New Britain herald., 1921-08-25

Aoi from his carriage and sailed in with about the same time that Jimmy Cor don attempted a similar act; with the result that, though the dogs were parted, Jimmy got a nasty cut over the knuckle from his cousins cane
 In second story window of the Daily Gazette building across the street loomed T. Elihu Banks, his great bulk not quite filling the aper- ture, his purple face apalling
 A less preoccupled person would have t1inched, if only involuntary, be- fore that blasting wrath, thanked by the pallid rage of the Rev. Watson Duncan and the sheer distaste of MT. J. J. Latham, owner of the Gazette. Jimmy merely blinkcd--a rascally clever stimulation of surprise. Next he smiled. and the slightly crooked grin rendered misconstruction in the other quarter impossible. He even dared blazenly to nod his head in greeting, and though the window was closed and the distanc1 considerabl bic, Jimmy heard T. Elihn roar
 Hanlon's hotel, a four-square struc- ture of red brick, better known as Pegleg's place, stood in hollow square formed by three built-up sides of the city block and the river" The outlook, therefore, which guests of this doubtful hostelry enjoyed was scarcely one to be recommended with pride.
 The front office through which Jimmy Gordon made his entrance from the alley was deserted. A single couple leaned over one of the small round tables with which a Ecant dance space was banked; lone waiter with white patch of apron across his thighs leaned against Window-sill, back to his charges. And the couple, a fox-faced youth and girl with a white plumel hat, seemed oppressed by the weather; the waiter indifferent to the point of stupidity Hope of diversion, no matter how trivial, showed in the faces of all hree as they turned at the sound of an opening door. But with the "ntrance of Jimmy, followed by the gentleman of color Who, habitually sensation-hungry himself. was loath to leave that injured hand in the ab- sence of better Advertisement, all l oimilarity of expression ended. The waiter, of a deceptively f1abby | 1 indifferent. though his air of stupid 1 itv left him.
 The other mans appraisal of the newcomer was briefer. more in de- tail and the unf1attering conclusions arrived at not too scrupulously con cealed by half. Arrogant display of his opinions was a characteristic of this personage-one Whitey Garrity t.1io fn he hv of his adroit manipulation of coinci- 1ence.
 Whitey wore a tWo-carat stone in l his red four-in- hand; he sported an other, smaller but not so yellow, upon | ;, white and femininely tapered finger. There was nothing complex about the expression on the girls face. A | moment before she might have been | jailed pretty, had it not been for the l defiant curl of her lips which more 1 than beled a sort of childish plea 1 Tor kindness in her eyes. And now quite suddenly she was pretty in | spite of it. Jimmy recognized in her | just one of the Palace theater girls, known to the habitues of the hotel as Melody. She had never offered an- tother name. She gazed at Jimmy with warm and yearning softness until |Nyhitey could 10 longer contain h.s ldispleasure.
 "Why'n't you invite him over?" he
 growled. He looks like he might be ! free-spendin' gent with bank-roll.
 Why, that's only Jimmy Gordon, she said He's been away quite a
 while IT didn't know he'd got back
 l "Ain't been writin' you regular lhen?" Whitey's response had the pat
 ness of itany. Maybe he's de- 1 cided that you don't figure any more in his young life"
 l Cant you see that he don't belong ltere-or do you need a woman to tell it to you?" she cried.
 l Gee, ain't she the little spittire, The sought facetiously to relieve the ltension "Hod'd I know he was a iparticular friend of yourn?''
 He ain't,' Melody flashed back al him. This minute if you was tc lask him quick for my name he Icouldn't give it to you. Didn't you get that from the way he pinked uI
 when I bowed to him? He ain't my lfriend I'm a friend of his" She
 swallowed with some difficulty and lcoughed a little. Its hot in here
 she finished unsteadily. Come on II gotta get out in the air
 | The affront which Whitey had suf ifered at Jimmy Gordon's hands wa: | nameless but none the less unfor
 givable It demanded explanation
 After the door had closed behind thi new enemy which he had acquired un willingly, Jimmie broached the bus liness which had brought him there "Hanlon home?" he asked. The Palace theater factotum ant substitute chef shook his head.
 He ain't been 'roun sence mawn in'." he replied. We been havin' mo or less trouble eveh sence you left land las Wednesday it done reache Ia crisis 'Twant much-jes' Httl largyment ovah too many aces in lpoker deck. But 'lectin's comln' O. : lagain. an folks up on the hill
 ltalkin' refohm again, so Pegleg, h
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