The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-17
OUTSIDE THE LAW
By STUART RIVERS CO-authOr of "Love Aff atrs a Lonely woman-

Ballin and herself as shop keepers of a little candy store on Hester street.
 Many things about those eircumstan- ces the girl did not like Back of the case with which Ballin had fooled Susie. there lay a sinister quality, an unknown some thing that worried the girl keeping her nerves on edge. She was waiting to find the catch in the business.
 A moment later Ballin led the way through the door that gave into a little box of a room lined with shelves, on which was arranged the extra stock for the store, Nothing suspicious pre- sented itself, although their examina- ton covered every square inch of the four walls, ceiling and floor
 Well" Ballin repeated at last. This looks quite sldp-shape. Com found it i'm worried about this thing There's a catch somewhere. I can feel it afar. and I'd like to know what it isv
 Do you feel that way" Frances murmured more to herself than to the man. T thought it was only my imag- nation
 He laughed, patted her hand reas- suringly as it rested on the counter Don't think about it any more" he cautioned. It won't do any good and will only make your nervous Every thing is going to come out all right This fellow Red Larkiu can't be so awuflly clever and if there is a master mind-as the judge thinks-we are certainly in a fine position to run him to earth"
 Frances was on the point of reply ing to this statement; indeed it was op the tip of her tongue to blur out the whole sorid business but she checked herself in time and with her lip caught between her teeth. she turned to the wall in back of the candy counter and hung her hat and coat on q nail She could not bring herself to the point of woHnding Henry Ballin. To come out with bald stat ment that the master-mind of Larkin's gang was Jane, this mans cwn sister-no. it was a little too much she just couldn't bring herself to the task. True. he would learn in time, unless Frances had guessed wrong, but when that time came it would be matter of fate and she at least would not have herself to blame.
 After a time Ballin followed Frances, example, and hung his hat and coat up beside hers, then turned to an in spection of the store, where. if all went we'll, they were destined to spend the ensuing days until--well, that ques- ton he did not attempt to answer. He
 
 shop until something happened. One way or another he would know if any one was really after his life or if the events so far in their remarkable adventures had been nothing more than a chain, of unusual coincidence.
 There was one point that neither the man nor the girl had taken into con- sideration; it was probably the most vital point in the whole business. but as is so often the case in such affairs, it had been completely overlooked Susie had told Ballin the candy store was a blind, that behind it's appar- ently innocent trade a fence was con ducted where stolen goods were re- ceived and paid for. If this piece of information turned out to be correct, then Ballin would be called upon to pass judgment on those same goods He had been hired to do this. bired upon his assertion that he had once served as pawn brokers assistant. AS matter of fact he did know some th-ng about jewels, but only what all most everyone knows, he could tell a piece of glass from the real article, but the glass would have to be very rank imitation indeed.
 During the course of the afternoon various customers passed in and out of the door. Children, mostly for a penny's worth of candy, or some old men for their papers, printed in queer foreign language that Ballin could not understand. Nothing sus- picious happened. and it was not until they had lit the flickering gas jet that they had cause to believe that Susie had told them the truth.
 man entered the shop, cigarette in the corner of his mouth. cap pulled well over his eyes, and Bought a paper. Glancing rather curiously at Ballin he installed himself against the counter, opening the paper and composing him. self to read.
 pause tieked away into minutes while Ballin inspected the other with quite as much curiosity; then raising his eyes. he caught Frances holding to him from the back of the store.
 To be continued tomorrow.
 Copyright 1920, Thompson Feature Service.