The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-11
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dim seclusion Of his smooth
WAv ly running Limousine he per-
~ nitted his scar-ravaged fea-
lures the rare luxury OF o twisted
smile.
The limousine purred steadily
southwark through the deepening
shadows Of the almost deserted ave.
nue. IL turned into "a mean side
street and drew up beside the curb,
well beyond the range Of the sputter-
ing arc light
Two skulking figures sided ont of
gloomy areaway and approached
the limousine Il s Bcgar got out. These
worthless, answering to the appella-
lions of Red Eagan and One-Lamp
Louie, were of that primordial type
which recognizes only the law of
brute force. SO it was that Red
Eagan. mistaking I4egar's twisted
smile for something approaching good
hunaor. attempted an unusual de-
gree Of familiarity.
Say, gov'nor, / don't want T. raise
holler, but that swell buzz wagon
must eat up pile Of swag,"
Legar replied curtly, with darken-
ing face,
You'll get your share OF the stuff.
Eagan, no more and no less. But
there are times when that kind of
talk might prove unhealthy, and the
sooner the fact penetrates your thick
skull the better"
The precious trio cautiously ap-
reached ruinous old Washington
Square mansion, and slipping into this
dubious rabbit warren. crossed the
hall, dlmly lit by one sickly gas jet.
AS they started UP the complaining
stairs. a slender. heavily yelled young
woman came hastily out Of one Of the
rooms on the top floor. She leaned foi
moment over the rlckety balustrade
striving to pierce the half gloom en-
shrouding the identity of the oncon-
ing visitors. AS the trio filed past tbs
gas Jet on the second floor, their Gin.
lister faces were brought into sudden
relief Wheeling about the young
woman darted swiftly through one OF
the half dozen doors off the hallway
Her refuge proved 20 he g. windowless
walled room cluttered with difa ri.
dated trunks and useless relics of by.
gone dodgers.
= y y
Aided by the struggling rays of tn,
moon. which filtered through the din,
gy skylight, she quickly picked hel
way to battered three-legged cab.
met leaning against the wall. Even al
she pushed aside the curtain OF faded
green buriap she heard the shuttle OF
feet come to a stop at one of the doors
down the corridor. From the depth,
of that ancient cabinet. the yelled
stranger drew forth telephone he'll
met. from which trailed n slender
thread OF silk-insulated copper wire
As she quickly adjusted the micro.
phones over her ears, the sound OF
voices. thin but distinct, came over
that filament Of copper. The voices
restrained and low-toned at first, rap
idly became loud and quarrelsome.
The angry tones were those Of Jules
Legar and the unregenerate Red
Pagan. The storm OF heated words
conferred about the heavy iron safe
standing IN one corner of the room.
Up TO comparatively short time Igo
this safe had been the receptacle OF
certain valuables looted by Red
Eagan and One-Lamp Louie. under
Legar's directions. from palatlal up
per Fifth avenue residence. The sa fe
door now stood yawningly opcn--its
contents scattered pron1iscuously
about the floor. but Of the Van Horn
family plate there was no trace.
THE guy what cracked this crib
had the inside dope for sure" was
Red Eagan's muttered comment.
Are you trying TO insinuate this
is plan to double-cioss you and
Louie?" queried Legsr, a dangerous
light creeping into his eyes.
Il amt insinuatin' nothin'," was
the others surly response, "but who
else was hep to where the stun was
salted-who else knew the comhiu~ VI
the strong box?"
Tho answe. Red Eaean received to
his querulous riddle Was both prompt
and effective. A heavy iron protectile
whirred through the air with uner-
ring accuracy and caught him neatly
on the point of the jaw. He gyrated
Imply to the floor. where he lay TOR
moment in daZed Uncertainty Then
with a vindictive oath he tugged loose
his automatic and fred pofnt-blank
at the sardonic face bending over
him. a purple mist cIouded the gun
mans aim and the bullet spent itself
with a soft PUNK in the plastered
ceiling. Before Eagan could fire a
second time. that terrible iron pro-
lectile attached to the stump OF Le-
gar's arm descended again with
lightning speed and sent the revolver
spinning TO the other side Of the room.
At the staccato bark OF the pistol
the statuesque eavesdropper In the
storeroom had stiffened with rigid ex-
pectation. but when Legar's incisive
tones again broke in on her ears she
displayed a sudden and startling ac-
tivity. Throwing of her metallic
headgear. she quickly up-ended an
obiong packing case and. balancing
on this shaky pedestal. worked loose
the rusty hasp securing the heavy