Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-18
CHAPTER NIN
Hall an Ally

'''',' uusS HiNl .WNPn, wounded,
lie had fed from the police. the five
years Of prison torment which he Mad
endured. seemed TO pass with lightning
swiitncss in review before him--and 10
mock him.. and TO become Il ghasty
travcsty. The money was gone
: lho pillagcd dress suit case seemed
to lccr and mock at him. too. He might
have saved himself that little debate
which he had not settled. and which
was based upon certain element Of
ethics that involved the suggestion Of
charity. 1t was settled for him now
He owed Millman now $1,000 only
the choice as TO whether he would pay
II or not was no longer his. and
Damn it. The money was gone
Could he not grasp that one. single,
concrete. vital fact. and oct upon it,
without standing here. with his BRAIN
like some hapless yokcl's. acog and
maundering? The money was gone
Cone Where? When? How? II.
could only have been asleep for short
time, surely. lie wrenched his watch
suddenly from his pocket, Three o'clock !.
1t was 3 O'Clock in the morning!
Five hours! He had been asleep five
hours. then He must have slept very
aoundly that any one could have entered
the room without arousing him.
His lips hardened. He was alert
enough now, both mentally and physi-
cally. Hc stepped over to the door.
1t was still locked, His eyes swept
around the room. The window, then
What about the window:
TIc felt suddenly for his money belt
beneath his Undertaking, as he started
across the room. The belt was there
That, Mt least, wos safe. A twisted
smile came to his lips. Naturally. Ills
brain was exhibiting somc glimmer Of
sense and cohesion now. II was evident
enough that no ono. since no ono know
anything about it. had been specifically
after that package. Of banknOtcs. It
could only have been the work Of a
sneak thef-who had probably stumbled
upon the greatest stroke OF luck in his
whole abandoned career. IT was un-
doubtedly a quarter Of the city wherein
sneak thieves were bred The man
would obviously not have been fool
enough. with fortune already in his
possession, to have risked the .frisking
Of his. Dave Henderson's, sleeping per.
son! Was the man, then, an inmate of
the Iron Tavern, says. that greasy
waiter, for instance; or had he gained
entrance from outside: or since the theft
might have taken place hours ago. was
ii a predatory harCer-on Gt the bar
who had sneaked his way upstairs,
and T.
The window. too. was locked 1t was
queer. Both window and door locked
How had the man got in-and got out
again?
Mechanically, he unlocked and raised
the window-and with a quick jerk Of
his body forward leaned out eNcitedly.
Was this the, answer-this platform OF
n fire escape that ran between his win
dow and the next? But his window had
been locked. .o,
lie stood there hcsitaut, Should he
arouse Dago George? lie could depend
uron and trust Dago George, thanks to
Eicolo Cnpriano: but to go to Dhgo
George meant that condolences must be
led IN to which he desired to give TO
no man. His brain seemed suddenly TO
became frantic. The money was gone
his. or MillmNn's. or the devil - u
didn't matter which now-thr money
wus zone, swallowed up in the black
Of that night out there, without clue
th,t offered him n suggestion even on
whIch 70 act. But he couldn't stand here
inactive like q fool. could he! Nor
his brain jccred at him now--could he
,,n' ont md prowl around the city streets,
and 0sk each pasScr-by If he or she mad
secn n packnso Of banknotes whose sum
wos one hundred thousand dollars,
Nhot else was there, then, to do, eX-
cent TO arouse Dago George! Dagoo
Cnnrye from what Nicolo Capriano had
snid would have many strings to pull
underground strings. That WAS it-un-
Gcrpround strings. 1t wasn't police
job. .,.1, +ooL
Stru back across the room ana halted
urain abruptly. What was that! 1t came
ogoin-a faint, low, rustllng sound ana
If seemed to come from the direction
OF the fire escape ,Ii,
JoM hrt this time he crouched down
"t Tho sin. \ second passed while he
iiytnnod and from the edge of the sash
,troined his eyes ont into the darkness,
md thcn his hand crept into his side
,,nnkot and came out with his revolver
Some one. n dark form. blaCker than
tho night shadows out 'here, was crawl
ING from the next window to the mr."
Dave Henderson lips thinncd. Just
q sorond more until that "some one :
wos halfway out and halfway in, and
M II disadvantage and-now
, With a spring 1.-THE and quick as
cot Dave Henderson was through inc
window. and the dark form was wrig
cling and sQuirming in his grasp, and
n low cry cnmc--and Dave Henderson
Syorr sharply under his breath.
II wns fl woman. a woman We'll,
thot didn't natter One hundred thou
sand dollars was gone from his dress
nuit case, ard this woman was crawl
inp to the fire escape from the next
rnHm M , o'clock in the mOrning-that
wnS what mattcred
They were on the iron platform now
and he pushed her none too gently along
II award the window of his own room
into the light. And then his hands
dronpcd from her as though suddenly
hnrrrt If power. and rs suddenly hItrd
nynin and almost fierce in their IN.
tEmsity grlppcd at her shoulders, ana
forced her face more fully into the light
"Tercsa =" he whispered hoarSeIS'
"You-TCrCSa
She was trying to smile, but 1t wa-
tremnlous effort. The great, dark eyes,
ont of face that was ivory white;
lifted TO his and faltered, and droppel
again. ,. ,.,u H.,
"lt's you. TCrCSa--isnt IT, Ills
voice. his face, his eyes, were full OF m
crcdulous wonder.
Ijer Inns were still Quivering in their
smile, She nodded her head in q sort
of quaint, wistful way.
The blood was pounding and surgns
In his veins. Teresa Teresa was here,
standing here before him Not that
t',as, ,,icturo that had come TO him