The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-17

in the rear OF the houses he had
just inspected from the front, and,
guardedly now. making his way
silently along, he again counted the
buildings that here in the darkness
loomed up like black, uncouth
shapes against tine sky line Ho
stopped in the rear of the fifth
house. Here and there a thread
of light showed from a window,
but 1t was a steathy light, tight
that played truant through the in
terstices of closed shutters. or
seeped perhaps through the folds
OF curtains hanging inadvertently
awry II was abnormally dark. and
IN the darkness there seemed TO
Turk a sombre secrecy, like pail,
Cioaking evil things.
Billy Kane swung himself up and
over high fence, and dropped
noiselesgly to the ground on tho
other side. He found himself in a
yard that, even in the darkness. he
could make out was strangely re.
stricted in area. A few feet in
front of him was the wall of the
building itself. He crept forward.
skirting along this wall. There
was no window, but opening almost
on a level with the ground were
9huttered French doors. He con.
tinued on, rounded tho angle OF the
building, and suddenly stopped
down in a crouching posture. There
was a window here Just above his
head, and from it came meager
CLEAN of light His eyes grown
accustomed to the darkness. he
could distinguish his surroundings
little more clearly now. The yard
here, Il narrow strip of it parallel.
Ing the side fence. seemed to
run back quite distance, taking
up a jut in the building. They
had puzzled him, those shuttered
French doors where logically he
had expected to find an ordinary
back door and porch, but it was
obvious now that the back room
at Jerry's' was an addition that
had been built onto the house. ex-
tending aimost>to the fence in the
rear.
The window beneath which ne
crouched was shoulder high. He
Strengthened up. The light came
through slightly parted, heavy por.
there's. He felt the blood quicken
suddenly in his veins. He could see
in quite well. There were two men
in the room-Karlin, and another
man whCm he did not recognize.
The room was luxuriously, il some
what gafishly furnished. A green
baize card table. with several un-
opened packs of cards upon il.
stood in the centre. There was A
blue-and-gold Chinese rug with
huge dragon pattern upon the flour.
and at one side a large bufLo,
groaned under a load of wine
ard whiskey bottles. bowls of fruit.
and refreshments of VARIOUS de.
scriptions. The two men xere talk
ing earnestly. Karlin pulled out
his watcl, and scowled.
Billy hdne's lips tightened. He
could sec, but he could not hear.
He took his penknife from his
pocket, and slipped the blade under
the window sill ii he had luck.
II the window was not locked. he
ahl--his breath came in a soft.
long-draTn intake It ne window
gave slightly under cautious pres
sure. An inch was all that was
necessary, half an inch even. The
window went up by infnitesimal
fractions of that inch.
Billy Kane returned the penknife
to his pocket. He could hear them
now. harlin was speaking; and
the other man, it appeared now.
was the proprietor of the place.
Jerry, the ex-croupier of Monte
Carlo.
What's the matter with you
Jerry-getting nervous waiting" ,"
said karlin cQrtly. Well. forget
IL! This is the Rats plan-and
that ought to be good enough
what? Nothing is going wrong,
nothing can go wrong Certainly.
the police will close YOU up for a
month, but that's all there Is to il
so far as you are concerned. They
have nothing on you. That's the IN.
SIDE or the whole thlug-that the
Killing ~ done in an unpremedita-
ted, drunken brawl over cards-thar
II lust nappened-just an untimeIv
end without any other strings 10
It! There's no reason why Won
should lose your nerve-your story
Is straight. Young Merxler came
here often. He gives little partv
here tonight. Neither you nor,yo
doorkeeIer knows damned one or
his guests. lie vouched for them
and that's all you know. You helrd
a row in here, then a revoI-
yer shot. and when you got here
the table was upset. wine. cards and
glasses an over the place. tha BOYS
beating II out through the French
doors there, and young Merxler
dead on the floor, You Just notify
the police. Your loss through he
ing CLOSED for a month makes II A
cinch your storys straight-vou
don't have to tell the police that
your share of the split Is the bos'
bet you ever made in your life! Lat
me do the worrying! I'm the one
who's taking the risk. I'm the ,ra
who's been showing seamy side
to Merxier in cohfilence laselv.
I'm the one who's invited him TO
the party that the police VIII! be
told he was giving You can leave
q