The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-14
THE WHITE MOLL"
 FRANK l.. PACKARD Appearing every day in serial form in the Magazine Section of The Times
FRANK l.. PACKARD

ting away from these two men here ? And suppose she did get away, and found some means of communicating g with the authorities, it would be Pinkie Bonn here, and the Pug, who would fall into the meshes of the law quite as much as would French Pete and Marry Day; and to have Pinkie and the Pug apprehended now, just as they seemed to be opening the gateway for her into the inner se- crets of the gang. meant ruin to her own hopes and plans. And to re- fuse to go on with them now. as one of them would certainly excite their suspicfons-and suspicion of Gypsy Nan was the end of everything for her.
 Her hand, under her shawl, clench- ed until the nails bit into her palms. Couldn't she do anything? And there was the money, too. for those two old people Wasn't there any
 - She caught her breath. Yes, yes! Perhaps there was a way to save the money; yes, and at the same time to place herself on a ffrmer foot ing of intimacy with these two men here-if she went on with this. But - She shook her head She could not afford ''buts'' now; they must take care of themselves afterwards. She would play Gypsy Nan now with out reservation. These two men here, like Shlul1er, were obviously ig- norant that Gypsy Nan was Danglar's wife; so she vas
 Pfnkie Bonn's hand was on her arm. She had stumbled.
 Look out for yourself," he cau- toned under his breath Don't make a sound!'
 They had drawn into a very dark and narrow areaway between two buildings, and now Pfnkie kept his touch upon her as he led the way along. What was this 'tCharIie's"? :? She did not know, except that, from what had been said, it was a drug dive of some kind, patronized exten- sfvely by the denizens of the under world. She did not know where she was now, save that she had suddenly left one of the out-of-the-way East Side streets.
 Pfnkfe halted suddenly, and, bend- ing down, lifted up what was evident ly half section of the folding trap door to a cellar entrance.
 There's only a few of us regulars wise to this" whispered Pin1ie. Watch yourselfI
 There's five steps. Count 'em, so you won't trip. Keep hold of me all the way. An nix on the noise, or we won't get away with it inside. Leave the trap open, Pug, for our getaway. We ain't goin' to be long Come on!'
 It was horribly dark. Rhoda Gray, with her hand on Pinkie Bonn's shoulder, descended the five steps. She felt the Pug keeping touch be- hind by holding the corner of her shawl. They went forward softly, slowly, stealthily. She felt her knees shake a little, and suddenly panic seized her, and she wanted to scream out. What was she doing? Where was she going? Was she mad, that she had venturcd into this traps Of blackness? Blackness! It was hide ously black. She looked behind her. She could not see the Pug, close as he was to her; and dark as she had thought 1t outside there at the cellar entrance. it appeared by contrast to have been light, for she could even distinguish now the opening through which they had come.
 They were in a cellar that was damp underfoot. and the soft earth deadened all sound as they walked upon it-and they seemed to be walk ing on interminaly. It was too far much too far She felt her nerve failing her. She looked behind her again. That opening. still discernible to her straining eyes. beckoned her,
 Pinkie had halted again. She bumped into him. And then she felt his lips prcss against her ear
 Here we are!" he breathed. They got the end room on the right, so's they could get in an out without bein' seen, an sos even Charlie d swear they was here all the time. You're toe old a bird to fall down. Nan. If the doors locked. knock-an' give 'em any old kind of . song an dance till you gets 'em off their guard. The Pug an me II see you through. Go to iti''
 Before Rhoda Gray could reply, Pinkie had stepped suddenly to one side. A door in front of her, a slid sng door 1t seemed to be opened noise lessly. and she could a faintIy lighted. narrow and very short pas sage ahead of her. It appeared to make a right-angled turn just few yards in, and what light there was seemed to filter fin from around the corner. And on each side of the passage, before 1t made the turn, there was a door, and from the one on the right, through a cracked panel, a tiny thread of light seeped out.
 Her lips moved silently. After all. it was not so perilous. Nobody would be hurt Pinkie and the Pug would cover those two men in there-and take the money-and run for it. and
 The Pug gave here an encourages push from behind.
 She moved forward mecha nically There were many sounds now, but they came untitled and indeterminate from around that corner ahcad-all save a low murmuring of voices from the door with the cracked panel on the right.
 Gro Be Continued)
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