Evening star., 1922-05-28

York with his back against
brownstone wall. On the other
side Of the wall was an all-night res
taurant. Its one southerly window
looked out upon a subway kiosk that
sucked in human beings as ceaseless-
ly as it's neighbor vomited them
forth. Creegan waited beside this
stream. casually eyeinE that many
tracked junction point of tumult.
There was something almost Olym-
plan in Creesan's calm indifference
as he lounged we'll back against the
wall, one hand holding q cadaverous
yellow cheroot. He seemed as leth-
argically Indifferent to the world and
it's ways as a MONDAY eagle lansuidly
circling in etheric silences.
But behind the tilted hat brim and
the sleepy eye lurked a wary and
active brain. His vigilance at heart
was acquiline. For CreeEan's con-
sciousness was screening" every hu-
man face that passed the corner
where he had posted himself. Every
face that approached him was silent
1y and promptly put on trial Those
that rang a little of were given a
second scrutiny: those that rang true
were let go on their way without fur
ther thought But every passer-by.
little as he dreamed it. was being
tested and examined.
TT was not until "Wally" Rykelt,
l.
down past the secondrate hotel on
the east side of the avenue that he
saw the plain Nothes man on guard
there. The effect of that discovery
was instantaneous. He swerved to
the left. siding adroitly in through
an open door of the hotel. Then,
sauntering through an inner room. he
passed quickly out into a corridor.
From this corridor he entered Sec
ond room. dining room full OF
tables. He passed on and escaped
through a side door. Then he sour
ried eastward to Lexington avenue.
doubling raSbit-like at 2sth street.
There he 1Ppped into the subway. He
came to the surface again at 18th
tiously approached Madison Square;
guardedly returned to the region
from which he had so recently fed
Yet Rykelt, since his release from
"up river" had made it a point to
carry himself with caution.
ANY one who knew "Wally" Rykelt
would have seen that it was be-
which had 50 far taken the razor
edge off his caution as to leave him
oblivious Of the ferrety little eyes of
Lefty Boyle. the stool pigeon. who
watched the ex-yegg take the seventh
bench from the mid-park fountain.
At the same time that Lefty Boyle
was quietly delivering his informa-
tfon to the immobile Creegan. Rykelt
was joined by second man.
He was in no way like Rykelt. The
latter was of grosser fiber and heav-
ier draught He was large-boned and
thickset. with big and rather fool
Unlocking blue eyes. His face held
no potentialities of mirth. but cum
ming and tenacity and an unreasoning
inscribed there.
TT was this ill-mated pair that came
together on the seventh bench. ap-
parently by accident. and sat there
side by side without a sign of recog-
milton. But in due time the bigger
and heavier man of the two arose
from his seat. yawned. stretched him
self. and sauntered lan&uidly toward
Broadway There he circled south
ward and disappeared around the
corner.
followed him. coughing rs he went.
From Broadway he shadowed the in
differently moving Rykelt eastward
along 21st street to I'd avenue. and
then northward again. Then. for the
second time that afternoon. he noise
1essly Joined him, this time at table
in the upstairs Darkroom of an un-
savory I'd avenue hotel. The room
was empty. At the thrust Of hand
through speak easy" followed by
q quiet word or, two. an aproned bar
tender nodded his bullet head and
closed the door. RykeIt crossed and
bo1ted 1t on the inside. Then he watt
ed at the "speak-easy" until two
glasses of real beer were thrust
through to him.
pFKELT suddenly thumped the
IN wooden table with his closed fist.
"Skeeter." he said. "rve got a haul
ahead of US that'll make your head
swim
skeeter Graden finished his At of
coughing. A four-year term in
Joliet had left his tuberculous little
body more like the husk Of a mummy
than 4 living. breathing being.
"wer?" he said, at last, with
pale and scholarly hand as Rykelt's
paw thrust sheet from a Sunday
newspaper out toward him.
Look over that" said the big man.
He leaned back and watched the
other over the brim Of his up poised
beer glass. 1t was plain to see- that
ne held the smaller man in much
respect.
ia rather you'd tell me-" was
skseter's languid reply.
well. here's the whole business in
. nutshell" Rykelt spread the paper
nat on the table. you see that i'm
posing looking building with the sew