Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-06-16

change for protection from prosecu
ton.
After breakfast Durand went to the
Tombs, where Clay had been trans
ferred at daybreak.
''You needn't bring the fellow here
he told the warden. "Ill go right to
his cage and see him. l wantta have
a talk with him."
Between two guards Clay climbed
the iron steps to an upper tier of cages
at the Tombs. He was put into q cell
which held two beds, M above the
other, as in the cabin of an ocean liner.
By the side of the hunks was a narrow
space just long enough for a man to
take two steps in the same direction.
An unshaven head was lifted in the
lower bunk to see why the sleep of its
owner was being disturbed.
"Tve brought you a cell mate, Shiny"
explained one Of the guards. you
want to be civil to him He's Just
croaked a friend of yours"
For de love O. Gawd. Who did he
croak?"
"'Slim' Jim Collins. Cracked him
n on the bean and that vas a-plenty.
Hope you'll enjoy each others society,
gents" The guard closed the door and
departed.
SIS that right? Did youse do up
Slim or was he kiddin' me?"
81 don't reckon We'll discuss that
subject" said Clay blandly, but with a
note of finality in his voice.
mo offense, boss. It's an honor to
have so distinguished a gent for a cell
pal. For that matter I amt no cheap
rat myself. Dey pinched me for shown
de queer. I'd ought to get fifteen
years." he said proudly.
This drew a grin from Lindsay,
though not exactly a merry IF
you're anxious for a long term you can
have some of mine," he told the coun-
terfeiter.
Maybe you'll go up Salt creek"
said Shiny hopefully.
Afraid the allusion might not be IN
derstood, he thoughtfully explained
that this was the underworld term for
the electric chair.
Clay made no further comment. He
found the theme a gruesome one.
anyhow, I'm glad dey didn't put no
holster nor da~mper-getter wit me. I'm
partickler who l meet. De whole pro-
flesh is gettin' run down at de heel.
I'm dead sick of rats who can't do
nothin' but lift pokes," concluded the
occupant of the lower berth with dis
gust.
Though Clay's nerves were of the
best he did very little sleeping thar
night. He was in a grave situation.
Even if he had a fair field his plight
would be serious enough. But he
guessed that during the long hours of
darkness Durand was busy weaving a
net of false evidence from which he
could scarcely disentangle himself.
Unless Bromfield came forward at
once as a witness for him, his case
would be hopeless-and Clay suspected
that the clubman would prove only a
broken reed as a support. The fellow
was selfish to the core. He had not,
in the telling western phrase, the CUTS
to go through. He would take the line
of least resistance.
Beatrice was in his thoughts q great
deal. What would she think of him
when the news came that he was a
murderer, caught by the police in a
den of vice where he had no business
to be? Some deep instinct of his soul
told him that she would brush through
the evidence to the essential truth. She
had failed him once. She would never
do it again. He felt sure of that.
The gray morning broke, and brought
with it the steaming smell of prison
cooking, the sounds of the Gagged I'M
derworld, the sense of life all around
him dwarfed and warped t. twisted
moral purposes. A warden came with
breakfast-a lukewarm, muddy liquid
he called coffee and a stew in which
potatoes and bits of fat beef bobbed
like life buoys-and Clay ate heartily
while his cellmate favored him, be-
tween gulps, with a monologue on
ethics, politics, and the state of society,
as these related especially to Shiny the
Shower. Lindsay vas given to under
stand that the whole world was ION de
spud," but the big crooks had fixed the
laws so that they could wear diamonds
instead of stripes.
Presently a guard climbed the iron
stairway with a visitor and led the way
along the deck outside the tier of cells
where Clay had been put.
Hes in seventy-four, Mr.. Durand,'
the man said as he approached. "I1l
have to beat it. Come back to the Of
fee when you're ready"
The ex-pugilist had come to gloat
ove him. Clay knew it at once. His
pupils narrowed.
He was lying on the bed, his supple
body stretched at graceful ease. Not