The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-05-09
'"The Dark STAR
By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
Neeland Hides His Nationality From
His Train Companions By Replying
In French to Their Questions
By ROBERT w. CHAMBERS

demand Curfoot. "Did Quint and
me ask you to go to Dopey or Clab-
Der or Pete the Wop, or any OF them
cheap gangsters?"
"Ah. can the gun-stuR." safd
Brandes. I'm not for it "It's
punk"
whats punk?r
"Gun-play"
Didn't you pull a pop on Maxy
Yemen the night him and LYMAN
Adams and Minna beat you up In
front OF the Knickerbocker?"
Eddie was sailing" interrupted
Stull, as Brandes' face turned a
dull-beef-red. you talk like .
bad actor. Doc. There's other ways
Of getting Max IN wrong Guns amt
what they was once. Gun-play -
old stuff. But listen. now. Quint
has staked US and we gotta make
good. And this is a big thing.
though IL looks like It was out OF
our line"
GO on: what's the idea?' in
quired Curfoot, interested.
Brandes, the dull red still stain
ing his heavy face. watched the fly
ing landscape from the open win
dow.
stulI leaned forward: Curfoot
bent his lean. narrow head nearer:
Neeland, staring fixedIy at his open
book. pricked up his ears.
Now" said Stun in a low voice.
'I'lI tell you guys all Eddie and
know about this here business OF
Cap CUNTS. It's like this, Doc:
Some big Teller comes to Quint aft
er they close him up-he won't tell
who-and puts up this here propo-
sition: Quint is to open a elegant
place in Paris on the Q. T. In fact.
it's ready now There'lI be all the
backing Quint needs. He's to seno
over three men he can trust
three men who can shoot at pinch,
He picks US three and stakes US.
Get me?"
Doc nodded.
Brandes said in. his narrow-eysd,
sleepy way:
Denied Being Gunner.
There was a time when they
called us gunmen-Ben and me.
But, so help me God. Doc, we never
did any work like that ourselves.
We never fired a shot to croak any
living guy. Did we. Benz"
"All right" said Stull impatient
". And. to Curfoot: Eddie and
know what we're to do. II it's on
the cards that we shoot-well, then,
well shoot The place is to be
small. select. private. and first
class. Doc, you act as capper. You
deal, too. Eddie sets 'em up.
deal or spin All right We three
guys attend to anything American
that blows our way Get thatT
Curfoot nodded.
"Then for the foreigners. there's
to be a guy called Karl Breslau."
NeeIand managed to repress a
start, but the blood tingled in his
chez s. and he turned his head a
trif1e as though seeking better light
on the open pages in his hands
This here man Breslau." contin-
ued StuIl. speaks all kinds of Ian
guages. He is to have two friends
with him, a fellow named kestner
and one called Weishefm. They
trim the foreigners, they do;
and"
well. I don't see nothing new
about this" began Curfoot; but
StulI interrupted:
usual. We run a place for QuinC
The place is like CUNTS. We trim
guys same as he does-or. did. But
there's more to it."
He let his eyes rest on Neeland.
obIiquely. for a full minute. The
others watched him, too. Presently
the young man cut another page OF
his book with his penknife and
turned il with eager impatience, as
though the story absorbed him.
Don't worry about Frenchy."
murmured Brandes with a shrug.
Go ahead, Ben"
Stull laid one hand on Curfoot's
shoulder, drawing that gentleman q
trifie nearer and sinking his voice:
Lay for Ameri ans.
Here's the stuff, Dos" he said
and it's brand new to us, too.
There's big money into it. Quint
swore we'd get ours. And as we
was on our uppers we went in. It's
like this: We lay for Americans
from the embassy or from any OF
the consulates. They are our spe-
ciaI game. 1t amt so much that we
trim them; We also get next to
them: we make 'em talk right out
in church. Any political dope they
have we try to get. We get il any
way we can. If they'll accelerate
we accelerate 'em: if not. we dope
EN- and take their papers. Ths
main idee Is to get a holt on 'emI
CFO RE CONTINUED TOMORROW.