The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-16

"Of me?" smiling.
Even of myself something's"
Conversation dropped entirely after this
declaration.
You're taciturn sort of chap"
"Am II"
"You are But an agreement Is an agree
ment, and while I'd like to print this story,
I'll not We newspaper men seldom break
our word"
Jones held out his hand.
Sometimes I wish I'd started life right"
said the reporter gIoomily. "A newspaper
man is generally improrident. He never looks
ahead for tomorrow. What with my special
articles to the magazines, / earn between
four and five thousand the year; and I've
never been able to save a cent"
Perhaps you've never really tried replied
Jones, with a glance at his companion. 1t
was a good face, strong in outline; a little
careworn, perhaps but free from any indica-
tons Of dissipation. D." If had begun life as
you did, Id have made real and solid of
the great men l met. I'd have made fnan-
eiers help me to invest my earnings or saw
ings, little az they might be. And today Id
be living on the income"
You never tell Perhaps woman
might have made you think Of those things
but If yen had remained unattached up TO 81,
/ have. the thought of saving might never
have entered your head, a man in my pres
think Of natrimony.'
- 1t might be the saving Of you If you met
and married the right woman"
But the right woman might be heIress to
millions. And poor devil like me could not
marry girl with money and hang onto his
self,respect."
True But there are always exceptions
To all rules in life. except those regarding
health. A healthy man Ii a normal man, and
normal man has no right to remain single.
You proved yourself man this afternoon,
considering that you did not know l occupied
the wheel seat. Come to think it over, you
really saved the day. You gave me the OPP
portunity Of steering straight for the police
station. Wen, good by
Queer duck - unused the reporter as. after
teephoning. be headed for his Office. Queer
duck indeed What a game IL going TO
be. And this man Jones playing it like
master. II did not matter that some zone
else laid down the rules il was the way Ia
which they were interpreted.
Rraine heard of the failure. The Black
Hundred was fnling its stock far below par
value. Four valuable men locked up in the
Tombs, awaiting trial, to say nothing Of the
seven gunmen gathered in at the old ware
house. Braiue began to- suspect that his
failures were less due to chance than to cal
culation, that al last he had encountered
mind which anticipated his every move He
would have recognized this fact earlier had
it not been that revenge had temporarily
blinded him. The spirit Of revenge never
makes for mental clarity
There was a meeting that night of the
Black Hundred Four men were told OF. and
they drew their chairs up to Vroon's table
for instructions. Braine sat at vroon's elbow,
These four men composed the most dangerous
quartet in New York City They were az
daring Us they were desperate. They were
the men who held up BAN, messengers and got
away with thousands. They had learned to
s~oop down upon their victims as the hawk
swoops down upon the heron. The news
papers referred to them the auto ban
dts. and the men took a deal Of pride in
the furore they had created.
Nroon went over the Hargreaye case mi-
nutely he left detail unexplained. Blunt
ly and frankly, the daughter of Stanley Har-
greave must be caught and turned over to the
care Of the Black Hundred. II must be quick
action -Four valuable members in the
Tombs. They might or might not weaken
under police pressure. For the first time in
its American the organization stood
facing actual peril; and its one possible
chance of salvation lay in the fact that
ones face known to his neighbor. He.
yroon and the boss alone knew who and
what each man was. But the plans the rami-
fications of the organization might become
public property and that would mean an end
to an exceedingly profitable business.
The daughter of Hargreave rode horseback
early every morning. Sac sought the country
road. She was invariably attended by the
riding master of school near by
You four will make your own plans"
If she should be njured?"
"Avoid it, If possible