St. Tammany farmer., 1922-09-02
CHAPTER V
Tho Masquer Unmasks.

In New Orleans one may find pen
sions in the old quarter-the quarter
which is still instinct with the pulse
Of oid-world life. These pensions do
hot advertise The average tourist
knows nothing of them. Even II he
knew, indeed, he might have some
/ difficulty In obtaining accommod ations
for 1t Is not nearly enough to have
the money; one must also have the In.
Productions, come well recommended
and be under the tongue Of good re
pute.
Gramont had obtained small apart.
ment en- pension-a quiet and severely
retired house in Burgundy street,
maintained by very proud old lady
whose ancestors had come out OF
Canada with the Sieur d'1berville.
Here Gramont lived with Hammond,
quite on basis Of equality, and they
were very comfortable.
The two men sat smoking their pipes
before the fireplace, In which blazed q
small fre-more for good cheer than
through necessity. It was Sunday
evening.
Gramont stared into the Pickering
dre and sucked at his pipe. Suddenly
he reused himself and shot glance
at Hammond.
Sergeant! You seem to have a
pretty good recollection Of that night
at the Lavergne house. when I found
you entering and jumped on you"
"You bet I havel" Hammond
cffuckled. "When you'd knocked the
goggles off me and we recognized each
other-h-l! felt like boob"
Gramont smiled. "How many places
had you robbed up to then? Three,
wasn't it1'
'Three is right cap'n." was the un-
ashamed response.
1--WE haven't referred to it very Of
ten, but now things have happened"
Gramont's face took on harsh lines Of
determination. DO you know, it was
a lucky thing that you had no chance
to dispose Of the jewels and money
you obtained?"
mo chance7" snorted the other. '.No
chance is right, cap'n! And l was
sore, too. Say, they got a ring Of
crooks around this town you couldn't
bust into with grenades! Listen here,
and I'll tell you something big"
Hammond leaned forward, lowered
his voice, and tamped at his pipe.
when l was young fellow lived
in little town up north-I amt say
in where. My old man had livery
stable there, see? Wen, one night q.
guy come along and got the old man
out Of bed, and slips him fifteen hun.
dred for Il rig and team, see? l.
drove the guy ten miles through the
hills, and set him on road he wanted
to find.
"Now, that guy was the biggest
crook in, the country in them days
still is guess. He was ON the dead
run that night, to keep out o Leaven-
worth. He KEEP out, all right, and he's
settin' In the game to this minute, No
body never pinched him yet, and never
WILL"
"Why?"
Because his gang runs back to
politicians and rich guys all over the
country. You ask anybody on the in
side If they ever heard Of Memphis
Izzy Gumberts! Well, cap'n, I seen
that very identical guy on the street
the other dny-1 never could forget his
ugly mug! And where he is. no out
side crooks can get in, you believe
mev'
"FIm! Memphis Izzy Gumberts, eh1
What kind of crook is he, sergeantr
'sThe big kind. You remember them
Chicago lotteries? But you don't, o.
course. Well, that's his game-lot-
teries and such like
Gramont's lips clenched for. min
ute then he spoke with slow distinct
ness:
Sergeant, I'd have given FIVE hum
drcd dollars for that information q
week ago!"
"Why?" Gramont shook his head. |
'Neyer mind. Forget it Now, this
stunt of yours was clever. You showed
brains when you got yourself up as an
aviator and pulled that stuff, ser
geant. But you handled 1t bruta1ly-
terribly brutality"
...5. -. .>aa !