The daily morning oasis., 1920-10-27

"What's that to you? Can't spend
my money, dress myself decent. If !
want tor
"Yes; but where'd you get the front
you was wearing when Harry seen
you up on Fifth avenue yesterday"
"He never"
"Oh, yes, did. Nora" the Nut in
terrupted with his exasperating gen.
tility, mincing his words in the fashion
he found useful In uptown bars. ''Put-
ting On dog, too, and getting away
with It great-traveling with dame
that looked like she wouldn't take
nothing from the queen of England. I
tell you, saw you"
"That's another lie" But the steadi-
ness Of Harry's eyes was disconcert-
ing. Unquestionably he believed his
assertions. Leonora's tongue tripped
over the denial: l"1 wasn't :"
'swell, then, tell US where you we're
at four O'Clock yesterday afternoon"
Addie suggested blandly.
At that hour Leonora had been IN a
Second avenue motion picture theater
with Mario: an indiscretion to which
she could not possibly confess. Per
ceptibly she lost assurance.
"None Of your d-n business"
"Better tell 'em, kid" Red counseled
uneasily. "You got to come clean"
Like HI havew Once more the
flames Of rage leapt high. IT don't
owe this gang anything, much less an
account of everything do. The shoes
on the other foot. You all know me,
you all know I'm on the level. Most
Of you'd be up the river today if it
wasn't for me-and you know that.
too. How far do you think you'd gel
II my brains didn't work for you, tell
you what to do and how to get away
with II without the bulls tumbling?
Who planned the raid on Einstein's
hook shop? Did any of you get
pinched for that? Who figured out
how to get those bonds away from the
Chemical Trusts messenger? Was
anybody Jagged for that? . And
because I take the trouble not to lead
q coupla guns right up to you tonight
and because the Nut saw somebody
that looked like me all dolled up on
Fifth avenue yesterday-or thinks he
did" f4 n5 sa.,- t1 .tes
eft was you. all right" Harry af
firmed coOlly.
Their giances met and clashed the
girls hot with challenge and resent
ment.. the mans cold with malice. For
the first time she recognized in this
creature an enemy. Then her super
excited intelligence. graphing with the
problem Of how to confute his implicit
accusation, experienced fash of
memory followed by lightninglike
stroke Of intuition.
'H you want to know who squealed,"
she suggested deliberately. "why don't
You give Harry the office? Ask him
what he does with all his time, where
he gets the coin for all his swell
clothes. who he talks to when he's
bulging up to the bars of the big ho-
tells. Ask him why the cops always
look the other way when they see him
coming. why he amt never pinched-"
With an oath Harry thrust back his
chair. which overturned with a crash.
and Jumped up. guilt stamped upon
his countenance of sudden pallOr,
giinting fearfully IN his furtive little
eyes. But in the same instant the door
left negligently unlocked after the
entrance Of Leonora-'was hastily
opened and slammed. The /1rst to
identify the man who had slipped In
and now stood fumbling with the key,
English Addie cried out in shrill dis
may: "Leo!" The company turned
simultaneously and with confused
cries and questions got to its feet.
Slight and under normal height,
painting, sweating, haggard, his face
livid. eyes terrified. hatless, and with
clothing disheveled, Leo Bielinsky,
alias Leo the Blood. sank back against
the door, one hand pressed to his
side Just below his Iaboring heart. The
other, holding an automatic pistol. de-
scribed a gesture of supplication. Red
snapped over-shoulder a prOfane de-
mand for silence. Leo's broken
phrases became audible.
Croaked a bull down the
street coming out Of Bennie's
place, Corbin and Ennis tried to jump
me Corbin got it." He ges-
ticulated meaningly with the pistol.
Ennis took after me Looks
like frame-up cops every
where ! turned :"
Red demanded furiously: what in
hid you come here forT
'NU place else to 60 cor
nered, tell you Listen r. The
Russian held up hand and, bending
an ear to the door, heard sounds below
lnaudible' to the others. "There they
come nowl For Gods sake, get me
out of this I"
Sire escape" Red indicated with
jerk of his head. Somebody thrust
open the shutters of one window. The
murderer pulled himself together,
reeled across the room, and lurched