
out to you as we drive up to the house.
But here, have a smoke" he added as he
got up and hurried to the door that opened
on 10th street. Durkin had never dreamed
that tobacco-even pure Havana tobacco
could be so suave and mellow and fragrant
as that cigar.
Now, you asked me about the money in
this DEAL" the older man began, when he
had slammed to the cab door and they
went rumbling toward 9Th aavenue. We'll,
it's right here, See!''-and as he spoke he
drew a roll of bills from his capacious
trousers pocket From an inner coat pocket
that buttoned with a flap he next took out
pigskin wallet, and flicked the ends of his
paper wealth before Durkin's widening
eyes. The latter could see that it was made
up of one hundreds, and ffties, and TWEEN
ties, all neatly arranged according to de-
nomination. He wondered, dazedly, just
how many thousands it held. 1t seemed
of a sudden. to put a new and SOLDERING
complexion on things.
Money talks!' was the older mans SEN
tentious remark, as. he restored the wallet
to its pocket.
"Undoubtedly-' said Durkin leaning back
in the soft-cushioned seat
Now, If you want to swing in with us,
here's What you get a week.
The stranger took the smaller roll from
his trousers pocket again, and drew out
four crisp fifty dollar bills. These he placed
on the palm of the other mans hand, and
on them. And If our coup goes through,
you get your 10 per cent rake-off-and that
ought to run you up from 5000 to $1,000,
easy!'
Durkin's fingers closed more tightly on
his bills, and he drew in his brandy-laden
breath, sharply.
Who are you, anyway" he asked,
slowly.
Me? Oh, I'm kind of an outside oper-
ator. same YOURSELF.
He looked at Durkin steadily, for mo-
iLell, ttuu lileI1, seemingly SallSIeO, went
on in different tone of voice.
Did you ever hear of Penfield the big
pool-room man. the gay art connoisseur,
who hob-nobs with bunch Of our Wall
street magnateS and SaunteTS over to
Europe couple o. times season? Well,
I've been plunger at Penfield's now for
two months-just long enough to make
sure that he's as crooked as they make
'em. I'm going to give him a dose of his
own medicine. and hit that gilt-edged gam
bier for slice of his genteel bank-roll--
and an uncommon good, generous slice.
But what's-er-your special line of bust
ness? How are you going to get at this
man Penfield, 1 mean?"
Ever hear of the Miami outfit?" asked
the other.
THAT cut in and hit the Montreal pool
rooms for eighty thousand?-well, 1 guess
Durkin glanced at his companion in Won
der. Then the truth seemed to dawn on
him, in one illuminating, almost bewilder-
ing, flash
'You-you're not MacNutt?" he cried,
the question. Half year before, the Pos
tai Union offices had been full of talk of
the Miami outfit and MacNutt, buzzing
with meager news of the cool insolence and
audacity of Miami's lightning singers, who
when they saw they had worked their game
to a finish, cut in with their: We've
got your dough, now you can go to
ultimate liberty ten minutes before their
hillside cave was raided, and nothing more
than packing case, holding three dozen
Brumley dry batteries, a bunch of XXX
and couple of Crosby ng-distance tele-
phones, was found:
Durkin looked at the other man once
more, almost admiringly, unfortunately
tempted, swayed against his will, in some
way by the splendor of vast and I'M
known hazard. He found not altogether
miserable consolation, too, in the thought
that this possible second dip into illegiti-
mate activities would be a movement not
directed against organized society, but
against one already an enemy Of that So
ciety. Yet even this draught of sophistry
left it's after-taste of disgust.
You're pretty confidential" he said
slowly, looking the other up and down.
What's to stop me going to one of Doc
CAMS men and squealing on the whole gang
of your"
stroked his short beard, touched here and
there with gray. And what good would all
that do you?" he asked.
You are cool specimen!" calculated the
other.
"Oh, I guess know men; and sized you
up. first thing, in the court room. You're
the sort O. man I want. You're not a
funker, and you've got brains, and-well, If
thousand to the good, it's all your own
faultr'
Durkin whistled softly. Then he looked
out at the flashing carriages
90 liiSy |hSoueo lacii way up INC CIOWueO
avenue.
well, I guess I'm game enough" he said,
hesitatingly, still trying to sweep from his
brain the clouding mental cobweb that it
was all nothing more than a vivid night
mare.
II guess I'm your man." he repeated, as
they turned off the avenue and drew up In
front of house of staid and respectable
brownstone facing, like so many of the 9TH
er private houses of New York's upper
Thirties. In fact, the long line of brown
stone edifces before him seemed so alike
that one gigantic hand, he thought, might
have carved the whole block from a single
slab of that dull and lfeless- looking brown
stone rock.
Then, following MacNutt, he jumped out
and went quickly up the broad stone steps.
80 you're with us, all right?" the older
man asked, as his finger played oddly on
the electric button beside the door. Durkin
looked at the blank glass and panels that
seemed to bar in so much mystery and his
last quaver of indecision died away Yet
even then he had sense Of standing upon
some Vesuvian-like lava-crust, beneath
which smoldered unseen volcanic fires and
uncounted volcanic dangers.
Yes, I'm with you, anyway" he as
serted, stoutly. I'm with you, to the fin
ish!'
Go be Continued Tomorrow)
Reflections Of Bachelor.