The Press., 1911-08-09

talking with some Of the associates near the smaller anteroom.
 'Wot do yer know about it. EddieY' she said, as she drew him to one side and spoke in lowered tones. That doll in pink must have it in for you. Fudge Cassidy knows her, and I set him on to her to get yer introduced. She ups and tells Fudge she don't want no introduction, and if he values his scalp not to bring yer round. or words to that effect"
 MT. Riley turned his eyes toward the vision in pink, who still sat where he had first seen her.
 A puzzled look was in his little eyes.
 Just then the orchestra struck up a waltz, and Annie Began went whirling away in the embrace of a young man who ambled up to claim his dance.
 Not without overcoming all sorts of opposition had Eddie Riley fought up to the proud position he held in the contemporary ring.
 A dogged light came into his eyes as he looked again at the girl in pink, who had not as yet been taken for that par, tdcular waltz.
 In moment he was across the floor and standing once more before her.
 Excuse me for buttin' in again" l" said he quite steadily this time, 'but would yer mind tellin' me why yer don't want to dance wit me and why yer wouldn't let Cassidy introduce me to yerT"
 P0 frown of annoyance.
 Maybe it would be well to tell you, and then perhaps you'n not be bother in me-" she said quite calmly. My name is Conlin-Nellie Conlin Does that tell you anythingr'
 Some relation to Spike Conlin? ?'' Ri ley asked, sitting down beside her and ignoring, but not without certain men. tai reservations, the manner in which she moved away to the end of the set tee.
 His sister," she explained.
 And you're sore, with the rest of his friends, because I won't take him on for a go till he's went and made a name for himself like had to do?" he asked quietly "Is that it?'
 The girls eyes blazed. Her under lip curled scornfully.
 Maybe you thought you could use Spike to fatten the roll of your friend, Timmy Shannon, and then have Spikes friends fall at your feet and bless you for it," she said, with sarcasm.
 Didn't you tell Spike to take on Timmy Shannon and if he won that bout you would take Spike on yourself? :? And didn't you fix it up between you so that, win or lose, Shannon got just about all the money?
 And didn't Spike work his life out trainin' for that fight and we all back in him because we knew if he won he'd have a chance for big money when he met you?
 And what did you do after Spike had won his fight with Shannon? You said he'd better get more reputation You know what you've done, but may be you don't know the consequences"
 Tell me the consequences" Riley urged.
 ''The consequences are that Spikes disheartened with the crookedness. of you and the rest of them and has thrown it all up and is goin' downhill as fast as he can just because his heart is broke and he's discouraged, as don't blame him for being That's all I've got to say, except that I hate the sight of you. Now, please let me alone" |"
 Come to the next ball the associates give, Miss Conlin. and maybe you'll feel differently toward me"
 The girl merely stared at him with hard eyes, and he moved slowly away with tight set lips.
 He made his way to the anteroom-- the smaller One-where Fudge Cassidy was royalty entertaining Mr. Riley's manager.
 "Sam," said MT. Riley to the latter gentleman, ''yer wanter fix a go for me wit this Spike Conlin that's been houndin' us of late. Yer wanter fix it up for some time next month at the Arena club, see?'
 Say, I'll do all the match maxim as see fit, Eddie, without no buttin' in from you," the other began, but Riley cut him short with a wave of his hand.
 You go on and fix it like I tell yer if yer value yer measly hide, Sam." he said irritably. And, say, don't go to askin' no questions now or later, for 1 shan't feel like answerin' 'em. You see Spikes crowd and fix 1t for next month"
 The downfall of Eddie Riley came like bolt out of the blue. No one had taken seriously his bout with Spike Conlin at the Arena club. That Spike would prove the easiest of pickings for man of Eddie Riley's caliber was a foregone conclusion.
 When, therefore, at the beginning of the fourth round of that historic bat tie Riley received an ordinary looking uppercut on the jaw and went down on his face and amid an awful hush received the fateful count for the first time in his career the sporting frater- nifty received the shock of the century.
 Strangely enough, Riley himself seemed in nowise crushed by this un- looked for disaster, coming at the height of his career.
 He called together several of the most influential members of the Eddie Riley Associates, told them the truth as to his financial condition and sug- gested, as a means of raising a little coin for his immediate needs until such time as he could get on his feet and "come back" as he promised them un- equivocally would be the case, that
 od"