Evening star., 1921-08-07

got hit when they shot back. and
fell out"
"whyn't you say it quickerT'
snapped the cop. He instructed an
onlooker: Keep an eye on him." he
said. meaning the body Come on.
you." he ordered Burton and his aides.
IT'LL phone. You get the car num-
Burton's dark face was vengefu1.
His neither lip overlapped. He'd show
Kiely!
at was just friendly session." he
answered. There was no sense in
telling too much.
with that mob?" grunted the cop
increduIously. They were passing
had corralled in the entrance to the
building. THE hell 1t was! How
much'd you say?"
"oh." Burton deprecated. ten thou
sand-perhaps little more"
The policeman stopped to scrutinize
him in the illumination of the foyer.
now crowded with half-dressed peo-
pie. In his suppressed rage Burton
was less prepossessing than usual.
What your name?'
Burton"
II got you-Nick Burton" The cop
laughed. Friendly session in Nick
Burton's! You're lucky you can't con-
| VlCI yOuISclA. PAAiSN eAS
job?"
Burton shrugged his shoulders. but
his beady eyes glittered. Il don't
| know"
"You don'tw hooted the officer. "of
course. you don't. But Ill lay a bet
you've got a good idear! Think II
over before the inquest; That That t.. cars a
And it was-if not a thousand miles
at least far enough away to insure
| the escape Of its occupants.
The other killings came in bunch
| q month or SO later. They were Incl
dental. The collectors rallied to Kiely
There had been few complaints while
he had been in sole control OF the
territory. The horning in Of Burton
promised to ruin business. They put
pressure on him, but though unable
to operate. he persisted In prosecut'
ing the feud.
| In an attempt to even the score by
holding up Kiely's pet game; Burton
lost two men. A pair Of Kiely's gor.
illas argued extemporaneously with
one Of the Burton crew: one Kiely
alone survived. There were minol
clashes in which several were wound
ed, or in which Intellectual shots were
! fred to the danger Of passers-by.
Then the growing recklessness o!
the conflict brought such public de.
nunciation Of the police that the wore
went out which led to the shearine
| Of Joe's ears.
Joe was not a fighting man. III
was a snooper.- That was wha
brought about the wrath Of Kiel!
directly upon him.
| r 4 r
TT there was a dark page in the 1if'
II of Mary Kiely, that was her con
Germ and her husbands. In these cir
cles 1t isn't good form to worry abou
the past Of some one else. To dig i
I'D for use is form of suicide. Eter
nally moseying around with his lont
ears cooked. Joe somewhere picke'
up an earful about Mary. Nobod!
knew much about the girl Kiely hat
married a few years before-till Jo'
came through with the dope. Grin
ming, Joe took 1t to Nick. What yul
know about Kiely's dame?"
Burton was browsing over tn
meager consolation that he was car
Trying Kiely down with himself. HI
didn't see what Mary Kiely had to d.
with the affair At the moment h
to go bump OF Kiely; but the gun
men were gunshy because of tn
standing promise that some one. an.
one, surely would be railroaded TO
II the next shooting. The gangste
knows when to take straight til
and lie low.
what about herr" growled Burton
He was close to being whipped. TIL
bank roll was getting low; there ha'
been heavy drains on it for profes
sional services in the art Of murder
And all for nothing. now that his rat
were afraid to go on with the battle
Burton CLOSED the fact that he him
provoking q personal and final en-
. counter with Kiely.
II Joe looked carefully about the cor
lner Of the hotel lobby where he ha
, come upon Burton glooming. II