Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-09-22

| IouCHeu shoulders with tn1S 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 a claim upon Clay
at the proper moment. He had m un-
happy feeling that the gang politician
had thrown him down in this. If SO,
what did that mean? Had Durand
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 all 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
Lets get out Of this hole" he said
to Lindsay In low voice. IT don't
like it."
Suits me-" agreed the other.
AS Bromfield was cashing his chips
Clay came rigidly 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 seen him. He did not look at them,
| but at his host. There was a question
| In his mind he wanted solved. The
clubman'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"
| apOlogized Clarendon. "a friend Of
mine told me about 1t. He's got a
queer fancy If he likes this frazzled
dive"
Clay acquitted Bromfield of con-
spiracy. He must have been tailed
here by Durand's men. His host had
nothing to do with It. What for?
They could not openly attack him.
"Slfm" 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, "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
Durandi 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. ALI 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 a door.
Brought up by the partition, Brom-
field was whimpering with fear as he
too CROPPED for a way Of escape. A
pale moon shone through the window
upon his evening clothes.
In the dim light Clay knew that
his automatic out.
1--we got you good" the chauffeur
snarled.
The gun cracked. Bromfield bleated
In frenzied terror as Clay dashed for
ward. A chair swung round In a
sweeping arc. AS 1t 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 a
star had twisted bis wrist and was
clinging to 1t. BromfieId 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 a chair. I seen
| him.
| There was a moment before Lindsay
answered quietly. "He shot twice.
The gun must be lying under him
where he fell"
Already men had crowded forward
to the scene of the tragedy, moved by
the. morbid curiosity crowd has In
such sights. Two policemen pushed
them back and turned the still body