The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-09-23

she's good and ready she means tc
fade, an she'll take the dough along
with her You will have sold out foI
few cheap kisses, an that's all" He
laughed coarsely ''She is Stringine
you for a fool. Come now, wake up
before it is too late. an lets all get
hand in the pot what'de yer say?'
You still think l am that kind
One of your class?'' l questioned, thor
Oughly angered by his sneering speech.
"One of my class? l should say
not; you are the rawest kind of a
mutt, but so far you've been in luck
that's all Now your luck has changed,
and yer up against it."
what do you want me to do?"
BLOW her; tell us all you know.
Wen play the game for you. and di-
vide square"
you will let me out of heref"
Sure, once you give us the right
steer"
"And if I Fefuse?"
He laughed contemporary.
You're not going to: you've got too
! d-n much sense But just to satisfy
your curiosity I'll tell you We've got
! the girl spotted; we can lay our hands
on her in an hour; and, believe me,
we've got the goods on the young lady.
| Here's the sticker that did the bust
ness, and / found it right where you
had hidden il away. / can find three
men-they are keeping out of sight
but can stir them up-who1l swear
that she went away alone with AIva
hot no hn
had the bag with him, and that the
two got into the auto together. That
makes one HI of a straight case
don't it,"
The way you put it-yes. But
what good will it do you fellows to
have her pinched2 Where do you gain
anything7"
Time; it blocks the getaway with
the swag. That's all we want See
here, Severn, we know where the stuff
is planted; at least we've got an idea,
but we've got to work slow and eau
tiOus in order to lift 1t. If it wasn't
for that we wouldn't care If she
skipped. If you'll help us to get quick
action, Wen let the girl go, and give
you . share. Take my word for 1t,
that's a d-n sight more than you'll
ever get by staying with her"
But If she finds out that 1 have
turned her DOWN."
"She won't never find it out; we'll
keep mum. Besides, you're doin' her
good turn, keepin' her out of the
electric chair. Well, there's the prop
osition-you can leave it, or take it."
Serious as the situation was. could
not fail TO see its absurdity This was
no threat to brighten me; the fellows
meant what they said, although
doubted if they really possessed the
knowledge claimed so glibly But they
evidently meant to go on; they were
not bluffing for they really had an
ugly case. and could undoubtedly make
trouble. The evidence against the girl
was strong, almost convincing; it even
shook my own confidence in her in
nOcence. The absurdity of the Situa-
ton lay in my absolute ignorance.
knew even less than they pretended TO
know. What should l do? Pretend,
manufacture some story? l had no
faith it would work These fellows
were criminals, suspicious and unscru-
pulous; they would only believe what
could prove. If they caught me in
deliberate lie, as they probably
would, that would instantly end every
thing. I might, then, just as well fight
it out with them now as later. l set
my teeth, ready for what L felt sure
was coming
You fellows have sized me up
wrong" 1 said quietly, but firmly. Il
am not the kind to squeal because of
a threat. You'll find I'll protect the |
lady, but I'll do ii in my own way
not yours. The honest truth is, l |
haven't anything TO tell. You won't |
believe that, but ii is so. l know less |
than you claim TO know. l have no |
knowledge of where the money is, or |
who got il. do not know who killed |
Alva; even now l haven't any suspi- |
cions worth mentioning But / will |
say this plainly do not believe this
girl did ii, or that she had any hand /
In the robbery. l am going to stay
with her till HI freezes over. If that
Is what you want to know. That's my
to give you"
'You id curt wen show you
Perhaps you Will; you are three to
Dne, and on your own dung-hill But
he man who touches me is going TO
get hurt; I'll promise you that. No.
rou don't. Costigan; that trick won't
work y
! tried to keep my eyes on the three
If them. but his movement caused me
20 step back closer against the wall.
feared the Jew least; he had neither
spoken nor moved since our entrance,
md / felt he had no stomach for any
arther fighting. Yet / judged wrong
With one quick dash forward he
ripped my wrist as / reached back
or a revolver, and flung his burly 1
rame against me with such force as ,
o have thrown me headlong but for
he support of the wall. Before :
ould wrench myself free, the others {
losed in desperately, content to use !
heir hands. unwilling. perhaps, to
reate any alarm with firearms. was
better fighting man than any one of
he three, but combined they had the