Evening star., 1921-08-07

sweat upon him as he retired to hunt
out Joe. Kiely's promise. communicated
by Fritz the bartender, tangled and
re-echoed in his brain.
When he could get no trace Of Joe
his funk redoubled. Joe. he con-
cluded. had been killed. And Kiely
had vowed to cut his. Burton's. heart
| out IL the man from Denver talked
He cursed himself for his impetu-
osity. Why hadn't he got hold of the
man who recognized Mary Kiely be-
fore going at Kiely? How could he
| keep that mans mouth shut when he
did not know him? Nick Burton did
| not want to risk having his heart re-
Of that being done. however, since
Kfely had given his word. Burton
prepared to evacuate.
Sinking round that night. making
a last effort to learn definitely the
fate of Joe-who was a prisoner in
the hands of the Kiely clan until his
wounds healed and he agreed to stay
away from the police-Burton heard
Of Kiely's departure. The news gave
him brace. He laughed soneakily
himself a couple Of drinks and laughed
again. louder. He had scared Conny
Kiely off the lot!
/; As the days of Kfely's absence
iSuS tISuSu burton courage mounted.
Soon he began to talk of having
driven Kiely out Of town. When there
was no come back to that. he added
that IL Kiely ever showed his face
again. he'd go over the road. Yes.
and his wife would go over the road.
too. Burton did not make any bones
about saying that the murder" OF
Joe was what he had on kiely. But
he was not SO outspoken in regard
to Mary kiely. He was mysterious
q hat Iaf1 tN< ENr 10
couldn't refrain from thinking of his
heart! Kiely might get to him for
the necessary few minutes.
Kiely's lieutenants grinned behind
Burton's back and let him strut.
Every SO often their chief talked with
them by phone from the mountains
not hundred miles away. where he
and his wife and boy were loafing.
From sources that We're reliable thev
ascertained that Burton had not ye.
supplied any information to the pe-
:. lice. That was what worried KieIv
most. He had about concluded that
Burton was harmless when the word
came that Burton was limiting what
would happen to Mary II Kiely ever
returned.
4 conny Kiely told his wife that he
had to go to town for a day-on
business. he said. He was going to
see Burton: and: going back to the old
days, he slipped a gun into his pocket
Il
,lNIARY clung to him. Throughout the
fortnight they had been away IL
had become more and more evident that
they were hiding. But she never Rad
questioned him. She supposed that tne
recent police activity against gambling
had made it advisable for Conny to d.
part until the storm blew over. He
would not run away from personal dan
ger. So well had he helped her to bio
out her own ancient trouble that STA
> never imagined that could have aught 10
do with their exile. And so idyllic hs';
I been their sojourn in the quiet of tirs
hills-just Conny and the boy and her
self-that she was making ready to pro-
: pose that they go on like that for the
0 l est Of their lives-that he never return
t to reopen his gambling places. He had
a money enough to drop these Affiliations
Don't go. COMFY" She voiced these
= go back"
9 His colorless eyes burned lovingly on
S her and on the boy. who held to his
S mother with one hand and to his father
. with the other. Then he glanced away,
e blinking with a Transforming wistful-
: ness.
Il perhaps we won't. wife" he said.
. "It-depends." He was thinking OF the
gun that he carried for the first time in
y years. Had she known that ne had it,
she sr would gaas not S,nsd have let him him, 60;
mean that. Conny?" She was eager TO
.'et Yes" He drew her to him. and to-
o who laughed merrtly in return. Kieiy's
features grew strained and harsh. He
o fondled the boys curls, pressed his
: cheek closer to his wtfe's. He might not
e Suddenly he let them 20 and stepped
It back. He was smiling-Mary must not
l. Yes" he said. when I come back.
IN wife. I'll be through down there. That's
n what I'm going to town for-to wind
,e everything up"
$. The tinee Of grimness in his tone dim.
,r med her happiness. Her gaze searched
~ into him.
Iee Let me go with you. Conny. Let u.
Is mo" He shook his head. .rt would
N only be a useless: tiresome trip for you
n {, and the baby. I'll be back-right ava.
ss'l-not more than two days.
e; He dropped to his knees beside the
70 boy. The curly head nestled content.
as edly on his shoulder. His wife knelt be.
,@e @ side him Their arms intertwined abou'
e though Conny Kiely was not consciou.
m that he did so.
l. Unobtrusively and unannounced
C. hiely feacheo town. he ordered Joe
IN turned loose.
The irruption Of his vanished mes
y senger. now less lovely than eve
"a with the patches of sticking plaster
!e on the sides OF his head, was a notice
is able shock to Burton. Joe went t.
him without delay and snarled ou
his story. He blistered Burton Will
al language for having sent him I,
e. Kiely. He swore to kill Kiely-wa.
g tempted to kill Burton. he declared
Is Now wait, Joe. wait. That won
ne get you nothing" Burton strove t.
I'd pacify him. He breathed noisily
ne What did the return of Joe portend
1 Was Ktely up to a trick? Burton
wasn't nearly SO sure of himself Al
as he had been shortly before.
ne "Agh" Joe broke in on his uneas,
thoughts. What you sayin', yuh bi,
ne stiff. How in hell can I hear yul
r through these" He pointed to tn
n dressings on his bobbed ears. "Yel
We what yuh gotta say. yuh-" He sal,
book himself before he ran out o
s. breath.
o! Burton took Joe home. He couldn'
IN shout his problem where every on
could listen. Primarily he desired Z
We know whether Joe could tell anything
about Kiely's whereabouts. Joe coul
nd not. He knew only that he had bee
y. imprisoned in an eight-story fat. tha
with the restoration of his liberty h
had been cautioned finally that he
certainly die in his boots il he men
o. toned his lamented ears to the police
re His beady eyes puckering cunning
ly. Burton inflamed Joe's hatred to