Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-05
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eh? You have not forgotten that2
Well, 1 will pay well again. Iisteni /
am sure that the man who was killed
with the bomb in the park last night
was q prison bird by the name of Dave
Henderson and l told the police 30.
But It Is always possible that / have
made a mistake. j do not think So
but il is always possible-eh? Well,
I must know, Little Peter. The police
will investigate further, and so will
Badly Yickers' gang--they had It in for
the fellow. You are a clever little
devil, Little Peter. Find out IL the
would indicate ! am wrong, and do the
same with Badly Vickers' gang. You
know them all, don't you?'
The wizened little rat grinncd.
'Suren' he said, out of the corner
of his mouth. "Youse can leave It to
me, Nicolo. I'm wisc.'
Nicolo Capriano patted the others
arm approvingly, and smiled the man
"You have the whole day before you,
Little Peter" he said. Il am in no
hurry"
>Once more Nicolo Capriano lay back
on his pillows, and closed his eyes, and
once more the guileless smile lowered
over his lips.
At intervals through the day he mur-
INJURED and communed with himself, and
sometimes his cackling laugh brought
Teresa to the door; but for the most
part he lay there through the hours
with the placid, cunning patience that
the school Of long experience had
brought him.
It was dusk when Little Peter stood
ut the bedside again.
''Youse called de turn, Nicolo," he
said. "Dat was de guy, all right. l
got next to some of de fy-cops, an
dey amt got no doubt about it. Dey
handed it out to de reporters. He
Tipped newspaper that he was carry
ing onto the bed. "Youse can read it
for yerself. An dc gang sizes it up de
same, way. pulled de window stunt on
EN- down at MorrisseY's about an hour
ago. Dey was all dere-Baldy. an
Runty Mott, an all de rest--an' an
other guy, too. Say, didn't know dat
I,ookie Skarvan pulled in wild dat mob.
Dry was tightin' like a lot of stray
cats, an dey was sore as pups. all
blamin' de other one for losin' dc
money. DE only guy in dc lot dat kept
his head was Bookie.
''He sat dcre chewin' a big fat
cigar, an wigglin' it from one corner
Of his mouth to dc other, an he handed
'em some talk. He give 'em hell for
mussin' everything up. Say, Nicolo,
take 1t from me, yousc want to keep yer
eye peeled for him. lie says to de
crowd: its cinch dat Dave Hender-
sons dead, thanks to de damned mess
youse have made Of everything, he
says; AN it's cinch dat Capriano's
story In de paper is straight--it's too
n n ha t1y cly
But if Dave Henderson told old Ca
priano dat much, he may have told him
more-see? Old Capriano's a willy
bird, an wild hundred thousand In
sight de old Dago wouldn't be asleep.
Anyway, it's our last chancc-dat Ca
priano got dc hidin' place out of Dave
Henderson. But here's where de rest
Of youse keeps yer mitts off. If it's dc
last chance I'll see dat 1t amt gummed
up. ill take care Of Capriano my
Little Peter circled his lips with his
tongue, as Nicolo Capriano extracted n
banknotc Of generous denomination from
under his pillow, and handed it TO the
other.
VERY good, Little Peter" he said
softly. "Ycs, yes-very good. But
YOU have already forgotten it all-ch I?
Is 1t not so, little Pctery'
Sure" said Little Peter earnestly.
"Sure--youse can bet yer life have"
"Good-by, then. Little Peter" said
Nicolo Capriano softly again.
lie stared for long while at the
door, as it closed behind the other
stared and smiled curiously. and pluckcd
with his fingers at the coverlct.
And so they would watch old bed
ridden Nicolo, would they-whilc NicoIo
Ches-eh--somcwher elscn' he
muttered. 'Ha, ha! SO they will
watch old Nicolo--will they? Well,
well. let them watch-ch:" lie looked
around the room. and raised himself up
in bed. lie began to rock to ana fro.
A red tinge crept into his checks, n
glcam of fire lighted up the coal black
eyes, "Nicolo, Nicolo." he whispered
to himself. ''it is like the old days back
again. Nicolo--and it Is like the old
wine TO make the blood run quick in the
veins again
TO pc continued tomorrow