Evening star., 1919-02-16
CHAPTER VII,
Nina Cordova.

Yes. he must prevent this marriage,
he must block Loveman. he must find
out Loveman's plan. and he must do
all quickly-but how? To warn the
Mortons would achieve some of these
ends. but he had strong repugnance
to this procedure. He would only play
this as his last card. .
Clifford thought of Slant Face, but
he realized that Slant-Face would
probably have no influence with his
sister. and possibly the ex-pickpocket
might even regard the affair from
Mary's viewpoint. Also he thought
of her Uncle Joe. but the same objec-
tion held true regarding him, and also
tne width OF the continent made him
unavailable. AS for Commissioner
Thorne, he could not be of service In
the present stage of affairs. And then
Cliford thought of Uncle George
Uncle George might possibly give sug-
gestions, for Uncle George knew as
much about the pleasure life land
what lay beneath it) of Broadway and
OF Broadway's closest territorial rela-
1--WE, 9th avenue between the Waldorf
and st. Patrick's Cathedral, as any
other hundred men in New York put
together.
An hour after leaving Mary, Cliff
ford sat in the Grand Alcazar res
taurant. looking into the bland.
GENIAL, cunning, loose-skinned old
race He had just finished telling
Uncle George Of his discovery of the
Whereabouts of Mary Regan and the
other events of the day.
The old man regarded Clifford with
meditatlNe puckered gaZe-a gaze Of
somewhat peculiar effect, begotten by
ms lack of eyebrows and eyelashes.
Son., he began slowly, "the thing
that stands out in this chunk Of vers
liber you've been handing me is the
Iact that you're so stuck on that lit
tie dame Mary Regain"
Let's leave me. and what ] may
ford.
Don't interrupt, son. You ask me
a thing and you've got to let me spiel
along in my own way"--which, in
deed, was one of the difficulties not
TO be avoided in consulting Uncle
George Now. you listen to me, son,
and you'll hear something out Of the
original book out Of which old Solo
mon and those other wise guys that
have been playing big time steady for
5000 or 1000 swears swiped all their
good gags. Son, you're too damned
homogeneous! You're insulting God:
what the hell d you suppose He made
so many pretty girls for?-and let the
others get wise on how to make
themselves pretty? Now like Mary
hegan as well as any male person
can who's not her relative and who's
not trying to be--but II she tried
any Of that beautiful female cussed-
ness on me. I'd throw her one smil-
ing kiss, mail her a picture post card
OF the jumping-off place and proceed
to admire some of the other works of
God"
Uncle George nodded and started to
sip his white wine thinned with
sparkling water.
Thanks, Uncle George. sut let's
get back"
Hold on, son. That was just my
first sentence. Supposing Mary
Regan is trying to put something
across by holding back a little os the
truth-sort of saving IT up for a rainy
day. Well, what of that? Amt we
all liars? You take II from your
Uncle George. a superannuated old
burglar, president emeritus OF that
grand old alma mater. the University
of Broadway, who's played every kind
of game with every kind of male and
female now decorating this earth
take IL from me, son, I've never seen
the straight and narrow road of truth
conEested with the traffic. That's ono
road you can speed on and not even
see cop. So, son, II Mary Regan
has been like the rest of us, don't
hold II especially against her. And
her marrying Jack Morton by holding
back bit of the evidence, It's not
going to hurt him such lot"
Tn thinking of what ii may do to
her"
why, now, son, n marriage now