Evening star., 1921-08-21

had unusual luck 1t would take hel
five minutes or more to get the rieh'
number. Just about then, too, the
boss of the joint and one Of the wait.
ers were having a hot sing-song de.
bate over a check, and the other pie.
faced suey juggler was taking an or.
der at the front end of the room. Sc
| let my curiosity get the best Of me
used my boarding house reach
stretched hand into the next booth
and dragged the bag around where
1 could shove 1t under my feet.
WHAT for?" demands Inez.
"Td like to see what a chunk
Of opium worth that much looks like.
says 1. Wouldn't you?"
She'll be mad il she finds out
warns 1nez.
Naturally" says I. But if she
bit. Say, 1t is heavy. all right"
I found that out when 1 lifted II
up on the seat beside me. Then
just had to finger the big COB of vel
low sealing wax. 1t looked impress
| sive, but when I tried the catch
discovered that it didn't seal the lock
at all. It was simply stuck on the
side. And before knew 1t I had the
| bag open. Inside was this lump OF
black stuff. about as big as a ham
| and half.
go that's opium. is It? 1 remarks
.e. Looks y. like like TAR" ,;a,s says Ines; .w,x
| why it smells like tar"
Il can tell" says 1nez. II used to
chew It like gum"
wait" says I. Maybe can pry
of piece. Let's have q fork. There!
Think you've got nerve enough to
the love Of life don't swallow any.
weI?" 49,,
"sure it's tar" says 1nex. Don't
That's enough, them" says 1.
Back 1t goes. Just in time. too Here
she comes"
So when the princess drifted back
from the phone booth we were bent
over our plates once more. She didn't
even notice that the bag wasn't just
where she left 1t. but pushed 1t un-
der the seat with the toe of her
pump and sat down to drum her
from the 1ady's motions" says 1.
II should guess that somebody was
late In keeping a date. I'd say they
were wise. at that"
Then noticed Inez gawping across
at the mirror, as If she were watch
=" "sweli. ssiII it~ I tell her. "whos'
Ines lean. across ana :, whispers
husky: '.It-its Uncle Nelsm
what" says I. "How In the name
Of ouija could he know we were
'Tt's her." says ines. nodding to.
wards the next slip,
'toh, GOMEZ says I.
But q glance in the mirror showed
that the lady had seen the new ar
rival and was perking up:
Don't let him see you. Quick"'
And Ines did manage to shift over SO
that most Of her must have been hidden,
while in the glass I could watch the old
boy come posing forward to where the
Wen, that gave me the whole plot Of
the piece. Nearly all OF it. anyway.
This. phony princess Of Barry's had evi..
IDENTITY Invented a new game: Instead
was batting the suckers with. tale
about a great chunk Of smugEled opium,
and dressing 1t up fancy with all this
about working through the Chinese EN-
bassy and being \ member Of the royal
family herself.
DuT how she had happened 70 land d
- cagey old boy like Uncle Nels was
puxsle. With those shrewd blue eyes
Of his and the grip he had on dollar
you'd think he'd be the last one to fall
for m easy money scheme that might
lead to q session before the grand jury.
You can't always tell. though. The more
they have the more they want. and the
ones with. the simple honest look are
eften the very parties that believe any
thins /: right that they can get
As It develops later. this con lady had
got Uncle Nels on her list through the
doorrnan at his swell apartment house.
Seems they're often q crooked lot. these
doormen. e, Who indulge .1s., IN al NJ sorts Of Of
drivers to wholesale bootlesging. And
this particular pirate had whispered to
Uncle Nels how q certain Princess Chu
was anxious to unload fortune in
smugsisd coke st anent one.tenth its
tend to selling it to the proper parties
II Uncle Nels would finance the original
deal by putting UP 4 certified check for
fifty thousand. And dear old Uncle Neis
lad promptly come nibbiing around with
i;s,y' His mouth watering and his fingers
Course. / could only guess at part Of
this from the scraps Of low.-toned con-
versation that came through. the psrti-
had IN the bag as ''the bonds" and as.
surkd Uncle Nsls that they were ali
ready to deliver. Perhaps he wanted to
see 'em. Certainly he should. And we
heard the bag drasyed out and. set on
.hs tais; Is;. e .a the ..fn f,,cr soulEd s,sE sysn
seemed setisi1ed with Whist he saw, too.
Anyway, he cooked his head on. one side
and looked wfss. although duubt II he'd
ever Been 4 place Of opium ~ big - .
wei. said the princess. '.you
brought the check. did your"
s