Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-19
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
CHAPTER ii
The Theft

v.,ed to his pocket a cold chisel from
~. cars complement of tools. Lacking
a, NJ the accessories Of a professional
SSmyolar, the chiscl would make a most
ydvseIlent substitute for steel jimmy.
EIHs replaced the scat, picked up the
Xl,tle black handbag, alighted, entered
IN house, and from the musty hallway.
.fter unlocking the door, stepped
,brouRh into room on the right. He
slnssd the door behind him, and stood
surveying his surroundings In Scrt of
baf. grim, half-quizzical contempt.
II was possible that old Tooler up
stairs, on hearing the car. and hearing
hir Dave Henderson, enter the house.
might come down; on the other hand, II
was quite equally possible that old
Tooler would not. 1t was, however,
Wise 10 wait few minutes and see.
Tbat was part Of the plan. He, Dave
Henderson, was supposed to be here in
his room while some one else made that
ylittIe raid on Martin X. Tydeman's
n tlkbrary! II, therefore, Tooler should
come down, and find no one A
shrug of his shoulders completed the
obvious deduction.
His eyes Travelled around the room.
This was his home-that Is. if he could
claim q home anywhere, this was his
home.
II was dingy, comfortless and unin-
yiting. There was only the one window
FRAT faced the street. and the window
vas inadequate, and the light seemed to
bs imbued with a niggardly hesitation
about coming in at all-which was per-
hans Just as we'll. The furnishings
weren't out of any prize collection!
II He dug his hands impplsively into
il his side pockets-and, one hand encoun-
fering the chisel. he smiled with kind
NJ cool, composed satisfaction. Between
D &his barren and God forsaken hole and
Ehis bit of steel there had been born a
Aconnection that was both intimate and
Experiment For nine years, ever since
Xlhs had run away from school, the kind
vi existence this place stood for had
lkot his goat--that was the reason why
Ehe had put the chisel in his pocket.
4 The room had served its purpose bet
tse than any other place of like circum-
stances and surroundings would have
served him-he had, indeed, chosen this
place had always got his goat. He had
had to have a room somewhere-he had
taken It here. There were many rea-
sons why he had selected this one. 1t
was cheap; and 1t was among the only
class Of people with whom he had ever
had chance to associate-the hangers
on Of the race tracks, the dance hall
crowd of the Barbary Coast, the night
world of Frisco He knew every one
hsre-he knew the crooks and the lags
f the underworld. These latter had
! Eme and again even tried to inveigle
Nm into active membership in their
fraternity. They wanted him. They
had even paid him the compliment Of
telling him he would make the slickest
crook In the United States. He had
refused, The game didn't look good
enough. 1t was all piker stuff. 1t
wasn't morality that had held him back
his morality was the morality
OF his environment nine years
of II what was morality any
how? as far as he could make
out it was simply question of what
ever you do don't get caught &. And he
had seen some of the upper crust play
Wing at morality, too! Sure, he knew
what morality was-he had seen lot
OF y In his nineteen years
well, what do you know about
thatH' said Dave Henderson aloud, in
a sort Of surprised voice. Sounds
like I'm arguing with myself whether
ought to do this or not. Say, wouldn't
that sting you There's nothing to 1t
Nts what you get for waiting--a lone
;tnd that cops the sweepstakes, and
Ia de went to the door, opened 1t
Zslshtly, and listened. Upstairs he could
hear Tooler moving about. That was
another reason why he had, having once
aKen the room, remained on as the sole
LOGGER in this house. Tooler minded his
own business-and Mrs. Tooler couldn't
nelp minding hers. Mrs. Tooler was q
pafelytic. They were couple we'll be-
yond middle age, and, having been
thr1fty in their early days. had pur-
chased this house here some fifteen years
ago; The neighborhood, even If still
eheap neighborhood ut that time, had
gsen little more refined in those days.
II mad changed for the worse since then,
out having invested their savings the
subsequent changes had to be borne,
nat ,ast was a. all, 1t hadn't apparently af-
lected Iooler very much. The man was
naturally sour anyhow, and Mrs. Tool.
Ts illness hadn't changed him into
Shat might be called, by any stretch
VI the imagination, genial He was a
neenanic OF some Sort but his work
uaa oeen spasmodic--Mrs. Tooler could
not always be left alone.
pave Henderson frowned. Toolcr
evidently wasn't coming down; but
Iooier, for all that, must, IL the ne
H.susly arose, be the means of eStab-
lMing an alibi, and that required
eomething of at least a definite recogni-
ucn BY Tooler OF his, Dave Henderson,,
presence He stepped abruptly out into
= Heb, TooIer!" he called. "TooIer ."
doo door opened somewhere above.
hello = snapped a gruff voice.
It's me-" announced Dave Hendcr.
A 81 heard you !" gruntcd Tooler.
Just came ir for wash up" I"
,%pIained Dave Henderson. Game up
night by train"
IAN right" Tooler grunted again.
'Hows the wife;"
Inc only answer was the closing Of n
ryor upstairs. Dave Henderson smiled
snsasahtly, and re-entered his own
T' SVln' When it came to sociability
r vVer was stnr! Well, No much the
s"er' HH had no complaint to regis.
II. On that score-espe cially tonight.
@ crossed to where his trunk stood
alnSt the wal! at the lower end of the
4 ts' tsom' opened the trunk, lifted out the
,s, ana from somewhere in the lower
4 sesses possessed himself Of nm auto-
,as. s.C pistol and generous supply Uf
nnoI'Ve ammunition. With this in his
si,.S'l' ne closed The trunk again, and,
nnins down on the edge of the bed.
""taced and removed his shoes.
@ au now Dave Henderson, silent MS
M III ms movements, his shoes tucked
thssr on" arm, the black handbag under
'tner, made his way out into the
"an. The car standing In front of the
s,w yT'e was mute evidence that he was
,rinrn % IN MS room. Later on, when he