Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-21


CHAPTER XIV.-Continued.
Norvin eyed his caller curiously.
That sounds almost as much like a
threat as a warning"
God forbid! I simply state the truth
for your own good and for the good OF
all Of us. Wherever Sicilians are found.
there your laws will be ignored. For my
own part. naturally I do not approve-I
am an American now-but the truth is
what 1 tell YOU"
I'm other words, you think we ought
to leave your countrymen alone?"
''Ah. 1 do not go SO far The laws
should be enforced, that is certain. But
in trying to do what is impossible you
stir up race hatred. and make it hard
for us reputable Sicilians who would help
you SO far as lies in our power. You
cannot stamp out the Malta in day, IN
a week: 1t is Sicilian characters. AL
ready you have done enough to vindicate
the law. If you go on in mad attempt
to catch this Cardi-whose existence even
is dou5tful-the consequence may be IN
every way bad.
I'VE have five of the murderers now
and we'll have the other man soon-the
fellow with the rubber coat. The grand
jury will indict them. But we won't stop
there. We're on a trail that leads higher
Larubio and the others to do their
work."
Marufi shook his head mournfully.
"And the Cressi boy-it was you who
found him.
1T was"
How did You do it?''
Norvin laughed. IF you'd only enlist
in the cause I'd tell you all my secrets
gladly
Eth. Then he was betrayed
For the life of him Norvin could not
tell whether the man was pleased or
chagrined at his secrecy, but something
| told him that the Sicilian was feeling him
! out for purpose. He smiled without
answering.
Betrayed" said Maruffi. "Ah. we'll:
l should not like to be in the shoes of
the betrayer.' He seemed to lose him.
self in thought for a moment. Believe
me. would help you If l could. but l
know nothing, and besides. it is danger
Gus. I am a good citizen, but am not
detective You American BORN he
smiled, assume that all we Sicilians
are deep in the secrets of the Mafioso.
| So the people in the street insult US, and
| you in authority think that if we would
| only tell-bah! tell what? We know no
| more than you. and 1t is less safe for us
| to aid He rose and extended his hand
| "Of course if learn anything | will in
| best to let sleeping dogs lie
| Norvin closed the door behind him with
| a feeling Of relief. for he was puzzled as
| to the object of this visit and wanted
time to think it out undisturbed. The up
shot of his reflections was that Donnelly
| had been right, and that Caesar was. in
deed, the author of the warning letters
AS to his want of knowledge. the Slcillan
| protested rather like a man who plays a
part openly. On the other hand, his
4 foe for ca fpfV Seemed genuine
| enough. What more natural. then. than
| that he should wish to test Donnelly's
successor with the utmost care before
| proceeding with his disclosures Blake
| was glad that he had been secretive for
| if Maruffi were the unknown friend he
| would find such caution reassuring.
| AS if to confirm this view of the case,
there came. a day or two later. another
| communication, stating that the assassin
who was still at large Che. in fact, who
| borer in the parish of st. John the Bap-
tist named Frank Normando. The let
ter went on to say that in escaping from
the scene of the crime the man had
fallen on the slippery pavement and the
traces Of his injury might still be found
upon his body.
Norvin lost no time in consulting
ONeil.
have" said the acting chief, admiringly.
| I'D do well to turn this AFFAIR over to
you entirely"
''Have you learned anything more from
your prisoners?"
Nothing They refuse to talk. We've
given them the third degree. but it's no
use There was another murder on ST.
| Phillip street last night. The old wom-
an who guarded the Cressi boy was
| found dead"
.'Then they think she betrayed the
| lad? Norvin recalled Maruffs hint
! that it would go hard with the traitor.
| Eyes, We might have expected it. How
many men will you need to take this
| Normando?"
81? You-think I'd better do the trick?"
Blake had not intended to take any ac-
| tive part in the capture. He was already
known as the head of the movement to
avenge Donnelly: he had apprehended
hand. Inner voices warned him wildly
| to run no further risks.
| II thought you'd prefer to lead the
raid" O'Nel said.
| $50 would: give me two or three men
and Well bring in Normando, dead or
alive"
Six hours later the last of Donnelly's
actual assassins was in the parish prison.
and the police were in possession of evil
dence showing his movements from early
morning the day of the murder up to the
| hour of the crime. His identification was
even more complete than that of his &C
completes. and the public press thanked
| Norvin Blake in the name of the city
| for his efficient service.
! The anonymous letters continued to
come to him regularly, and each one con-
tanned some important clue. which. fol-
lowed up, invariably led to evidence of
value Slowly, surely, out of nothing. as
it were the chain was forged. Now
came the names of persons who had seen
or had talked with some one Of the ac-
cused upon the fatal day. now a hint
which turned light upon some dark spot
in their records. Again the letters aided
in the discovery of important witnesses.
| who, under pressure, confessed to facts
which they had feared to make public
until at last the history Of the six as
sassins lay exposed like an open sheet
before the prosecuting attorney.
The certainty and directnesS with
which the lone Who Knows worked
was a matter of ever-increasing amaze
rlent to Blake. He himself was little
more than an instrument in these unseen
hands. Who what could the writer
be? BY what means could he remain in
such intimate touch with the workings
of the Malta. and what reason impelled
him to betray it's members? Hour upon
hour the young man speculated. racking
his head until it ached. He considered
every possibility. he began to look with
curiosity at every face. At length he
came to feel an even greater interest in
the identity Of this hidden friend than in
the result of the struggle itself. But in
| vestigations-no matter how cautious
invariably resulted in a prompt and i'm
perative warning to deSist upon pain of
running everything.
Gradually in his mind the conviction
assumed certainty that the OmniScient in