Evening star., 1921-10-04

Longer cupped HIS hand around his
glass. Having had nothing to start
with. he could drink frankly, and a
shaky hand could be trusted to spill
became confidential. He confided to
lSpeen what Speen already knew
that he. Dave Henderson. was Dave
Henderson. and just out from the
name was Monohan, reciprocated with
Imendacious condolences that implied
he was puritanical in neither his
mode Of life nor his means of liveli-
that he was not averse to a share in
|any game that Dave Henderson
might have on hand.
Dave Henderson got along very
badly now between the various oases
that quenched his raging thirst. He
frequently. and. in stumbling, OBJ
ltained equally frequent views Of both
sides of the street behind him. No
lone seemed to be paying any atten-
yet once or twice he had caught sight
of skulking figures that. momentarily
at least, had aroused his suspicious.
IBut in this neighborhood there were
lmany skulking figures! Again he
could not be sure; but the saloon in
lCapriano's block was the next one
ahead now, and certainly nothing had
ltranspired that would seem to neces-
state any change being made in his
lplans.
speen. too. was feignins now a GER
tain degree of intoxication. They
Preached the saloon. reeled through
the door, arm in arm. and ranged up
alongside the bar. Dave Henderson's
eyes swept his surroundings. critical
of every detail 1t was an unpleas-
liant and dirty place; and the few
loungers. some seated at little tables.
some hanging over the bar itself,
were hard and ugly looking lot
ss %.rs ss
rear Of the room, and but a few yards
from the end of the bar, there was an
topen door, disclosing a short pas
sage beyond, that interested him a
sage was undoubtedly the back yard.
and beyond that again was the lane.
He had no desire to harm Speen, none
whatever; but If any one Of a dozen
pretexts, that he might make to elude
the man for the moment or two that
was necessary to gain the yard un-
observed. did not succeed, and Speen
persisted in following him out there
into the yard-well, so much the
worse for Speen that was all!
each claiming the right to pay for
the drink-but his mind was sitting
through those dozen pretexts for the
most plausible one to employ. He
kept on arguing. Customers slouch-
led in and out of the place; some sat
bar. One, a hulk of a man. unshaven,
with bull-breadth shoulders, with
nose fiattened over on one side of his
cheek, stepped up to the bar beside
the man grinned Hospitality at Dave
Henderson over Speen's shoulder, as
he listened to the argument for a
moment.
"Put, away your money. son. an
have drink with me-" he invited.
Speen turned.
The grin on the battered face Of
the newcomer faded instantly, as he
lstared with apparently sudden recog-
milton into Speen's face; and black.
lugly seowl spread over the already
''Oh, it's you, is it," he said hoarsely.
lana licked his lips. "By God, you got
la nerve to come down here-you
lhaye! You dirty police spy!'
| speen was evidently not easily
II guess you've got the wrong man,
haven't your" he returned coolly
enough. my names Monahan. and
II don't know you"
"You lie!" snarled the other vicious
lily. Your names Speen! And you
ldon't know NEEDN'T your
you don't eh?" The man thrust
his face almost into Speen's. You
don't remember a year ago gettin'
me six months on a fake plant. eth
er, suppose!'
! mol" said Speen.
you don't, eh?" snarled the man
you've got, amt you? Well, I'll fix
| it for you so you won't forget me so
easy next time. and"
It came quick, without warning
jbefore Dave Henderson could move.
He saw a great, grimy fist whip for
ward to the point of Speen's jaw, and
he caught a tiny reflected gleam of
duster on one of the fingers of the
clenched fist; and Speen's knees SEEM
Cd to crumble up under him, and he
went down in heap to the floor.
Dave Henderson stra'ghtened up
twisting across his lips. It had been,
policeman. and speen, lying there
senseless, solved a certain little diff
Ificulty without further effort on his,
Dave Henderson's, part; but the bru-
tality of the act had him in its grip.
There was a curious itching at his
finger tips for a clutch that would
maui this already battered bruiser's
face beyond recognition. His eyes
tables had risen to their feet; some
were pushing forward, and one, he
saw over his shoulder, ran around the
far end Of the bar and disappeared.
lSpeen lay inert. a huddled thing on
the floor, a crimson stream spilling
its way down over the mans white
icollar.
The twisted smile on Dave Hender-
sons lips deepened. The brutser was
watching him like a cat, and there
was a leer on the others face that
seemed to possess some hidden sig
lniicance. Well, perhaps he would
change that leer with whatever Its
lsignif1cance might be into something
still more unhappy! He moved few