The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-04
CHAPTER I. The Hermit

The Hermit
 Billy Kane-known in the under l world and at policeheadquarters as the Hermit, because he worked alone was completely reformed by read ing a. sentence of less than twenty | words, on a pleasant June morning ln the old Brevoort breakfast room- 1
 The magic words came to him Tn a telegram announcing that by the death of his uncle. Ten-Carat Mur- phy. he had inherited certain funds.
 Ten-Carat Murphy-so called from the ugly yellow stone which he wore in an old fashioned oorckscrew setting day and night-haying made a clean up of nearly g. hundred thousand at New Orleans, was seized with his f1rst and last-iEness before he had time to drop it at Lexington; where upon Billy Kane found himself sole possessor of this considerable sum of ready cash, and one yellow d1a- mond.
 Thus the Hermit found himself lifted from the freebotting into the conservative alias. He became, in a modest sense, a capitalist, and thus arrayed against the hereditary 1oes of private ownership.
 The sensation was not wholly agree able. He had no training for it. All his gifts belonged on the other side of the social wall. There were few men who could draw quicker and shoot straighter than he could, and fewer still who could make compli- cated looks turn obediently. He could walk as noiselessly as alley cat, and possessed the same wiry strength and quickness. He knew where to sell jewels with mo queS- tions asked" None of these talents were of any special use to a tax payer.
 Kane had never posed as a Robin sentimentality in his professi on. Working always alone, suspected by | the police and by his underworld ri | vals alikeS nobody had anything on him, because he never talked shop, | even in his sleep, nor to pretty | woman. He might be caught with | the goods some day. but it would not be through a 'squeal-" He had | no old associations to break off. no pals to desert, but neither had he | any friends to go to.
 l A day tor two after the receipt of | the telegram which wrought such a change in his life, Kane paid visit l sioner Ryan.
 "Lo, Hermit" he greeted Kane | Come to have a heart to heart.'' Nothing like thati Had an idea | of making a little ante for the re- | lief fund.-
 "Cleaned up, huh?'' Thinking of retiring from business?"
 You said it, Nix on that clean up stuff, though. Suppose you heard about Ten-Carat Murphy cashing in ?'' "Yep. Damned sorry, too! Straight as they make 'em. Him and me | has sat in many a little game to- gether. He never dealt one off the bottom of the pock in his life.'' r well, he was my uncle and only | relative" explained the Hermit. And as he died right after he'd pick | ed the winners at New Orleans, I | happen to be pretty well heeled." | "You don't say so! Thought we had your record pretty complete, but | never knew you was any connection | of old T. c. Now, I s'pose, you're a | law-and-order guy, and look on us l from new angle, hey?"
 | "Uhuh. You get the idea, but I | thought I'd tip you off I'm through. | As I got only the friendiest Feelings | for you all, I thought I'd cnio in | two fifty to the fund; but since SoH | and my uncle was pals of a sort. I'll add as much for him, and call it five | hundred.''
 well, Hermit, we are sure obliged, | and we got nothing on you. You're
 
 I'm ready to say so at any time.'
 It seemed to MT. William Kane, retired, that never had so many promising prospects dazzled his eyes.
 One night in the little back room of Chug O'Hara's place, a bibu1ous Iowan displayed a stupefying roll every time he bought a round. Once he dropped the bundle on the floor. Kane, returned it, noting that it in cluded many yellow notes.
 Running down to Atlantic City for | a few days. Kane discovered a paIa- tia1 country villa Nclosed for g. few
 weeks. and entirely masked by its | high stone wall and 1uxuriant shrub bery. A week after his return to the city he read of a sixty-th ousand dol lar haul made there, and of the prompt arrest of the burglars, who
 had c1unsily neglected to wear cot. ton gloves
 He even picked up, right on Fifth Avenue, a sapphire bar pin worth al
 least five thousand, and promptly re.
 turned it in to Commissioner Ryan I thus sti1ling certain ignoble doubts
 in that hardened officials mind