The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-06-17

soht BIZ WILTON rlaeleod Rome

| L
last night I went straight to her. she
wouldn't throw down Slim Jim, but
she gave me an address. went there
and met Durand."
with his gangf' asked Tim.
mo; I waited till they had gone.
locked myself in a room alone with
him. He took eight shots at me In the
dark and then we mixed"
| "You bate him! l can see it in your
eye" cried Muldoon. pounding the
table so that the dishes jumped.
! you'll have to ask him about that"
Clay passed to more important facts.
"When I reached home Kitty was
there. They had dropped her in the
park to make safe getaway
That's good"
but Tim-when Annie Millikan
gave me the address where Jerry Du-
rand was, the driver of my taxi saw
her. The man was Slim Jim.'
Muldoon sat up, serious look on
his face. MAN, yuh split the beans
that time. How'd you ever come to
do it? They'll take it out on Annie,
the dogs" The eyes of the policeman
blazed.
"Unless we stand by her. First
we've got to get her away from there
to some decent place where she'll be
safe"
Mrs. NIuldoon spoke up. "And
that's easy. She'll just take our spare
bedroom and welcome. Sure the girl
needs mother and home. An I
don't doubt that she'll pay her way"
"Then that's settled. Will you see
, Annie, Tim? Or shall ~
well both see her. But there's
another thing. VIII she be safe
here?"
I'm goin' to have talk with Slim
Jim and try to throw scare into him.
I'll report to you what he says"
They took trolley to the lodging
house where Annie lived.
The girl looked pale and tired. Clay
guessed she had slept little. The men,
DRY of "Slim'' Jim's snarling face had
stood out in the darkness at the foot
.. of her bed.
"Is this pinch?" she asked Tim,-
with pert little tilt to her chin.
"Yuh can call it that, Annie. Moth
er wants yuh to come and stay with
US. You're not safe here. That gang
will make yuh pay somehow for what
yuh did"
"And If your mother took me in
they'd make her pay. You'd maybe
lose your job"
I'D find another. I'm thinkin' of
| Quittin', anyhow"
Il don't think they'd get Tim," put
in Clay. "I'm goin' to see Collins and
have a talk with him."
"You can't salve Jim with soft
soap."
Ibid I mention soft soap?"
II heard some one most killed Jerry
Durand last night" said Annie abrupt
ly, staring at Lindsay's bruised face.
"Was it your
| "Yes," said the ArlZOnan simply.
Did you get. the grip"
"They dropped her to save them
selves. My friend found her with a
man and took her from him."
II hope you did up Jerry right ]"
cried Annie, a vindictive flash In her
dark eyes.
II haven't called him up this mon.
in to see how he's feelin'," said Clay
whimslcally. miss Annie, we're wor-
ried some about you. Mrs. Muldoon
Is right anxious for us to get you to
come and stay awhile with her. She's
hOnin' to have li'r girl to mother.
Don't you reckon you can go?"
IL wish yuhd come, Annie"
blurted out Tim, looking down his
nose.
"rm an alley cat you're offerin' to
take in and feed, Tim Muldoon," she
charged suspiciously.
"Yuhre the gIrl-my mother loves"
He choked on the impulsive avowal he
had almost made and finished the SEN
tence awkwardly.
The girls face softened. Inside.
she was a river of tenderness flowing
toward the Irishman. I'll 60 to your
mother. Tim, If she really wants me-"
she said almost in murmur.
You're shoutin' now, Miss Annie" y,
said Clay, smiling. "She sure wants
you. III hit the trail to have that talk
with Jim Collins" ..,,y II.
He found "Slim" Jim ut, his stand.
That flashily dressed young crook eyed
him with a logged and wary defiance.
He had just come from a call at the
bedside of Jerry ,Durand and he felt
u healthy respect for the man who
could DO what, this housekeeping
young fellow had done to the cham
pion rough-houser, of New York. The
story Jerry had told was Of an assault
from behind with club, but this Col
I Inns did not accept ut par. There were
too many bruises on his sides and cuts
on his face to be accounted for in any
way except by a hard >toe-to-toe fight.
"Mo'nin', Mr.. Collins. left you in
a hurry last night and forgot to pay
my bill. What's the damage?' asked
Clay in his gently irOnic drawl.
"Sliu" Jim growled something the
meaning Of which was drowned in an
.-------=-,-- =, ~,-- -"