Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-06
HOW MANY CARDS?
By ISABEL OSTRANDER
CHAPTER I
~ "Ths Island Intrigue Suspense ashes Ashes
A""" ce,srisht sos~, x.srss
rx. Roundsmsn McCsrty , M,xss IN

nncturnal suo"S -. ...A.nat;ye
- 20 have become almost 'ns',neu. m@a..
as " .bo far. of days when, ns omcer
s,n,' sna and one Of the finest, no nad
p0p =. ws, a soft April night, starless,
-. ,hs ,ky was still overcast from .
-. ~, shower, and the odor OF wet
's..S' ,S and fresh, sprinsing green things
,a.. ,. ,ho mark across the avenue blended
nls,ssntly with the smoke OF tne e'Sar
Irs,.h tilted upward from beneath MS
,.ar, ,tubby, sandy mustaehe'
~ Woc.rt,'s meditstions we're pleas
:. ,no for earlier in the evening ne
I a.S come of victor in strenuous oe-
.. SSa ,,;tb hi. old crony. Dennis Rior.
va.' ,s =, The FIRE department, over old
. nm. new police methods, and the
,,mory Of It made his broad shou'aefs
r. IN n soundless ehuckle.
An at once he paused in his meas.
"a rb,tbmic tread, his teeth clomped
s.. ,. uron the cigar and his keen,
tv ,v;rtlips blue eyes narrowed. A block
os,,d Of him, keeping well in SHADOW,
." NV. ,louched a figure whose type had
,... - w.ll known to him in the old days
u.." sa ,mons whose fraternity bis own
n. ".a had been mentioned bias
"s.mor.lv but with bated breath.
Ths ssure was that Of an undersized,
.,,,ou framed man who moved with
n. slow. crouching poise OF cat lie
rnr. no coat. but what appeared IN the
rt,ormost limits Of the rays OF a street
ann 10 be a sweater. and his cap was
.,,,.d "a far forward over his eyes that
=, hack of his small, bullet shaped
h,,d was plainly visible.
McCarty clutcbed his stout umbrella
r,ore firmly and without obviously
ouiek.ning his pace he nevertheless
s,,.owsd The distance between the slim,
sinking figure and himself with every
r,,d Forgotten was the fact that he
had long ago retired from the force to
,;,. an the comfortable inheritance from
ri, saloon keeping uncle; he was once
,,,ip following his beat and there before
NJ, ayes was a crook out to pull, of
job. ,..--.-
n. horses On the broad avenue
vhich faccd the park we're VeritaDle
,r;nis,ure palaces, each one occupied by
family whose rank IN the social and
Gnaucisl world was OF almost national
r,nut,tiop, and before the richest OF
those in the center OF the block ahead
the figure, paused. ..,, ,.,,,
as much as his girth would allow against
,be wall OF the house he was passing,
mentally anathematizing the newest
Strlr OF American Easements, which
admitted OF no protecting nigh en-
frances or areaways; but after a mo-
nept Il was evident that his simple
strategy had suficed, for when he eau
tiously crancd his neck around the
slightly projecting cornice the figure had
disappeared.
Save for the rumbling and lights OF a
bus approaching from the opposite di-
r,ction the avenue was deserted and 1t
was inconceivablc that in that instant
the crook would have made off around
the corner.
Moving with almost miraculous speed
md silence, McCarty sped TO the house
before which the figure had paused and
one glance showed the meaning OF his
sudden disappearance. The house was
oi white stone, wider and more inpos-
ing even than its neighbors, but like
them, with low, broad entrance door
suM 'n.ee S.Tts peroT troJ..e, e I've artroncs ns
some distance away and between them a
row OF wide, ornate windows.
Tho second one from the main on
trance wns omen slightly. lust enough
for bit ~ the heavy lace of the curtain
TO have been caught in the crack and
4 for the finest raw OF subdueI light 10
| cream thromrh
,aThs cors,nssroso of h;m,r Nfccartv
rrumhlsd n b;mself in disgust nt this
inct ~ ,hnrornhnosa amon iS ono - b;s
sworn " srsmies i"rbot I;aht's mot mov
msi ulu lie nnNe the ner'e' Wohuer' "
4 His speculations came to an abrupt
end and he dived down the shallow steps
and crouched '. .iting to spring, for the
heavy window had opened swiftly with
40 roparent effort ot silence tbc cur :
tain was wbisked aside and the sinuous
Sgure wormed its Wv tbrough and
sroppcd the scant eirht feet which sep
arated the sill from the level of the
pavement,
Instantly before he could turn. a
hure, stock;Iv bu;lt torn hnr,sd ;,s.Ii
upon him and in his complete surprise
nc was borne by sheer weight to the
gfolnd d where he was held and expertly
"isked'
The whole affair had been matter of
ether man save tbe nu;ck sohh;na
breath Of Tho copt;vc and Tho %enn;as
snort Of NIcCortr hut "" o 'Iu ,ho hI"er atte,
stuffed into his own nockets with nns
hand the pistol black inck md skoIetnn
KEYS which boJ bcen tbn rssS,It @ "'y Of h;S
search the other whined.
"Let me 90. Mistsri Honas, t,cowd
Amt done t'ins but ;',s,