The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-02-28

he came to Mulberry street.
At last. glancing from right to lief,
for the place. he came to Luigi's. a lit
t. wineshop. dark. evil. malodorous.
He entered. Several customers were
standing and sitting about. Luigi
himself. was a greasy. lowering fellow
with beady. black. cunning eyes.
Where can 1 find Giuseppe. the con-
tractor" he asked by way of introduce
ton. II have a job for him to figure
on.
Luigi shrugged his shoulders. He
might come in" was his brief and
surly answer.
Garrick said he would wait a little
while. ordered something and sat
down.
| A sinistcr-lookinG man was writing
at a table not far from him. AS he
wrote he puffcd at cheap cigar with
straw through it.
AS Garrick watched furtively. Luigi
from time to time went into a back
room to serve other customers. 1t was
]
oned to the ominous-loking man at the
table. if some one had come in and
inquired for him. The man rose quick
ly and went into the back room.
| Garrick. under pretense of seeking a
match. shifted his position. Through
man talking to a girl. pretty girl.
whose face. however. was marred by
tho too evident marks OF dissipation.
/ Garrick lounged back to his original
seat.
A moment later Luigi returned to his
Garrick rose and this time sought to
engage him in conversation.
i've got a tract of land down on
Staten Island" he explained. placing it
as far as possible from Rockcrest.
There's a lot of work to be DONE
friend who was sitting over here he
motioned casually toward the place
that the man had just vacated
knows anything of where l could find
Giuseppe"
Luigi shot suspicious glance which
was not lost on Garrick. but the lat
ters obvious sincerity evidently dis
armed him. Strangers always excited
suspicion at Luigfs. especially stran-
gers of another race.
Most naturally. Garrick. too. had
! turned in the direction of the door
| caught sight of the girl. then turned
| slowly to Luigi with a smile. II
guess he has something better to do"
he laughed.
From his position now Garrick could
see the couple talking earnestly. 1t
was apparent that the woman thought
much of the man and that he regarded
her with a sort OF jealous pride. At
last. at the end of the conversation,
the man rose. went out by a side door
and left her alone. evidently intending
to return shortly.
Garrick glanced in through the door
and could not resist smiling at her.
Instantly. Luigi, watchful. leaned over
with a frown. She is Francesca
Dominicos girl" he remarked savage
ly.
Garrick merely raised his eyebrows
a fraction of an inch. rs Dominica a
contractor" he asked with apparent
innocence. Luigi laughed loudly at the
very idea. Garrick took it good
naturedly. but did not pursue the SUBJ
ject.
1t was. as he had noticed. the even
ing of a feast day. The whole Italian
colony crowded the streets with mer-
rymakers. A keen observer, if he had
been outside Luigis, however. might
have noticed three men threading their
way through the jewellers in the direc-
ton OF the little wineshop.
Suddenly. without any warning.
above the babel of voices in the street
volley of shots rang out. The gay
throngs were Immediately thrown into
panic. They rushed for safety from
the flying bullets. Garrick. inside the
shop. sprang up from the scat which
he had resumed and rushed to the
door.
A man had fallen on the sidewalk.
almost in front of the shop. He was
quickly surrounded by others. excited |
ly calling for a priest. Women knelt in |
the streets and invoked vengeance of |
the saints on the slayers. Men sought |
eagerly for a doctor; for a policeman.
He is a Black Handler! Beware la /
Mano Nera!" cried grufr voice behind |
Garrick.
1t was Luigi. himself. shouting above |
all the rest. 1t was wonderful to see /
the effect of the words. AS IL by mag
ic. the women shrank back and the |
men stilled their cries for help. In the
excitement. Luigi himself seemed to
fade away.
Suddenly. from the doorway Of the
wineshop. as the crowd parted enough
to disclose the heap on the sidewalk,
rushed a young woman. who sank
down by the body with a piercing cry
Of anguish. 1t was Francesca. There
the woman knelt on the sidewalk over
the man. The first surprise over. the
crowd surged forward again. Wildly.
she was putting the knuckle of the
forefnger of her right hand into her
mouth. biting it until the blood flowed.
TT is the sign" muttered some one
beside Garrick.