The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-28

eyed. The mans face was the face of the White MoIFs dude paI-but he had on the Plugs clothes. Pinkie's wise guy He slips away to me without getting himself in the lime light or spilling any beans. And I didn't ask him if he'd been punch ing the needle again overtime. either. It fitted like a glove with what hap pened at old Luertz's last night. You don't know about <nat. Pinkie and this double-cro ossing snitch went there and only found a note from the White Moll He'd tipped her off before, of course, and the note made a nice little play sos he'd be safe himself with us. Well. that's about all- We had to get him-where we wanted him-and we got him. We waited until he showed up again as he Pug, and then we put over a frame-up deal on him that got him to go over to that old iron plant in Harlem, you know. behind Jake Nal ley's saloon, where we had it fixed to hand Cloran his last night-and the Plugs there now He's nicely gagged, and tied, and quite safe. The plants been shut down for the last two months. and there's only the watch man there, and he's squared We gave the Pug two hours of solitary confinement to think it over and come across. We just asked him for the White MolIs address, sos we could get her and the sparklers she swiped at Old Luertz's place last night.''
 Still Rhoda Gray did not speak for moment. She seemed to be held in thran by both terror and a sicken- ing dismay. It did not seem real, her surroundings here, this man, and the voice that was gloating pronounc- ing the death sentence upon the man who had come unbidden into her life, and into her heart, the man she loved. Yes. she understood Dang lars words had been plain enough. The Adventurer had been trapped not through Danglar's cunning, or lack of cunning on the Adventurer's own part. but through force of cir cumstances that had caused him to fling all thought of self-considera- tion to the winds in an effort to save another's life. Her hands, hidden in the folds of her skirt, clenched until they hurt. And it was another self, 1t seemed. subconsciously enacting the role of Gypsy Nan, alias Dang lars wife, who spoke at 'ast. You. are a fool! You are all fools!' she cried tempestuously. What do you expect to gain by
 
 the Pug come across with any in formation by threat to kill him if he doesn't? You tried that once. You had him cold, or at least you thought you had. and so did he, that night in old Nicky Viner's room, and he laughed at you even when he expected you to fire the next second. | He's not likely to have changed any since then, is he?''
 ''No," said Danglar. with vicious chuckle; land that's why I'm not trying the same game twice. That's 1 why we've got him over in the old iron plant now.'
 There was something she did not l like in Danglar's voice, something of ominous assurance, something that | startled her.
 What do you mean?" she de- 1 manded sharply
 Its lonely place." said Danglar | conplacenrly. There's no one | around but the watchman, and he's | an old friend of Ss1Iuker's; and it's so roomy over there that no one 1 could expect him to be everywhere | at once. See? That let's him out. F He's been we'll greased, and he | won't know anything. Don't you 1 worry, old girl! That's what I l thing is all right. after all. The | Pug will talk. Maybe he wouldn't | if he just had his choice between | that and the quick. painless end that 1 a bullet would bring; but there are ! some things that a man can't stand. Get me? We'll try a few of those on the Pug, and. believe me, before were through, there won't be any sec: vts wrapped up in his bosom" Rhoda Gray stood motionless. l Thank God it had grown dark-dark | enough to hide the whiteness that she knew had crepe over her face, and the horror that had crept into | her eyes.
 You mean"-her voice was very | low-'you mean you're going to tor ture him into talking?"
 "sure!" said Danglar. What do you think!''
 1 And after that?"
 1 we bump him off, of course" said Danglar callously. He knows l all about us. don't he? And I guess | we'll square up on what's coming to himi He's put the crimp into us for [ the last timei" Danglar's voice pitched suddenly hoarse in fury. i What do you think we'd do with a
 
 like that?''
 Plead for the Adventurer's life l It was uselessI it was worse than l useless-it would only arouse suspi- l cion tC~-ard herself. From the stand 1 point Uf any one of the gang, the
 Adventurer's life was forfeit. Her
 mind was swift. cruelty swift in it's | workings now. There came the 1 prompting to disclose her own. iden-
 tity, to tell DangIars that he need
 not go to the Adventurer to discover
 the whereabout of the White Moll
 that she was here now before him; | there came the prompting to offer
 herself in lieu of the man she loved
 But that. too, was useless, and worse
 than useless; they would still dc away with the Adventurer because he
 had been the Pug, and the only
 chance he now had. as represented
 by whatever she might be able to do
 would be gone, since she would bu