Evening star., 1923-08-06
CHAPTER VI.
Greg's Rival.

Greg's Rival
The nine hours had worked a great
change in Hickey Gone was the
dashing air; he dropped in every line
of his loose clothes. But he. was still
grinring. 1t was shamefaced. i'm
pudent and appealing grin that he
bent on Greg.
Hare yeh:" he said. siding toward
him.
Greg hardened himself against the
grin. BY God. you have a cheek"
said he.
Hickey jerked his head toward the
fiivver. What have you done with
YOU know--It?" he asked in a hoarse
whisper.
IT'S disposed Of" said Greg grimly.
And a good job. too said Hickey
with undisguised relief. Il knew you
had a head on YOU" he added pro-
pitiatingly.
70. you did, did you? You and |
have got a long account to settle. old
fellow"
"Aw, he nice" said Hickey cajol-
ingly. What have you got to grouse
about? You've got the fivver. haven't
you? I've got nothing"
'Where's the two hundred you got
from me-
Hickey blew into the empty air.
Gone. Just like that! I'm cleaned
out"
Booze"
No. Craps"
oh. I know I'm a fool" said Hickey
with kind of cheerful despair.
You don't have to tell me. Every
man has his own special kind of dam
foolishne&@. Mines the little bone
cubes" He snapped his fingers.
lone. YOU little iuply sebcn:'
You've got nerve to show your
self around here"
only place 1 had to come to-" said
Hickey simply. Besides somepin told
NUT, lI,>" nlc this with his inimita
BILE insinuating grin. Let me sleep
awhile III the tlA.Ner. will yeh" m
all in
In spite Of himself Greg began to
reient. IF you want to square your
self with me you've got to tell me
the truth about how you came by
that body" he said.
You didn't think l croaked the guy,
did you?" said Hickey
No. But / want to know all the
circumstances A lot has happened
since you unloaded it on me-
Amt got much to tell said
Hickey. II see by the papie last night
that the Allianca from Central Amer
lean ports was sighted off the Hook
o'clock. Well. when one of them lit
tie vessels docks at night it gives us
fellows show, see? for the swell
drivers won't come down town for it.
So l GOES to the pier and l draws two
of them dagoes; one was him that
threw in with the flivver. see? and
the other was small slender fella
with little black mustaChe. The old
guy couldn't speak no English: the
young fella talked for him. He told
me to take them to Jersey City by
the 23d street ferry. see?
'Well / drove IN Wect and nm 11tb
avenue and l was almost to the ferry
when hear a funny noise in the cab
behind me. scrabbling sort of sound
| looked around. and 1t looked to me
So L pulled up beside the curb and
opened the door. That was in front
of the Brevard House. where | met
up with you later
The old fella was hanging over
all limp-like with his hands hanging
10 the floor. and the young guy was
trying to pull him up. Say, that
young guy was scared. he was. He
was 80 scared he was green. He says
to me az well as he could for his
teeth chattering: My friend is took
sick. says he, real sick
We'll, l didn't need anybody to tell
me that. 1t seemed natural for the
fclla to be scared. l helped him boost
the old dago up on the seat comfort
able. Hold him up a minute says
the young guy, and I'll run in here
and asst where's the nearest doctor
guy
innocent as baby, / was. Oh
yes; soft as a rotten orange; soft
in the head ] stood there holding
the old fella up and the little slender
guy guy he scampered like a mouse into
the bar of the Brevard House. / soon
saw the old guy was all in. l waited
one minute. two minutes, / dunno, and
then 1t come to me like clap that
ID been sold. l pulled the old guys
legs out little SOS he wouldn't fall
over on his face. but then darned if
ne didn't slide out of the seat on his
back and crumple up on the floor
But l slammed the door on him and
run into the bar. asst the barkeep
walked through he says, went out
by the side door Say, I was sick,
We'll. that's all there is to it. 1t
give me such a nasty turn 1 lost me
nerve. l couldn't just bring myself
to go back to the f1ivver with that
pore old soft floppy corp in the back.
Him walking around on two legs as
good as myself, not a half hour be-
fore! stood there lappin' up
whiskeys and then you come in. we
have somebody to talk to! and one
thing led to another, and 1 had an
impulse to sell the whole outfit to
you and like a fool l. did. 1 had
ought to have carried the corp direct
to the station; they didn't have moth
ing on me. But 1 always was an
impulsive guy, 1t has been my ruin 80
Greg saw no reason to doubt any
part or this story; the details were
convincing; moreover they fitted with
what he already knew. Evidently
the actual murderer. de Socotra's 8
agent. had been thrown into a panic
by the cabman's unexpected discovery
or the crime. He had He'd. and thus
de Socotra's plans had been mo-
mentarily upset
CONTINUED in Tomorrow's Starr