Phoenix tribune., 1920-03-20
CHAPTER I.


buoyancy. Like a furious mastiff it
tore at him angrily, swapping viciously
at his poorly protected body, snarling
and bowling malevolently. But to him
it was no more than a bumptious
puppy that worried him not at all.
Head erect, hands thrust deep in rag
ged pockets, he swung jauntily along
the Rush street bridge, whistling mer-
rily popular coon song.
He was wretchedly clad-a mass of
rags and tatters. His face was
smudged with healthy growth of jet
black beard, and it required little scru-
tiny to see he had long been a stranger
to soap and water He was very tall
over six feet-and this accentuated
his slovenliness. He was a man of
twenty-four, with a distinguished face
rather than a handsome one, and he
had an athletes physique.
At the south end of the bridge he
turned and started across the street.
Midway he stopped short. Standing
on the opposite sidewalk was q plain
clothes detective, Pat Kelly by name,
who yesterday Had arrested him on a
vagrancy charge and released him
with a warning to leave the city or suf-
fer the consequences.
There was no time for hesitation.
He had caught Kelly's unfriendly eye,
and he knew what to expect. He
wheeled about, started back and
plunged directly in the path of high
powered touring car which came hur-
ting across the bridge.
Things happened quickly. It was
too late to sidestep the onrushing ma
chine, too late to stop it, and the
chauffeur, in a frantic effort to avoid
running him down, jerked wildly at
his steering wheel; the big car veered,
dashed diagonally across the street,
and smashed slap-bang against a brick
wall.
The hood of the car was caved in,
the lamps demolished, the front wheels
broken and the axle twisted; but to
the occupants-two girls who sat in
the tonneau-no harm had come.
AS soon as the vagabond looked
upon the wreck, smashing blow
caught him behind the ear, another
on his neck; an arm was twisted be-
hind his back, and a red. hairy hand
clutched at his throat. Without turn
ing round he knew it was Kelly; knew,
also, that he must not strike back, for
nothing earns a culprit quicker or Sc
verer punishment than resisting an Of
ficer.
One of the girls in the tonneau
jumped quickly to the ground and
stepped between the belligerents. The
heavy motoring veil which heretofore
had concealed her face was now lifted,
and she stood revealed as one of those
insidiously beautiful and frankly femi-
nine girls who command golden opin-
ions from all men, slavish obedience
from most, and the envy and jealousy
of many women. Her eyes, normally
of dark, velvety blue like a pansy's
petals, were nearly black as she
turned scornfully upon the detective.
"You contemplate coward" she ac-
cused spiritedly. "To attack man
when his back is turned"
Kelly smiled down at her indulgent-
ly and shook his head.
mo, miss" said he, "you misjudge
me; I'm a plain-clothes man from
detective headquarters"
"That does not alter the first fact"
she retorted. Fumbling hastily in her
purse, she confronted Kelly as he
started off with his prisoner.
"If you arrest that man." she cried
warningly, 'Tll-"
She left the sentence uncompleted,
and plucking visiting card from her
purse thrust it into the detectives
hand. He read the name thereon, and
then looked at the girl with a respect
as sudden as it was profound.
'Let me see; you're Mr.. Black
burns"
"Niece. He will grant me any favor
ask of him. Do you still wish to
take your prisoner?"
Officer Kelly capitulated uncondi-
tionally. Without a word he lifted his
hat half an inch from his head and
turned on his heel and walked swiftly
away.
The girl stepped back from the lib
Grated one and surveyed him curiously
from head to foot. He had shifted an
odor of yiolets when she was near
him, and he saw now it came from a
cluster on a lapel of her tan motor
coat. He felt ashamed. For perhaps
the first time in his life of vagabond-
age he was conscious of his rags, of
his unwashed body, Of his unshaven
face, of his slothful dirtiness. And he
was ashamed.
"Take this dollar" she said, hold
ing out a bill to him, "and buy some
soap with it. Candidly, believe you
are the dirtiest young man ever
saw"
The hot color receded from his
cheeks, leaving them, if one could have
seen the skin, as white as marble.
Very daintily he took the bill from her