Evening star., 1922-03-31

nedy to help nnd her. Gennaro is going to
husi'. feI food because after the d,.,D kid5apins
note % sskins Tor $1,000 ransom to b brought
:sns :'Ssn sss : ~
the abduction, have left their hotel and are
living With his wife's father,in-law the
cousin who keeps a drug store near Albano,s:
and Kennedy decides to 70 there the night
Of the ransom paying. In the meantime he
does some investigating.
4 T last We came to Albano's
~ little wine shop. q dark, evil,
~ malodorous place on the street
level Of a five-story alleged
"new-law" tenement. Without hesi-
tation Kennedy entered. and we fol-
lowed, acting the part Of a Summing
party. There were a few customers
at this early hour. men out of en-
ployment and an inoffensive looking
lot. though Of course they eyed US
sharply. Albano himself proved to be
a greasy, low-browed fellow, who had
a sort Of cunning look. could well
imagine such a fellow spreading ter
ror in the hearts OF simple folk by
merely pressing both temples with his
thumbs and drawing his long bony
foreflnger under his throat-the So
called Black Hand sign that has shut
up many witness in the middle OF
his. testimony even in open court.
We pushed through to the low
ceilinged back room, which was emp
ty, and sat down at a table. Over a
NJ A IA Co n
red ink" we sat silently. Kennedy
was making a mental note OF the
place. In the middle Of the ceiling
was q single gas burner with a big
reflector over it. In the back wall
of the room was horizontal win
opened like a transom. The tables
were dirty and the chairs rickety.
The walls were bare and unfinished,
with beams innocent Of decoration.
Altogether it was as unprepossessing
a place as / had ever seen.
tiny, Kennedy got up to 60, compli-
menting the proprietor on his wine.
could see that Kennedy had made
up his mind as to his course OF action.
How sordid crime really is," he
remarked as we walked down the
bano's. I defy even the police news
reporter on the Star to find any
glamor in that
Our next stop was at the corner at
the little store kept by the cousin OF
Luigi, who conducted US back Of the
compounded and found US chairs.
A hurried explanation from Luigi
brought q cloud to the open face Of
the druggist, as II he hesitated to lay
himself and his little fortune open to
the blackmailers. Kennedy saw 1t
and interrupted.
"All that wish to do" he said. "is
to put in a little instrument here and
use it tonight for few minutes. In
deed. there will be no risk to you,
Vincenzo. Secrecy is what I desire,
and no one will ever know about it."
and Craig opened his suit case.
There was little in 1t except several
coils OF insulated wire, some tools. a
couple OF packages wrapped up and
couple of pairs Of overalls: In a
moment Kennedy had donned over
over his face and hands. Under his
direction I did the same.
Taking the bag Of tools, the wire
and one of the small packages. we
went out on the street and then up
through the dark and ill-ventilated
hall Of the tenement. Half way up
a woman stopped us suspiciously:
Telephone company" said Craig
curtly. Here's a permission from
the owner of the house to string
wires across the roof"
pocket puae Sa as Gd It wss sses too out dark
read even If the woman had cared to
do so, we went on up. as he had ex-
pected, unmolested. At last we came
to the roof. where there were some
children at play q couple Of houses
Kennedy herar Nv 6,onn;np tvo
strands Of wire down to the ground
in the back yard behind vincenzo's
shop. Then he proceeded to lay I've
wires along the edge OF the roof.
We had worked only a little while
However. Kennedy kept right on un-
til We reached the tenement next to
that in which Albano's shop was.
walter" he whispered. "just get
the children away for minute now"
some Of you will fall of If you get
so close to the edge of the roof.
Keep back
It had no effect. Apparently they
looked not a bit frightened at the
dizzy mass OF clothes lines below US.
block?' I asked in desperation.
Yes, sir" came the. chorus.
who'll 60 down and get me q bot
tie Of ginger ale?" I asked.
|. chorus Of voices and Eiittering
eyes was the answer; They all
pocket and save, 1t to the Oldest.
"All right. now. hustle along. and
divide the change"
with the scamper Of many feet
they were gone and We were alone.
Kennedy had now reached Albano's.
appeared below the scuttle Of the
roof he dropped two long strands
down into the back yard. as he had
done at VincenIo's.
I started to go back but he
stopped me.
"oh. that will never do" he said.
"The kids will see that the wires end
here. I must carry them on several
houses farther as blind and trust
to luck that they don't see the wires
leading down below
We were several houses down. still
came shouting back. sticky with
cheap. trust-made candy and black
with East Side chocolate. We opened
the ginger ale and forced ourselves
to drink it So as TO excite no sus-
picion. then a few minutes later de-
coming out just above Albano's.
Twas wondering how Kennedy WAS
going to get into Albano's again
without exciting suspicion. He
solved 1t neatly.
Now. walter. do you think you
could stand another dip into that red
ink Of Albano's"
/ said 1 might in the interests Of
science and justice-not otherwise.
well. your face is sufficiently
dirty" he commented, $50 that with
the overaIls you don't look very much
as you did the first time you went in.
I don't think they will recognize you.
Do look pretty good"
You look like q coal HEAVIER out Of