Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-23

At the end of tho block the car ahead
turned the corner. As the taxi, in turn.
rounded the corner John bruce saw
that the travelling Nawnshop was drawn
nr before small building that was
restcd in between two tcnemcnts. The
blood quickoncd in his pulse. The gir'
had Giiyhted. and was entering the
small building.
Hit it no little 80 the next cor
rner. turn it aud let me off there, d.
rcctcd John Bruce.
II got you :" said the chauffeur.
The taxi swept past the car at the
curb. Another minute and it hai
swung the next corner. and was slow
ing down. John Bruce jumped to the
ground before tho taxi stopped.
Good light" he called to the
chauffeur.
lie waived his hand dcbonairly at
the scowlins whiskered visage that was
watching him from the interior Of the
cab, and hurrledly retraccd his way
Lack around the corner.
The travelling pawrshop had turned
and was driving away. John Bruce
moderated his pace and sauntercd on
along the street. He smiled half grim
Is, half contCrtedly to himself. The
farther atield than Monsieur Henri de
Lavcrgne had perhaps counted on
or than he. John Bruce. himself bad.
either But he knew now where the
most glorious woman he had ever seen
IN hts life lived, or, Mt least. was {"
be found again. No. it wasn't the
moon. To him. she was exactly that.
And be had not seen her for the last
time, either, That wn1 what lie was
here for, though lie wasn't 50 mad as
70 risk, or, rather, invite IN anront to
begin with ty so bald an act as to 60
to the front door, say, and ring the bell
which would be tantamount TO in
forming her that he had--cr-played
the detective from the moment he had
left her in the car. Tomorrow. per-
haps. or the ncNt day, or whenever
fate saw fit to be- in II kindly mood. n
! meeting that possessed all the hall
marks OF being quite inadvcrtent offered
him high hopes. Later, if fate still!
were kind, he would tell her that he
lad followed her, and what she would
be thoroughly justified in misconstruinG
now. she might then accept as the trib.
ute to her that he meant it to be
when she knew him better.
John Bruce was whstling softly t.
himself.
He was passing tie house now, his
scrutiny none the less exhaustive be.
cause it was apparently casual. l,
was n curious little two-s story pla,C
tucked away between the two thanking
! tepcmcnts, the further one Of which
alone separated the house from the corr
rer he was approaching. Not a light
showed from The front Of the house
cS, IL was quite curious place. Al
though curtains were on the lower front
windows. indicating that il was purely
n dwelling, lhe windows themselves
were of abnormal size, "a though. origi
nally perhaps. tue ground floor haC
once been a shop Of some kind.
John Bruce turned the corner, ant
from n comparatively deserted stree,
found himself among the wonders push
carts and the sputtcring gasoline
torches again. He skirted the sido o.
Tho tenement that made the corner
discovered the fact that lane cut il
from the street and ran past the req,
of the tenement, which he mental,
noted must likewise run past the rea'
OF the little house that was now 81
vitnlly Interesting TO him-and haltec
on the opposite side of the lane to sur
iScy his surroundings.
Here dirty and uninviting cafe at
tracted his attention, which, II its ding.
sign were to be believed. was run by on
Palasco Ratti gentleman of parts il
the choice Of wines which he Offered
10 his patrons. John Bruce surveye
PalaSco Ratti's potential clientele--th
street was full Of it the shawled women
The dark -visaged, earringcd men. II
. smiled a little to himself. No-prob
ably not the half naked children VIII
sprawIed in the gutter and Crawle
among the push carts Wheels. HOy
was it that she should ever have com
to live In n ncighborhood 70 which iii
designation foreign as far MS she wa
concerned, must certainly apply in par
ti"ularly full measure: 1t was strang
John Bruce's mental soliloquy cam
70 an abrupt end, Half humorously
half grtmly his eyes were r!vetcd on tn
push cart at the curb directly opposit
to him, the proprietor of which dealt j
that brand of confeCtion 80 much j
. favor on the East Side-a great sla
of candy from which, as occasion re
quired. he cut slices with lnrge cary
ing knife. \ brown and grimy fist he
longing 10 n tot Of a girl Of perhap
eight or nine years Of age, who had crer
in under the push-cart, was stealthil
feeling its way upward behind the ven
dor's back, its objective being, OBJ
viously, generous piece of candy thu
reposed on the edge OF the push cart
There was certain fascination !
watching developments. 1t was quit
immoral, of course, but his sympathie
were with the child. It was a gambl
whether the grimy little hand woul
close on the coveted prize and disappea
again victorious, or whether the vende
! would turn in time TO Illustrate tn
raid.
The tots hand Crept nearer and near
er !ts goal, No one, save himself (
, the many about, appeared 10 notice th
: little cameo of primal instinct that WI
on exhibition before them. The sma
3 and dirty fingers touched the candy
! closed on it, and were withdrawn--bu
were withdrawn too quickly. Th
child, Mt the psychological momen
' under stress of excitement, eagernes
and probably wildly humping hear,
; had failed in fnesse. Perhaps the pape
, that covered the surface Of the push
cart and on which the wares were dis
played ratified; perhaps the sudds
, movement in itself attracted the ven
der's attention The man whirled an
made vicious dive for the child as sh
, darted out from between the wheels
G And then she screamed The man ba
hit her brutal rlout across the hcaL
: John Bruce Strengthened suddenly
, duh red creeping from his set jaw I
) his checks. Still clutChing the cand
) in her hand. the child was runnin
blindly and in terror straight towar
l.