Evening star., 1921-05-15

distance, you know. even in a crowd.
BY the time 1 had walked two blocks
up and one down without finding her I
! suppose was a little panicky. Any
! way. what I said to that bone e-headed
night watchman who was guarding a
pile Of bricks and sand wasn't par
ticularly sane.
You haven't seen my friend Inez.
have you?" / asked.
which" says he, through a corn
cob pipe.
big Swede girl with yellow hair"
adds.
"Oh. that one" says he. "She duck
ed across the street, over there. Just
missed gettin' bumped by a taxi, too.
Red feathers on her hat"
That's 1nez." says /, and darts in
the direction he was pointing his
thumb.
1 could see a house front that was
well lighted and a sidewalk canopy
set up. Somebody having a coming
out party. or announcing an engage
ment. And Inez must have seen what
she would call swell people" arriv-
ing or going away. That would be
enough for her. l should have to talk
to Inez again about the danger OF
trying to rush across 5th avenue
hen fashion, without waiting for the
traffic lulls. About wandering alone,
too. at this hour of the night.
l had gone nearly to the middle OF
this side street and was almost op-
posite the canopied entrance, looking
into every doorway in the hope OF
finding IneZ staring out from behind
a shadow, when / noticed this little
group of folks that seem to be milling
around so odd and senseless. l caught
a glimpse of a podgy little man in
evening clothes who was hopping
about on his toes as if he was tryin
to Jump into his silk hat which he
had dropped on the sidewalk. Then
there was a large, fat woman with
an o3era cape hanging from one
shoulder and her arms waving wild
ly as she clawed at a slim young chap
who was tugging to get away. Also
there was a fellow in chauneur's
uniform who edged in and then dodg
ed back out Of reach. And they were
all SO busy and silent about it. Not
a word spoken. Only now and then
heavy puff, evidently from the fat
woman. or a grunt from one Of the
men. I couldn't make out what it was
all about.
Then the slim chap gave a final
whirl, hit the fat woman in the chest
with his elbow. kicked vicious at the
chauffeur, and broke loose completely
He was Logging 1t toward the East
river when the screams started. the
fat woman had found her voice.
"Police! Police!" she sQuealed. He
he's got my jewel bag"
Even that didn't seem to disturb
any one. AS a matter of fact. there
was nobody in sight to be disturbed.
1 heard front window showed up and
then banged down again.
stop him! Stop the thief" shouted
the fat woman. "Police!
But no police came on the run, or
even sauntered up. Any more than
they would IL you'd staged such an
AFFAIR on Main street in Tamarack
Junction when Constable Sol. Henner
was playing pinochle in the back of
Feltner's general store. And mean
while the slim chap was making a
speedy getaway
I suppose i was watching him
run, kind Of excited and nervous,
but not thinking of doing anything
in particular. and perhaps rather
hoping that he wouldn't trip or stub
his toe when I saw a bulky female
figure step out directly in his path.
open her arms and fold him in. 1t
wassalmost as though he had jumped
through a trap door. Anyway. both
of them went down and l could dimly
see them rolling about the sidewalk.
Hes caught! He's caught"' shrieks
the fat woman. hysterical. "see,
See. Junius? Now for heavens sake
do something"
The podgy little man didn't seem
so anxious. However. lie picked up
his silk hat, gave it hasty brush on
his sleeve, and started. with the fat
woman, hanging to his arm, her
chauffeur went along. too. hadn't
been asked, but ] fell in behind.
wasn't sure. but there seemed to be
something familiar about that husky