Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-20

he had gone through a false form OF
marriage with her. having already wife
or an ENHANCEMENT abroad. u was too
horrible and too ruinous to all that /
most hoped for to be true. II was not
Ike the people concerned but Il was un-
bearably like all that I knew them to
have said and done. | must know what
the truth was; and the more | shrank
from knowing. the more need for me 10
understand fully and at once. To sit
still and wonder was worse cowardlce. |
was here to watch Carucci on Mr. Tabors
account: before he should leave the coun-
try | would make it my business to
question him in my own
BY the time l had shaken myself into
so much common sense, the afternoon was
far gone; and after very early meal. 1
set out again for the East Side with the
strained calmness for man who walks
into the paws of crisis to escape the
devils that dance with their shadows be-
hind him There was mockery of even
ing freshness in the ear, though the heat
still poured upward relentiessly from the
sunbaked uncleanllness underfoot The
streets were so crowded with the weary
turmoil of released workers, that made
my way against the stream with some
difficulty; and as I neared by destination
the difficulty increased. An eddying mass
OF humanity filled the narrow sidewalks
and overflowed into the street among the
rumbling draws and trampiing, scrambling
horses: gangs of workmen with their
tools, nervous and preoccupied business
men, pallid clerks and stenographers, and
droves Of factory hands, men and women
together. clamoring in a very babel OF
languages. l noticed but one other man
going toward the watersheds heavily
built fellow with a red handkerchief
about his neck, some yards in front Df
me. and presently. as he turned sidewise
to avoid being jostled into a lamp-post,
saw that it was Carucci. There could he
no mistake: il was he, in his best clothes
apparently. and alone, a dozen blocks
from his own street. Sheila was nowhere
in sight: however he had become separ-
ated from her, with or against her will,
1t was my business to follow him. Here
was my chance for a talk with him alone;
and as he passed his own corner and
sti!l kept on his way southwark, it be-
birds with one stone.
l found II no very hard matter to
keep him in sight; for the peculiar bright
ness of the handkerchief at his neck
marked him a block away. There were
other Italians, to be sure, but none so
gorgeously bedecked, nor whose walk was
so wondrous combination Of a roll, a
stagger and strut. To oVertake him,
however, among that crowd was not so
easy; and 1 was afraid besides that COM
ms suddenly upon him from behind might
spoil my whole opportunity by making
him angrily suspicious. l followed ac-
cordingly, as best l might, for some dts
tarce; and when at last, with swagger
OF grimy magnificence, he pushed through
pair of swinging doors, l thought that
my chance had arrived. 1 waited NOM
ent outside. that 1 might not seem too
patiently to have followed him; and as l
stood there, a precocious small boy came
up and loked me over.
"Yu're a ny cop, amt yu?" he ven-
tured, after familiar inspection.
I smiled, and shook my head, somewhat
vaguely flattered.
"Aw come Off, y'are too. watched yu
trailln' de guinea fer de las four blocks"
'shhh" l whispered melodramatically.
sure ting. Yu can't fool me. Wot's de
game. havin' yu're pal chase along
SO far behind?"
"You can search me-" l said, frankly
puzzled. "Is some one else following?'
"surest ting you know. He's right on
de JOBS
| | looked the youngster over; he semed to
be telling the truth. But the detectives. !
knew were off the case, and
beside them and sheila. who could
have the slightest interest in Csrucci! lie
might, to be sure, have committed crimes
| OF which / knew nothing; but then' the
police could have known nothing further
against him at the time of our en-
counter in the field. and he could hardly
have done anything since, l glanced IN
the direction in which had come, and
saw the unmistakable terky figure OF Or.
Reid coming around the corner.
Without stopping for a second look,
plunged inside. II was one Of those really
enormous halls which are scattered
through the lower east side places halt
saloon, half music hall. where tables fill
great floor space, where dusty, dyed
palm trees vaunt a degraded splendoI
about the falls, and upon a low stage al
tho far end Of the room, rouge-smeared
skaters dance in dreary stimulation of a
long departed youth and mirth. A very
fat and flabby woman was upon the stage
as ] entered, and the smoky air quivered
ito her raucous singsong and the janglt
OF a battered piano. Carucci WAS seated
near nv watching the stumbling flnger
of the pianist with the greatest interes
and amiabihty. 1t pleased me vaguely
THAT the woman did not interest him
Even when she had finished her erim'
against harmony, and clambered from th'
stage to beg for treats about the room
land so swell the bar receipts of the house