Evening star., 1921-10-17
Continued from Yesterdays Star)

HaO IL DeeH enIITcly StiuP1c VI dSSo'"
in spite Of the ample funds
received from Square John Kelly,
funds that now, wary Of unsavory
corners into which q certain business
that he had on hand might lead him
here in New York, he had taken the
to secrete about his per-
son In a money belt beneath his un-
He had scarcely needed old Nicolo
Capriano's warning to be careful.
much in five years in prison that he
could take liberties with the risk of
recognition in that section of the
country where, in the days before, he
had been 80 familiar a figure on the
local race tracks. He had made his
ably beyond California. in the same
way that. once before. he had at
tempted to elude the police-and on
which former occasion would have
succeeded. he was quite satisfied. had
It not been for the wound that had
finally robbed him OF consciousness
and placed him at their mercy.
He had travelled during three nights.
and only at night. in box cars and on
freight trains. stealing his way. But
there had been no hurry. The night
OF the gath OF June. the date Of the
rendezvous that Millman had given
him. had not been very far off. and
though 1t had always obtruded itself
upon him and never allowed itSelf
to be forgotten from the moment he
had heard it from Millman's lips, he
had consistently told himself that the
24th OF June was consideration to
be entirely disregarded. Since Mill
man was a thief and had double
crossed him. the rendezvous was bla-
family fake. 1t existed only as a
sort OF teering, ironical barb with
which Millman at times, out Of the
nowhere. like specter. grinninR ma
liciously: prodded and made devirs
sport OF him. He had no concern with
Millman's cath Of June! He would
meet Millnlan in due time-two hemi-
spheres were not big enough. or wide
enough apart. to prevent that-but
the meeting would be by his. not
Millman's. appointment.
And then he had passed out Of the
more critical danger zone, and got
further east. Eut. even then. he had
taken no chances. Dave Henderson
was dead-the creation Of one Barty
Lynch was not matter to be trifed
with: He had taken no chances: if
anything, he had erred on the side Of
extreme caution. The abrupt tram
sition into responsibility by one in
misfitting threadbare garments. and
who looked. moreover. a disreputable
tramp from his nights in the box
cars. was only to invite suspicion at
attempt to buy clothes. 4 second
hand suit, therefore. or fairly credit
able appearance. first replaced Eicolo
Capriano's discarded garments: later
at a more exclusive establishment
still further east. in Chicago. to be
tire he now wore-while. here and
there. he had stocked a dress.suit case
with needed requirements. He had
been deliberately leisurely in his prog
ress east once he had felt 1t safe to
dispense with his box car mode OF
defiance and challenge flung down
by his common sense to that teering
prod with which Millman. and Mill
mans cynical rendezvous. plagued
him in spite OF himself. The evening
Of June "a a. the st: Lueian Hotel in
terest to him! It had taken him q
week to reach Chicago. It was nine
days now since he had left Nicolc
Capriano's house. Nine days! He
was now in New York. standing here
on one Of the station platforms-and
June.
He looked at his watch. as he made
his way to the main section Of the
station. 1t was 1880. He deposited
his dress-suit case in the parcel room.
and went out to the street. Here he
the st. Lucian Hotel.
He smiled a little grimly as he
walked along. The much-vaunted
challenge Of his common sense had
gone down to rout and defeat. It
seemed. He was on his way now to
the st. Lucian Hotel-and he would
be there at o'clock on the evening
Of June "a. He laughed outright at
himself. suddenly. mirthlessly.
Well. why not: And why not be
spite self-argument to the contrary.
he knew all along that he would be
at the rendezvous at the appointed
time. He was a fool-undoubtedly a
fool. Nothing could come Of it ex-
cept. possibly, to AFFORD Millman. il
some safe vantage point in hiding.
an amusing spectacle.
He was q fool-he offered nothing
In defense Of himself on that score.
But. too. as far as any results had
been obtained. he had been a fool to
the money. when he had beforehand
already persuaded himself in HIS own
mind that the money was gone! It
was the same thing over again now
the elimination Of doubt. that would
always have crept insidiously into his
nina, the SuOStI1ueion OIL oouot. now =
ever ill-founded. for an established
certainty. He had felt better for that
visit to the pigeon cote: he would feel
better, even at the expense Of pam
perinR again the fantastic doubts. for
his visit to the st. Lucian Hotel to-
night. Millman would not be there.
any more than the money had been
in the pigeon cote: but. equally. he.
Dave Henderson. would have estab-
lished that fact beyond the reach OF
any brain quibbling which. Of late,
had heen. it seemed. 50 prone to af-
feet him.
He stopped again to ask directions
from an officer. and to ask this time
another question as well-a ques-
ton prompted by a somewhat un-
pleasant possibility which. having
once decided to keep the rendezvous:
he could not now ignore. What kind
"one Of the best" the onicer an
swered. There you are-two blocks
ahead. and one to the left
Dave Henderson smiled with a
sort Of patient tolerance at himself.
The locality alone should have been
sufficient answer e to HI. question: Jon, IT. It
His hand that had unconsciously
closed around the stock Of bis re-
volver in the side pocket OF his coat
his side as he walked along again.
He looked at his watch once more
as he turned the corner indicated. It
was f1ve minutes to eight. A half
block ahead Of him he saw the hotel.
distance remaining. "The St. Lucian
Hotel. Eight o'clock in the evening.
June twenty.fourth." The words
seemed to mock at him now and the
eibe to sting. He had fallen for it.
after all! He could call himself a
fool again II he wished, but what
was the use Of that? It was OBJ
vious that he was fool! He felt
like one. as he passed q much be-
dAckAd (nncfionaSY at thA doorway,