Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-19
ADYFINGERS
BY JACKSON GREGORY
copyright, IoRt, By Chrdies Scribncr's Sons
CHAPTER I
NIL. Itnnrsinr's DAmglltcr

bed Mt J ClO'h I' NV ''
sorccd nondcscripts, who had lifted in
,ae .ho rainy streets like great bats
u rac wings. looked at him expect
n,,y mt Of their hard eyes.
"" "you know what you're talking
.,ont Tony? You 'rc surc?'
,rho words finally came abruptly.
ming to be elected upward and out
%ord nv the heavy paunch contracting
lii, undcr I.c Bruins nightdrcss.
Tony. the smaller. thinner mdrc sin,
,.,or of the two messengers. nodded
,",,av lie drew his coat closer about
Him. then finding that even thus he
,,rd NOT shut out the cod. moved in
,cruliarly Catlikc way to the stove,
,,hich was still warm, and dropped
,,,,n If coal into it. The other man
ts,,awod him. stretching out his hands to
,ho ,,tIc warmth. Joe Lc Brun, with
Wv NV mnyiur his heavy body beyond the
oussn,oIir ous contraction Of his stomach,
iI. Sp"bi bis ewes travel after them, his fat,
w, W, Coco showing continued congestion
~ his cmpurplcd wrath.
"yyho did IT," he demanded. 49,, ,
Tonv. with one quick gesture, lifted
hia narrow shoulders in shrug ana
"Iirnpd out Of his wet coat to hold 1t
'g 'gn,r 70 thc stove. lie Brun turned to
the second man ,.,." ho oa,od
Frank laughed unplcasantly.
'.Wr admit" he said. I'VE got there
-, timc about ten minutes past .. The
,inh,y ,yos on and we could see there
ws wss something doing. The safe was
n.ockod the stuff was gone and all me
and Tony done was get pinched.
"", ',piurhcd?" yelled LC Brun, keen
0,citrmcnt shining in his eyes.
"Pinchcd? 1t was plant, was it: n
donblc cross. was it? Ambrose thinks
bs can 60 back on us .,
ambrose is all right, interrupted
Tony, lifting heetlng, slantWiSe loon
iron; ton his coat 1T was that new cop
.tot .tO," got fresh and did the pinChing act.
Then Ambrose showed up and told US 10
hoot II he said tell you he'd be around
Sorc rs soon as he could get away.
"IIow much was in the safe: asked
10 Trun. "Did you get n chance to
talk with LabelleT
Tony grinnCd mirthlcssly.
~ ohCIlc was nuts over it, he SAID
,uccimrtlv. He'd done his part and
NM thc stuff in it and thought every
,Sinr was running right until mo ana
Frank showed up. Even then hr
wouIdn't believe at first. lie thought W"
were holding out on him. You can LOOK
for I.ahcIc, too, most any time.
"IlcII." exploded Ic Brun.
snddcnly he seemed for the first time
N fccI tho cold. Clawing his niGhtsShirt
tovrthcr over his bulging chest. he drew
close M to the stove. The flux Of color
had rCccdcd slowly from his bloated
yisagc, but no abatement Of fcrocity
romS into his owes. small. round, blazing
ronts Of light under his hairless browS:
"You know who did this he said
after little.
"No more than you know" returned
Tony. $50 more than Ambrose knows.
or Labclo. No more" with u snccr
twisted suddenly into his voice, flash
OF light in his eyes, than Polly
knows -
"PoIly%' growIcd Lc Brun, "What's
Polly got to do with it:'
Tony stared back at his chief tribe
sulIpnIy.
You amt asking all the puzHl"
sharply. "lIow'd it happen that tho
guy that cracked the safe knew just
when Labclle was going TO put the coin
in it? How'd it happen he didn't do
the job last night? Why didn't he wait
ill tomorrow night? Iou say "" got
guess coming who done it. Mnyb"
We got Il guess coming who wiscd him
up. too,
Joe I.c Brun's thick hands grew into
loose, fahby fists. His body secm"d
actually diluting with venom; his eyes
spat poison.
ut wa, Ashc's work" :" he said finally.
"And we all know it. But that's no
sign that Polly tipped him off. 1t was
Just luck or he found out some other
way. Polly wasn't in on this.
Under Ic Hrun'S malicious eyes
Tony N open SnCCr was slowly VCiICd by
bis old air Of SullcnncsS.
How did Ambrose tulkE" asked l.r
BrUn.
"lIc'> sore. Hos got right to b"
sore. II" don't know if it was .\Shc or
II "" did it and mr." trying to shut him
out Of the money!
Through the wiudowIcSs, dimly
ghtcd room there driftcd an atmos-
nhprc Of unrahinCSS which was almost
.k" pnlpab" San Francisco fog Both
lohy and Frank looked to Lc Brun
eagerly. Lc Brun, deeply thoughtful,
was Unrou,rlouS Of their looks, having
another matter to think upon. 1t was
eelor' any on" had again spoken that
from tho wet night without there came
we sound Of Il man walking hurrirdly.
ne turned the corner. approaching
rom Howard street, passed the front
'oorN vt l"" J." Brun : saloon and came
vn QH"H.y until be was at the smaller.
,nudo" .uiddru door which gave en-
LAhre from the sidewalk into the room
" Mhch N" three men were.
=, 1t Ambrosc," offered Tony. As
oaarp knock followed he added, "BrttCr
S I,a'E' Jo" Thtn, STOPPING forward
%IlIy, his movement one Of feline
pp,HHn'',' Il" said under his breath, "lr
t11.y am working for l.adyiingcrs you
Tt,"r play her against Ambrosr now,
ne i fall for her."
,iHAHl Ur, snapped Joe.
oo n' Opened tn" door aud Ambrose
'"' II "ih haste which gave color
b,,I" "| impression that he had been
"i,J "i,I" mo IA" little room by the raging
af,u "h"h battered at the board walls
S,I So,,r nIM 4nd then went its bnfLrd way.
C0mcr, ''"' '"' '''''
Il even IN p.nin clothes something about
on o~r man, be- il the Took in his cruel, blue
IS'S Io or "O"ul his hard jaw aud mouth,
HI, something in the erect Swaggrr OF
officer. '''''''''''' III" the ponce
v9,M mS movements were tho uuirk,
Ga,. aU"I IT, confident movements Of his
jng "I> NIr hat Of his type. dommrrr.
Tos ''" short uf dominant There
Ipad, "h>" Of power about him: al
yarJ ,'''""IIl OF polio" hc looked for
w. speedy promotion.
o. tHTIO'">" WAS plainly in no mood ro
9