St. Tammany farmer., 1922-07-08

ne wondered. II this Is what he calls
high life I've had more than enough
| already
His disgust was shared by the club
man. Bromfield had never been IN
such dive before. His gambling had
been done In gilded luxury. While he
touched shoulders with this motley
crew his nostrils twitched with fas-
tidious disdain. He played, but his
interest was not in the wheel. Du-
rand had promised that there would
be women and that one of them should
be bribed to make claim upon Clay
at the proper moment. He had an un-
happy feeling that the gang politician
had thrown him down In this If SO.
what did that mean? Had Dnrand
some card up his sleeve? Was he
using him as catspaw to rake In his
own chestnuts?
Clarendon -Bromfield began to weak
en-. He and Clay were the only two
men In the room in evening clothes
His questing eye fell on tough, scared
faces that offered his fears no re-
assurance. Any one or all of them
MIGHT be agents Of Durand.
He showed nll OF his chips out, put
ting half Of them on number eight and
the rest on seventeen. His object was
to lose his stack Immediately and be
free to go. To his annoyance the
whirling ball dropped into the pocket
labeled eight.
Let's get ont Of this hole," he said
to Lindsay In a low voice. IT don't
Ike It,"
Suits me-" agreed the other.
AS Rromfield was cashing his chips
Clay came rl"idly to attention. Two
men had just come into the room. One
Of them was "Slim'' Jim Collins, the
other Gorilla Dave. AS yet they had
not seer him He did not look at them,
hut at his host. There was a question
in his mind he wanted solved. The
cluhman's gaze passed over both the
newcomers without the least sign Of
recognition
II didn't know what this Joint was
like or I'd never have brought you,"
apoloeized Clarendon. "A friend Of
mine told ME about It, He's got a
queer fancy If he likes this frazzled
dive"
Clay acquitted Bromfeld Of con-
spiracy. He must have, been tailed
here by Durand's men. His host had
nothing to do with 1t. What for?
They could not openly attack him.
"Slim" Jim's eyes fell on him. He
nudged Dave. Both of them, standing
near the entrance, watched Lindsay
steadily.
Some one outside the door raised
the cry, 1.-THE bulls are COMM"
Instantly the room leaped to fren-
zied excitement. Men dived for the
DOORS bets forgotten and chips scat
tered over the floor Chairs were
smashed as they charged over them,
tables overturned. The unwary were
trodden underfoot.
Bromfleld went into a panic. Why
had he been fool enough to trust
Durand? No doubt the fellow would
ruin him as willingly as he would
Lindsay. The raid was fifteen min
utes ahead Of schedule time. The
ward politician had betrayed him. He
felt sure Of 1t. All the carefully pre-
pared plans agreed upon he jettisoned
promptly. His sole thought was to
save himself, not to trap his rival.
Lindsay caught him by the arm.
Lets try the back room."
He followed Clay, Durand's gang
men at his heels
The lights went out.
The westerner tried the window. It
was heavily barred outside. He turned
to search for door.
Brought up by the partition, Brom-
field was whimpering with fear as he
too groped for way of escape. A
pale moon shone through the window
upon his evening clothes.
In the dim light Clay knew that
tragedy impended. "Slim" Jim had
his automatic out.
1--WE got you good" the chauffeur
snarled.
The gun cracked. Bromfeld bleated
In frenzied terror as Clay dashed for :
ward. A chair swung round in
sweeping arc AS it descended the
splitting Of the gun slashed through the
darkness a second time.
"Slim'' Jim went down, rolled over,
lay like log.
Some one dived for Lindsay and
drove him against the wall, pinning
him by the waist A second figure
Joined the first and caught the cattle
mans wrist.
Then the lights flashed on again.
Clay saw that the man who had flung
him against the partition was Gorilla
Dave. A plain-clothes man with
star had twisted his wrist and was
clinging to it. Bromfield was nowhere
to be seen, but an open door to the
left showed that he had found at least
a temporary escape.
A policeman came forward and
stopped over the figure of the pros
trate man.
"Some ones croaked guy" he said.
Gorilla Dave spoke up quickly. "This
fellow did 1t. With chair. seen
him.
There was moment before Lindsay
answered quietly. .'He shot twice.
The gun must be lying under him
where he fell"
Already men had crowded forward
% the scene Of the tragedy. moved by
the morbid curiosity a crowd has m