Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-19
(Continued)

honeSt, MT. Doe, II you turn us up
Doe held up his hand, and Jerry
the-Limp, not quite knowing why,
stopped.
This is John Doe, Mr.. Dowd," he
said into the phone. IF you will
remember when 1 was in your place
not long ago, a man who pretended
to. be a cripple claimed acquaintance
with me, under the name of Bow
Wow"
The four afternoon callers, huddled
near the doorway in two groups, of
three callers and one caller, heard a
harsh voice cracking and swapping
in the phone.
"Yes, they're here" returned Doe,
with a smile. Il merely called you
up, Mr.. Dowd. to ask your advice as
to what to do with them"
The answer of Mike Dowd was so
short, so clean-cut and so vigorous.
that every person in the room could
hear it.
kill 'em!"
A lot more came over the wire, not
all the words were distinguishable
and not all were printable, but enough
could be cleaned, even by the caller
nearest the door, whose red whiskers
seemed to be curling tighter, to know
that Mike Dowd promised to get Mr.
Doe out of any consequences of his
ACT IL ne hAleu theHl, OF, II ne uldn
want to mess his hands with them,
merely to send them down to the
Sink. and Mike would do the job.
Thank you," returned Mr.. Doe, and
hung up the receiver; then he faced
his callers. Get out"
The tone was not vociferous, it was
not extraordinarily vigorous even, but
there was such calm and firm decision
about II that the callers got out; and,
as they closed the door behind them,
John Doe sunk Imply on his desk
sprawled there, crushed, humiliated.
shamed,
You're fine fathead!' growled
Piggy Marshall, as they jostled out
through the reception-room. He was
already taking off his collar, and tear
ing it in the process.
Didn't | tell you you didn't know
the gent?" demanded Red Whitley,
who was well in the lead.
The snub-nosed office boy was op-
ening the outer door for them.
For a handful of butts I'd croak
you!" husked Tank Tonkey vindic-
lively, as they clustered in front of the
elevator You had fine frame-up,
didn't you? On, yes! We'd come up
here - say, do you know what this
outfit cost me?" and he shook the
collar and the violet blue tie at Jerry
the-Limp. Nineteen cents! Now
you Duy II.
do you suppose 1 want to play
circus" snarled Jerry -the-Limp look
ing at the white circle with aversion.
Amt you sport enough to invest that
much in big gamble like this? Why,
all we had to do
"Yes, we did," Tank Tonkey again.
He was too heavy to give himself
much to wrath. but when he did it
was deadly. "All we had to do was
N nj h, l. hi
lionaire sport was Bow-Wow, and we
could milk him for the rest of our
lives! Oh, yes, we didn Tank Ton
keys rage was rising in proportion to
his weight. 'I'll lean on you, you
shrimpr'
Shut your yawps, YOU boneheadst"
shrilly yelled Jerry-thc-L Limp. wheel
ing on his followers with fierce COM
mand, but he saw in their cold eyes
that his moral force was shattered
and his leadership gone; and he had
instant proof of it when Red Whitley,
without a word of warning, suddenly
pranced up and kicked him on the
shin.
Say" growled Piggy Marshall:
don't any of these elevators stop on
this floori'
A messenger boy stepped up to the
row of elevators and pressed but
ton, and the next car flashed its red
light. 1t was fairly crowded, and, as
they thronged in, Jerry-the-Limp
found himself forced violently into
the periphery of Tank Tonkey.
Get out of met" wheezed Tank. his
voice made shrill by compression.
step away or I'll bat you!"
Paste him one for me, Tank" re-
quested Piggy Marshall.
II will, so help me, the minute get
room to swing an arm!" and in Tanks
reddened eyes there came a savage
CLEAN. Push back, tell youi"
Get off my FOOT" Piggy Marshall.
He, too, was losing his temper.
At that moment the elevator stop
ped at the main floor. and Jerry-the-
Limp, feeling that the height of his
unpopularity had arrived, popped out
OF the door, with a real limp. He
might have gotten away clear, but
the elevator starter, seeing him run.
grabbed him by the coat. That was
no way to detain Jerry -the-Limp, for
mis- arms were out of the sleeves in an
instant, and, leaving the coat in the
starters hands, he darted through the
lobby, in his blue shirt sleeves, with
his celluloid dickey sticking straight
out in front of him and his black bow
lie slipped around under this ear. That
second of delay. however, had been
disastrous, for it enabled Red Whitley
to catch him round the neck, at the
curb, and, in two seconds more, Tank
Tonkey and Piggy Marshall were up
on himl
1t took two policemen to drag Jerry
the-Limp from under his cohorts: and
the last that admiring Broadway saw
OF General Jerry and his army. they
were whizztng away in a patrol wag-
on, still snarling.
CHAPTER XXI
Tommy TiDkIe GOeS Apa61I;n~