Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-20
CHAPTER XXI
pooItie Skaryan Pays His Account

RO0kIg BhHtNu" osb h'o Ah'evNht
u,uE little red trimmed eyes blinked
into the glare-it was the only color
,,ft in the white, Gabby face.--the red
inns Of the furtiye little eyes. Bookie
stsryan's fat hand lifted aud tngged
AZ his collar, as though the collar choked
him He fell back y step and his heel
crunched upon the telephone transmit.
,er. and mashed It. And then Bookie
skarvan licked his lips-and attempted
a smile. -, -,
7 can't see your face. Who--who are
you?" The sound Of his own voice,
husky and shaken as It was. seemed to
brng him q certain reinsurance. what
5o you want! Eb--what do you
vantf" he demanded.
Dave Henderson made no reply. II
,eemed as though his mind and soul
and body were engufed In some primal
savage ecstasy. Years swept their
lightning sequence through his brain
hours, With the prison walls and iron
bprs around him. in which be had prom
isod himself this moment, seemed to
iiyc their life and existence over again.
Uo said ns word: he made no sound
but with the 0ashlight still playing
= ;thout n flicker of movement upon the
o,har.. he felt, with the back of his re-
solver hand, over Rookie Skarvan s
rothing. located in one of the pockets
Rookie Skaryan's revolver, and. with
utter contempt for any move the man
might make through the opening thus
gircn him. hooked tho guard Of his own
rcrolver on the little finger OF the hand
fiat held the 6asbligbt, and uncere-
ronlously ierl,ed the other weapon out
from the pocket and tossed it to, the
I1r end Of the desk.
The flashllsht lifted then, and circled-
thc walls Of the room. Bookic Skar-
vans complaint had not gone unbecdcd.
Bookic Skarvan would have ample op:
rortunity to see whose face il was!
The fashlleht found and held on the
electric light switch. u was on the op-
posite wall behind Bookie Skarvan.
Dave Henderson showed the man rough
l. out Of the way, stepped quickly for
ward to the wall, switched on the
Highland swung around to fnce Bookie
Skarvan.
For an instant Bookie Skarvsn stood
there without movement, the little eyes
dlsting, the white face turning ashen
and gray, and then great beads of
sweat sprang out upon the forehead
and scream of abject terror pealed
through the room.
GO away - screamed Bookie Sbar-
van. Your re dead Go away! Go back
70 hell where you belong!" His hands
clawed out in front of him, DO You
hear? You're dcad--dead Go away
Curse you, damn you---go away!
Dave Henderson spoke through closed
teeth:
You ought to be satisfied then
Bookie. You've wanted me dead for
Quite Il while-for five years, haven't
you?"
There vac no answer.
Dave Henderson eyes automatically
7ept around the now lighted room.
Yes, that was Dago George there on
The floor near the bed. lying on the side
Of his face. with hideous cash across
his head The man was dead, of course
p be couldn't be anything else. But any
way, Daco George was as something
smart, an cntraneous thing. There was
only one thing in the world. one thing
that he'd mind and soul and body In
thrall of wild, scething, remorsn'eSs
pqsSlon--that maudlin, grovellng thing
there. whose clawlng hands had found
the end Of the desk. and who hung there
with curious limpues9, as though, be.
cause the knees sagged, the weight of
hi body was supported by hts arms
sloue-that thing whose lips, evidently
trying TO form words, jerked up aud
down like flaps Of tiesh from which all
nerve control had gone.
Maybe you didn't know that knew
y was YOU who were back Of that at.
terpt to murder RE that. nieht--tTe
years ago" Dave Henderson thrust the
FASH icht into his pocEet, end took a
ftep forward. We'll, you know it
now"
A sweat bead trickled down the fat,
working face-and lost itself in fold
Of flabby flesh.
NO" Bookie skarvan found his
b. whined. "It was Baldy."
Don't lie. | know" There vas
cold deadliness in Dave Henderson =
tones. Stand away from the desk a
1,tle SO that ! can get q look at that
telephone on the floor! ] don't want
any witness to what's going TO happen
here, and a telephone with the receiver
off"
MY Cod" Bookie Skarvan cried out
wildly. what are you going to do?'
Yes. ] guess it's out of commits
e!on. Dave Hendersons voice seemed
utterly detached; he seemed utterly to
sgrore the other for q moment, as he
looked at the broken instrument.
Bookie Skarvan, in an access OF fear,
mopped AT his wet face, and his little
red trimmed eyes. like the eyes of q
cornered rat. darted swift glances in
oil directions around the room.
Dave, do you hear" Bookie Skar-
vans voice rose thin and squcalipg.
'Why don't you answer? Do you
near What-what are you going TO
dof"
ITS queer, kind of queer, to find
you here, Bookie," said Dave Hcnder-
ton evenly, II guess there's a God
Rookie. How did you get here-from
Ban FrancIsco?"
Bookie Skarvan licked at his dry lips,
and covered back from the revolver
mat was suddenly outllung in Dave
denderSon,s hand.
= followed the girl thought
you'd opened up to the old man, and
he'd bumped you off with that bomb tC
set the stuff for himself. ! was sure
OF it when he died, and she boaN it for
here"
And tonight?" Dave Henderson's 5
voice was rnsping now.
I got the room opposite hers"
Hookie Skarvan gulped heavily; his