The Virginia enterprise., 1909-10-08

W
make me rich.'
From whom did you get the rug?"
broke in Clarke.
The Armenian's eyes kindled with
suspicion. What for you want to
know that?' he said.
We've no time to waste" said
Clarke angrily, and he held the native
with his eyes while he made some
quick passes before his face. The Ar
menian's eyes rolled and his muscles
stiffened in the first stages of hyp-
:nosis. Clarke snapped his fingers and
Agnossi came out Of it with a start
and look Of terror.
"Now,' said Clarke, "tell me where
you got the rug or I'll put the spell on
you and leave you that way
oh. I'll tell, I'll TELL" said the
fright cned Oriental Il had it of Is
rael Fangbone in Pell street.
"A wellknown fence" said Collins
If we find you've been lying I'll
come back and look into your head and
sec everything you've ever done,'
warned Clarke
"Oh, gentlemen, tell the truth; and
listen, l did repair it. Fangbone, he
cut little piece out Of it, such a little
piece. l weave ii in and Mr.. Drexlau
never see it at all. think Fangbone
try to match the wool and get some
fake ones made"
"A scheme that you doubtless sug-
gestcd," said Clarke. "Now, haven't
YOU that piecc?"
"Ch, no, gentlemen. I gif you MY
word Of honor. Fangbone he have
it,
"Then to Pell street, commanded
Clarke.
I'm afraid you'll find Fangbone q
tougher proposition than the Arnle-
man. said Collins when we were once
more in the cab.
IF lie is 4 strong character his
weak roint is the more vulnerable
replied Clarke. "Whcn l see him l
will know where to attack
Tangbona in truth was a veritable
!'a2in. He treated us with twisting,
trucu]cnt hands, which seemed to itch.
and his inky black beard to bristle at
he gain that might be derived from
such a presentable set of FOUNDERS as
he took us to be.
"Scmedings I can show you shentle-
mems? Some moneys you want, may
be? l haf it,"
Clarke made careful survey of his
antagonist. Yes, Fangbone, it's
money. Twenty dollars on this and
Clarke took a diamond rims from his
finger and laid it in the moist, out
stretched palm.
Fangbone examined it critically. but
with greedy eyes. You hat come by
1t honestly?' he asked.
"Of course. You'll be safe enough
anyway. It's easily worth two hun
dred and l may never redeem it."
mot reteem id?" said Fangbone in
surprise.
mo, wouldn't wear it again. It's
kisheff. I had it of this man Drexlau
who was killed last night, and Just
heard he had blue Bokhara rug that
was kisheff and it killed him.
"You say the blue Bokhara is
kisheff? Who dell you dat?"
''Thaida told me-
Clarke whispered it impressively.
Fangbone's eyes opened in wonder.
"Thaida dell you? You know Thai
da, an she say dere is kisheff on the
blue Bokhara?"
Yes, Thaida says It was the blue
Bokhara that killed Drexlau. She says
every thread Of it is kisheff, cursed by
Adonai and haunted by the u spirits
Of the great Solomon. She says the
only way to escape a violent death is
to part with the object to the first man
you meet. II you can't sell it give it
away. We've just come from Thaida."
A look Of fear stole over Fangbone's
forbidding countenance and his eyes
wandered involuntarily toward
drawer back Of the counter in front of
which We were standing.
Here, dake i'd, dake i'd, qvick!" he
said, thrusting the ring at Clarke. Il
will hat nodding to do vid i'd. Thaida
she know. She is wise in de black
magic as in de white. Tank Gott l
Wind i'd oudt in time"
AS soon as we were beyond the line
Of vision from the interior Clarke
stopped and accosted a typical Pell
street hobo. Here, my man." he said.
| want to make half a dollar? Well.
wander into Fangbone's, take what
ever he gives you, bring it to me and
you get your money" The hobo hur-
ried of and Clarke's scheme began to
dawn upon me. In a few minutes he
was back. Here's wat de sheeny
give me. Now, where's de mazuma?"
Clarke handed him the money and
in return the man placed in Clarke's
hand square inch of the blue Box
hara!
"superstition, his ruling passion, and
a powerful name in the Ghetto" quiet
ly remarked Clarke. "Now the solu-
tion is in our grasp"
We did not inquire whittier we were
going as we whirled through dark, for
bidding streets, but even with my linn.
tied knowledge of the metropolis I
knew It was still the Ghetto.
We stopped before one of those old
fashioned New York houses, once the
home of fashion and yet to be found in
the lower East side. Clarke sent up
his card and we were admitted to a
drawing room furnished in a quiet
masnifieence that-eortF Fasted- strangely
with the squalor and degradation all
about. ' '''> '>'-+ - ~->,'
l. The silken portieres parted and
there stood before Us the most beauti-
full woman it has ever been by lot Ito