Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-29
Printed JU special arrangement 'cith
HouDhtou Mi6Hm co.
Copyright, 1919, bU JeroU Scott.

CopDrt0ht, 1919, bU JeroD SCOTT
HT'M ALL right. Don't need any one" :"
"Of course you don't" replied
Jerry pacatingly. I'll just go along for
the air"
That's not So returned Harry
with shrewd belligerence. "You don't
trust me. All right. You don't trust
me to go alone, then stay here"
lie started to sit down. Black Jerry
was acquainted with the vagarics and
obstinacics of mon in liquor. and knew
that often the only way to manage
them was to yield to them.
"All right. Go home alone, then,
Harry. And go right to bed. Good
night"
Good night said Harry
lie made n fairly even course past
the energetic wo-piece orchestra. and
out into the street, where he turned
southward. Drawing up the collar of
his summer overcoat 40 that all the
= white of his evening dress was blotted
out, he furtiyely slipped through block
after block. till he came to the building
across whose ground floor window one
could read in daylight
SAMUEL CONWAY
REAL ESTATE & INSURANCE
That window was now dark. but the
door. as Harry had been told, was un-
locked. Harry entered. closed the door.
crossed the big outer room. and opened
the door of the private office. Here.
likewise. all was blackness. Harry
closed this inner door, then called in n
low whisper:
''Sam ~
''All right, Harry
The room suddenly filed with light.
If one desired perfect privacy. there
was no risk once the door was closed
the room had no window, hence no
betraying CLEANS could filter out into
the night.
Good boy, Harry-you were prompt
all right
Sure, Sam. beat it straight down
here"
Even to Harry, blinking at the sud
den brightness. and though only hall
master of his faculties. the Snm Con
way he now saw was a startling con
trast. The big, forid hearty man OF
such genial assurance, was pasty, fac
cid, tense
What's the matter. Sam?' ex-
claimed Harry.
I'm sure up against it, Harry" He
tried to laugh, but the laugh was thin
Shsky; it was nothing like the laugh
that had helped make him the parsonage
he had become. ''Of all the mistakes
that ever happened-of all the crazy
breaks a man ever got--But let's sit
down. Harry" And when they had done
so: "Of course you've heard about
what happened to Larry Murdock? 2"
Yes. But what l want to know
Sam, is, what's the matter With your
"Why, there's nothing the matter
with me, Harry" Conway laughed
his thin, unnatural nothing tn,
matter at all, except the little item that
the police think ] 'croaked Murdock ant
are after me
"You 7" cried Harry
Didn't tell you that this thing was
crazy enough to be funny if it WASH
SO serious?'
"But how do you know the police
think you did it?' ..
"An inspector pal of mine, tippet
me off so I'd have chance to make ;
getaway. That was really how | learned
Murdoch had been croaked. On til,
face of It, it looks bad case for me
Harry-there's no denying that. l knew
the last place the wise coppers would
ever expect Inc to be was my Office, 81
beat it for here to think the mes
over"
But, SAM" CALCULATED Harry, ''hov
did it ever happen"
Part of it can tell you, part ! cal
only guess at. You know / was to hav,
dinner with Murdoch tonight-it was a
Halloran's off Third avenue. We wer
to see if, by getting together, w
couldn't straighten out all this mess
But Murdoch wouldn't give an inch. w
both got hot; Murdoch said he was goint
to the district attorney tomorrow morn
ing with his evidence. l guess | los
my temper at that, and said som
things-yes, ! know I did, and VIII
wouldn't? ] left Halloran's right afte
that, and that's everything that l know
at first hand.
but what did the inspector tel
you?' breathed Harry.
"When Murdoch came out later
somebody waiting in the street let hin
body that had a private grudge agains
him-he's always been a trouble make
and has got a world of enemies. Blu
because of my losing my temper AM
saying what ! did in the restaurant, tn
police are going to try to fasten the jo
on meat least that's the tip my in
spector friend got to me. Now, Harry
I'm not the best man alive, but l don
need to swear to you that i don't tr,
to settle arguments by croaking tn
other guy in the dark.
'I should say you don't. Sam y
Harry cried hotly. you're always Of
the level-out in the open! The cop
pers are crazy-they're always pullin
bonehead plays and getting shown up
There's nothing for you to worry about
Sam"'
"I wish you were right-but there