The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-24


"Nope!" he said. "Nothin' doin'l
Dere's a back yard about four
inches square, but the buildin' be-
hind butts right up against It, an
dere ain't no lane. But youse can
get in de front door tonight
whether it's locked or not, for dere
ain't any street lamp near enough
to do youse any harm"
Good work." said Billy Kane.
He pushed his plate away from in
front Of him. 81 guess you'd better
beat II now, White"
White Jack, Of the lesser breed
of criminal. self-attached familiar
to the man he believed to be the
Rat and an aristocrat Of Crimeland
rose from his seat with evident re-
luctance. There was a sort OF dog.
like falthfulness and admiration in
his eyes, the same Difference in his
manner that seemed to mark the
dealings Of everyone in the under
world with the Rat; but the look
on White Jacks face was never
theless one Of undisguised disap.
pointment.
"Ain't I in on dis any more?" he
pleaded. Amt l got anything more
TO do?"
Yes" said Billy Kane. He low.
cred his voice. You've got more TO
do, and what win count for a lot
more than you've already done
keep your mouth shut tight" He
loaned across the table and his hand
closed in a friendly pressure on
the others arm. Take the night
on. Show up in the morning. Beat
It now, White"
White Jack left the place. The
waiter removed the dishes from
the table. Billy Kane leaned back
IN his chair and his eyes, the in
prospective stare back in their
depths, travelled slowly over his
surroundings. The tables, ranged
around the sides OF the room, were
DHt sparsely occupied: the polished
section of the floor in the centre
was deserted--it was too early for
the votaries of the bunny.hug end
the turkey-trot to start in on their
nlgntiy gyrations. Two-fnger Tas.
Aers was in state OF lethargy.
as IL were; few hours later il
would awake TO q riot Of hilaritv.
ana come into It's own with a surg
ing crowd and packed tables. but
II was too early for that vet.
billy hane's fingers slipped me.
chanically into his vest pocket. and
hidden there, mechanically began
10 tWlrl small. hard object. irreg.
ular in its shape. between their
Ups. His face hardened suddenly.
Inc touch Of that little object
stirred up in an instant a grim food
OF speculation. 1t was the ruhv
from the Ellsworth collection tbat
ne mad found on his return 10 the
RATS den last night. It worried
MIN How had It got there? Who
hsd put It there? And why? Above
ohiy few hours before, turning
uls purloined authority to accopnT
ne had set the underworld the task
OF tracing the Ellsworth collection
ana mysteriously there had an.
peared upon his table this single
stone, ostentatiously Identified Nv
piece cut from one of the orig
.nal plush trays in which the
stones had been kept. The bare
D,yoSslollty that 1t had been Red
ai'on, or some of his breed. who
Iau stumbled upon the stone in
'heir search through :hs pnder.
s,round exchanges, and had left II
mere as evidence OF q partial suc-
,ess for him to find on HIS return
iau , occurred to himY but a eau.
lous probing Of Red Vallon that
morning had put a final and en-.
'natic negative on that theory.
"hu, then? And why? II had
seemed Ike a CHASTITY jeer when he
lau seen that stone there on the
aoIe' and the prelude to some sin.
ster act that he could not foresee
nu against which therefore he
ould not prepare any defense. Did
know that he was not the
'at' that, desperate, with no other
ling TO do, he had snatched at the
ole rate had thrust out to him.
hd was playing it now?
Who, Them Not the Woman IN
'lack-her acceptance Of him as
ne Rat had been altogether too
enuine! Not the underworld
ven a suspicion there would have
cen followed by a knife thrust
ing before this, Not the actual
OF David Ellswortb's
lurder If they knew him TO he
lily kane-for their one aim had
cen to fasten the crime irreyoc.
oIy upon him, all their hellish In
anuity had been centred on that
ne object, and they would GER
Iinly, therefore, have lost no time
giving the police. In some round.
oout, guarded way, tip as TO his
entity. ~ 1''
HIS brain whirled with the nrob-
M and ached in an actual phvsI-
u sense. It had been aching 81
~ lie could minimize his peril
ne cared to make the wish father
the thought; he could exagge fate
IL seemed impossible that his
entity was known, but even SO.
e question as to where that stone
"a come from, and why, still re-.
AIMED unanswered. Was it. then