Evening star., 1921-07-21
CHAPTER I.
Ex.Roundsman McCarty Mixes In.

Ex.Roundsman McCarty Mixes In.
Ex-Roundsman Timothy McCarty
was taking one of the nocturnal
.strolls SO habitual with him as to
have become almost instructive since.
the far-off days when, as Officer S04
and on, Of the finest. he had pounded
his beat.
1t was a soft April night. starless,
for the sky was still overcast from q
recent shower. and the odor Of wet
earth and fresh. springing green
things from the park across the ave-
nue. blended pleasantly with the
smoke OF the cigar which tilted up
ward from beneath his short. stubby,
sandy mustache.
McCarty's meditations were pleas
ant. too. for earlier in the evening he
had come OF victor in a strenuous
debate with his old crony. Dennis Rior-
dan Of the fire department over old
versus new police methods, and the
memory Of it made his broad shoul-
ders heave in a soundless chuckle.
All at once he paused in his meas
ured, rhythmic tread. his teeth clamp
ed down upon the cigar and his keen.
twinklinE blue eyes narrowed. A
block ahead of him, keeping well in
shadow, there slouched a figure whose
type had been we'll known 10 him in
tornity his own name had been paen-
toned blasphemously. but with bated
breath.
The figure was that of an under
sized. narrow-framed man who moved
with the slow, crouching poise OF q
hut n.
peared In the uttermost limits of the
rays OF a street lamp to be q sweater,
and his cap was pulled SO far forward
over his eyes that the back Of his
small. bullet-shaped head was plainly
Mccarty clutched his stout umbrella
more firmly. and without obviously
quickening his pace he nevertheless
narrowed the distance between the
slim. sinking figure and himself with
every yard. Forgotten was the fact
that he had long ago retired from
the force to live on the comfortable
inheritance from his saloon-keeping
uncle; he was once again following
his beat. and there before his eyes
was a crook out to pull of a job!
The houses on the broad avenue
which faced the park were veritable
miniature palaces. each one occupied
by family whose rank in the social
and financial world was of almost
national reputation, and before the
richest Of these in the center of the
Instantly McCarty fattened him
self as much as his girth would al
low against the wall Of the house
he was passing. mentally anathema-
tizfng the newest style of American
Easements. which admitted of no pro-
tecting high entrances or areaways:
but after a moment it was evident
that his simple strategy had sufficed
for when he cautiously craned his
neck around the slightly projecting
cornice the figure had disappeared.
Save for the rumbling and lights Of
bus approaching from the opposite
direction. the avenue was deserted
and it was inconceivable that in that
instant the crook would have made
off around the corner.
Moving with almost miraculous
speed and silence, McCarty sped to
the house before which the figure
had paused, and one glance showed
the meaning of his sudden disappear
ance. The house was of white stone.
wider and more imposing, even. than
it's neighbers. but, like them, with
low. broad entrance door sunk three
steps below the level of the street,
smaller tradesmen's entrance some
distance away and between them a
row Of wide. ornate windows.
The second one from the main en-
II
for a bit Of the heavy lace Of the
curtain to have been caught in the
crack and for the tiniest ray of sub
dued light to creep through.
"The carelessness of him." Nc
Carly grumbled to himself in dis
even in one of his sworn enemies.
THAT lights not moving: did he
have the nerve. I wonder. to turn
Oh"
His speculations came to an abrupt
end and he dived down the shallow
for the heavy window had opened
swiftly with no apparent effort at
silence. the curtain was whisked
aside and the sinuous figure wormed
its way through and dropped the
scant eight feet which separated the
sill from the level of the pavement.
Instantly. before he could turn. a
huge. stockily built form hurled
itself upon him and in his complete
surprise he was borne by sheer
held and expertly frisked.
The whole affair had been a matter
of seconds and no sound had come
from either man save the quick, Sob
bing breath of the captive and the
heavier snort of McCarty. but as the
latter stuffed into his own pockets
with one band the pistol. blackjack
and skeleton keys which had been the
result Of his search the other whined:
Let me go, mister! Honest t'Gawd,
1 amt done a ting but just sneak in
an'-an' right out! amt got moth
in on me, youse knows that! Honest
t'Gawd-"
McCarty's answer was to drag the
squirming, writhing youth to his feet
with a firm grip on the collar of his
sweater and with his other hand to
pick up the umbrella from where he
had dropped 1t beside him and rap
smartly on the pavement forsassist-
ance.