Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-11-08
TIE NET"
Copyrighted. 1919 oy Res Beach.


belong to some one else, and his spirit
was crying out mad, panicky warning.
He opened the drawer of his desk and
extracting a revolver raised 1t at arm
length He drew il down before his
eve until the sights crept into align
ment. and held il there FOR a throbbinS
second. Then he smiled mirthlessly for
his hand had not shown the slightest
tremOr.
Donnelly was awaiting as Blake
walked into headquarters, and eXhum-
ing Va box of cigars from the remotest
depths of a desk drawer, he onered
them. saying:
eve sent O'Connen over to recon-
,oitre There's no use OF our starting
out until he locates ISABELLA. You needn't
be so suspicious of those perfectos, they
won't bite you
1.-The last one you gave rue did pre-
cisely that"
Must have been one of my cooking
cigars. 1 keep two kinds, one for callers
and one for friends"
"Then if this is a Flor de Friendship
IN accept" blake said with laugh.
DO YOU think you win know him-Nar-
Gomez"
IL have reason to think 1 will.
The Chief grunted with satisfaction.
"A funny little fellow. that Dreux"
he remarked Wasn't it his father who
fought a duel with Colonel Hammond
from Baton Rouge?"
..The same. They used shotguns at
forty yards. Colonel Hammond was
killed"
aHumph, His son doesn't seem to favor
him muchH'
..Oh. Bernie makes no secret OF his
timiditv. He was proclaiming it to me
before you came in"
well. a mule is mule, coward is
a coward, and gambler is a son-ot-
a-gun," paraphrased the Chief. If ne
hasn't any courage he can't force it into
himself"
do you think so?''
Il know so. I've. seen IL tried Some
people are born towards and can't help
themselves. As for me was never trou-
bled much that way. / suppose you ma
II the same, too
.No. My only consolation lies in
thinking it's barely possible the other
fellow may be as badly frightened as 1
am
DonneIly scoffed openly. II never saw
a man stand up better than you. Why
I've touted you as the gamest chap 1
ever saw. DO you remember that Dago
AIisetti who jumped from here into your
parish when you were sheriff?
Blake smiled. I'm not likely to forget
him."
you walked into a gun that day when
you knew he'd use it."
He didn't, though-at least not much.
Perhaps he was as badly ratified as l
was"
Indeed. 1 hadn't heard"
You knew, of course, we couldn't con-
Wet him for that killing. We had per-
feet case, but the Malta cleared him.
same old story-perjury. alibis, and jury
fixing. We put him away for resisting
an officer, though: they couldn't stop IFS
there But they've sprung him and he's
back in town again. Damn such people"
1T is a serious matter" Blake &C
knowledged, and it is affecting the
business interests of the city. We see
that every day"
IF had a free hand I'd tin-can every
dago in New Orleans"
Nonsense. They're not all bad. The
great majority Of them are good, indus
trious. law-abiding people.
You think so, eh2 Well, if you held
down this job for a year, you'd be ready
to swear they're all blackmailers and
murderers. If they're 50 honest and
| peaceable. why don't they come out and
help us run down the malefactors?'
That's not their way"
NO, you bet il isn't" Donnelly af-
hrmed. Things aFe-getting worse every
day. The performers don't have to call
my attention to it; I'm wise. So far
| they have confined their operations to
their own people. but what's to prevent
them from spreading out? Some day
those Italians viii break over and tackle
US Americans, and then there will be hell
to pay. 1 dare say you think this Ma
fla is some dago secret society with lodge
rooms and grips and passwords and a
picnic once a year. Well, 1 tell you--'
'You needn't tell me anything about
La Malta" Blake interrupted gravely.
Il know as much about it. perhaps. as
you do. Believe me, l realize what
/ you are up against Dan, and l know,
as you know. that La Malta will beat
you"
I'm damned if il will,'. exploded the
/ officer THE policing of this city is
under my charge and if those peo-
pie want to live here among us"
The telephone bell rang and Donnelly
broke off TO answer it.
Hello! Is that you O'Connell? Good!
Stick around the neighborhood. Well
be right over" He hung up the re-
ceiver and explained: "O'Connen has
him marked out We'd better go"
It was not until they We're we'll on
their way that Norvin thought to men
ton the letter, which he had wished to
sec.
''Oh. yes. I meant to show ii to you"
said Donnelly. But there's nothing un-