Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-09
The Gift
Supreme
By
George Allan England
Author of
darkness and Dawn"
1.-THE Alibi," etc.

Absolutely! And bring lots of 9TH
ers back, with you. Want to try?"
You offer me dis, after what l
done-?"
That's all forgotten, 1 tell you.
Take the job?"
''Betcha life!" Mugs answered
huskily. winking back film of mois.
ture that clouded his eyes.
All right, old man, you're on. Be-
ginning right away. Come round in
the morning ready for business.
You're hired"
For a moment, silence, as their
eyes met. Then Rafferty, exclaimed:
Gee! A right guy, If ever dere
was one! You had me down an out
could a had me sloughed in. If
you'd wanted to, but
Sorry, but 1 can't stop to talk that
over, just now" Vinton interrupted.
Remember I've still got that friend
of yours upstairs, waiting for treat
ment. Tomorrow morning without
fail. Good night"
His hand went out. Muggs took
it, silently; he could not trust him
self to speak.
Then, wondering. but with his head
well up and a new kind of smile On
his bruised mouth, the ex-champeen
walked out of The Little Haven, a
vastly different man from the one
who only few minutes before had
invaded 1t, on warlike mission bound,
"A right guy. s'help me-a right
guy!" he murmtlred wonderingly, as
he returned to The Old Homestead.
where Meiny was awaiting him In
the back room, with a glass of Scotch
on the sticky table before him.
We'll, kid" Meiny greeted him
with a crooked smile, you cert'nly
must have slammed it over in one
two-three order. 1t must have been
smash bang an getaway trick
you turned on his Nibbs Where'd
YOU land him-on the lamp or the
beezer?'
Mugs leaned a heavy hand on the
table. knuckles down. set the other
on his hip, and from the corner of
his mouth shot back:
Pipe dis jaw O mine!'
Meiny cast an oblique glance at the
indicated jaw, and the cigaret
dropped in his puffed lips.
"Huh!" he grunted. Handed you
one, did hea But you damned him
proper, that's a cinch."
II did not!'' growled Mugs. HE
seen me first an put me to sleep
wit one wallop. I'm workin' fer him
now. An If you don't like 1t, yuh
know what yuh can do. Seer
Meinys loose jaw dropped. The
soggy cigaret fell unnoted to his
flashy waistcoat and smoldered
there. His fishy eye grew glazed
with look of terror: his putty face
went even Il shade paler than it's
usual pie-crust hue.
'fYou--yo,l'.e what?' he stam-
mered, thicllly.
I'm worlin' fer de guy-an' he's
a right guy, too, take 1t from me.
I'm chief cheese in his gym works.
now, an main gink in his trainin'
quarters. He says can come back,
an I'm comm I'm fifty pounds
over weight, my winds punk, judg-
ment rotten, eye N. G., foot work
raw. But he says can come back,
an by"
"For Gods sake, Gull, what are you
givin' us?" gulped Meiny. .thickly.
sit down an have drink, an can
this bughouse chatter"
"Bughouse, He'll" retorted Muggs,
with warmth. 'It's straight, 1 tell
yuh. He's me frien', now, an won't
have what he says called bughouse,
see? Take dat, staight out from de
lip. He's givin'< Dopy q teatment,
too, an he'll come back, am
you didn't get the papers he
glommed from me?" wheezed Meiny,
gripping the table edge in terror.
Il got notlin' but a peach of
left hook! An I'm workin' fer him,
I tell yuh. AN as fer de booze, I'm
on de wagon, now. Get me?'
Meiny collapsed. Imply he slumped
backward in his chair, and with a
face of horror stared at Mugs.
"He7-he t,one that to you?" he
croaked. HE landed you, too? The
son of a."
: Mugs huge palm and fingers COW
cred Meiny's face in gorilla grip.
Put de pedal on dat stuff, an put
1T quick!" he growled with terrible
earnestness. He's me friend, tell
yuh. Nix on DAFT" ~
With a warning shake he released
the suffering Meiny, then as an ex-
ira measure of defiance and con-
tempt knocked the half-filled glass
of Scotch to the floor and set his
number ten Upon it. Staggering to
the door, with squared Shoulders, he
passed thru it and was gone.
ParalyZed by fear and rage, the
spawn of old man Stage glared after.
him with red and hateful eyes-but
glared in silence, for past certain
limits speech has no power to voice
the burning passions of the soul.
CHAPTER XXI.
After a cer,.ain time of dazed and
binding anger, the vulpine, cunning
craft of Meiny whispered in his ear:
up, and out of here! There's work
to dol" Not thus, with all his forces
put to rout, could he sit brooding
and sulking in his tents, like some
defeated Achilles of graft
Not only had losses smitten him,
but very serious perils menaced. His
lieutenant in the dope game a cap
tive, his slugger a deserter to the
enemy, and all those discriminating
prescriptions in the hands of the
arch enemy, constituted a deadly
menace that might easily land him
behind bars for u long "bit," should
Bradford choose to push his advan-
tage.
Meiny's sense of peril, always
keen, was now excited to the full. A
sickening fear, despite all his boast
ings and revengeful ponderings, pos
sessed his notwithstanding, ALWAYS.