Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-03-23

they've found me out, De Morbihan
and his crew won't rest until they've
got my scalp"
t'But why is that?"
professional jealousy We're all
crooks, all in the same boat, only
won't row to their stroke I've always
played a lone hand successfully; now
they insist on coming into the game
and sharing my winnings. And I've
told them where they could go"
And because of that, they'd"
There's nothing they wouldn't do,
Miss Shannon, to bring me to my
knees or see me put we'll out of the
way, where my operations can't hurt
their pocketbooks Well--all l ask is
a fighting chance, and they shall have
their wayi"
Her brOws contracted. 81 don't I'M
derstand. You want a fighting chance
to surrender-to give in to their de-
mands?"
I'm a way-yes. I want a fighting
chance to do what I'd never in the
world get them to believe I mean to
do-chuck it all up and leave them
free field"
And then, when still she searched
his face with puzzled eyes, he insist
ed: Il mean it; I want to get away
clear out-chuck the game for good
and ALL"
A little silence greeted this an
nouncement. Lanyard, at pause near
the table, resting a hand on it, bent
to the girls upturned face a grave but
candid regard. And the deeps of her
eyes that never swerved from his were
troubled strangely in his vision.
He could by no means account for
the light he seemed to see therein-a
light that kindled while he watched,
like a tiny fame, feeble, fearful, vacil-
liant; then, as the moments passed,
steadied and grew stronger, but ever
leaped and danced, so that he, lost in
wonder of it and fOrgetful Of himself,
thought of it as the ardent face of a
happy child dancing in the depths of
some brown autumnal woodland.
YOU" she breathed incredulously-
"you mean you're going to stop"
81 have stopped, Miss Shannon. The
Lone Wolf has prowled for the last
time. I didn't know it till just now
when I woke up an hour or so ago
but I've turned my last job"
But Why?" she demanded in bewi1-
derment But why do you say that?
What can have happened to make
you
mot fear of that Pack!" he laughed
mot that, promise you. If I thought
Paris too small for them and me I'd
never leave it alivei"
ooh, 1 know" she said impatiently
u know that very well. But still
don't understand
IF it won't bore you, I'll try to ex'
plain" He drew up his chair and sat
down again, facing her across the lit
tered table 81 don't suppose you've
ever stopped to consider what an es-
sentially stupid animal a crook must
be. Most of them are stupid because
they practice clumsily one of the most
difficult professions imaginable, and in
evitably fail at it, yet persist. They
wouldn't think Of undertaking q diff
cult piece of engineering without any
sort of preparation, but they'll tackle
dangerous proposition in burglary
without a thought and pay for failure
with years of Imprisonment, and once
out, try it again. That's one kind of
criminal - the ninety-nine- percent
ass-incurably stupid!
There's another class, men whose
imaginations forewarn them of dan
gers and whose mental training, tech.
nical equipment, and sheer manual
dexterity enable them to attack a
formidable proposition like a modern
safely way Of illustration-and force.
its secret. They're the successful
criminals, like myself-but they're no
less stupid, no less failures than the
other ninetynine in Our every hun
dred, because they never stop to think.
1t never occurs to them that the same
intelligence, applied to any one Of the
trades they must be masters of, would
not only pay them better, but leave
them their self-respect and rid them
forever Of the haunting dread of arrest
that dogs US all like the memory of
some shameful act. All of which is
much more of lecture than l meant
to inf1ict upon you, Miss Shannon, and
sums up to just this: I've stopped to
think"
With this he stopped for breath as
well and momentarily was silent, his
faint, twisted smile testifying to self
because, 7 presume, I'm no longer
self-sufficient. l was all Of that twenty
four hours ago, but now I'm as lone
some as lost child in a dark forest
l haven't a friend in the world I'm
like stray pup, groyeling for sym
! pathy. And you-are unfortunate
enough to be the only person 1 can de-
clare myself to. It's going to be a
fight know that too well-and with
out something outside myself to strug-
| gle toward I'll be heavily handicapped.
But if'-he faltered, with a look of
wistful earnestness-'if l thought that
you, perhaps, were little interested,
that | had won your faith and had that
to respect and cherish-if l dared hope
that you'd be glad to know l had won
out against odds-it would mean
great deal to me; it might mean my
! salvation!"
Watching her narrowly, hanging up
on her decision with the anxiety of a
man prescribed and hoDipr against