Evening star., 1923-01-28

just then. Anyway. he started to-
ward group OF men who were jab-
bsring together near the stage They
scattered like so many crap shooters
whom q cop comes charging at them.
Moran stopped. stared after them. and
then moved toward another bunch,
with the same effect. The next /
knew he'd made a quick plunge and
grabbed one by the neck.
The unlucky Armenian who had
been caught was a poddy, whiskered
party who wore a frock coat that
was fairly pIastere4 with badges and
thInga Evidently he was some one
"special"-a grand high muck a
muck or something. For the kissing
died out in a long gasp. Then. came
silence. I could almost hear what
Moran was growing through his
false beard.
But that was the final stroke. When
1t came to seeing their grand officer,
or whatever he was, shaken by a
rank outsider, they got together.
There was a rush from every part
of the hall; a regular avalanche of
men In swallowtails and dinner
coats, some with badges and some
without, but all with wild, desperate
looks in their eyes.
0F course, Mr.. Moran must have
" been taken by surprise. Having
been so thoroughly avoided at frNt.
he could hardly have been prepared
for this sudden outburst OF attention.
Almost before he knew what was up
he was the exact center of what the
weather bureau would call a local
disturbance OF high intensity. They
were coming at him from every quar-
ter, and coming on the Jump. The
air around him was full Of fists and
clawingS' fingers. They were trying
to grab him to pull the poddy per-
sonage away.
And / must say for Al Moran that
he tried to satisfy all present. II 1t
was a row they were looking for. he
didn't want to disappoint any one.
He may have been some surprised
to fnd so many who had developed
a sudden ambition to mix things
with him, but IL he was he didn't
allow that to cramp his style any.
without waiting for a gong. or for
any one to drop a handkerchief. he
went to 1t. I couldn't help but ad-
mire the free and easy way he went
to work. Dropping his first choice,
the old one with the many badges,
he grabbed the two right in front
of him, banged their heads together
impetuous and showed them away.
Then, whirIing into the clearer space
for elbow room. he began to shoot
out those big, ham-like fists Of his
with accurate vigor. 1t seemed as
II every punch went Just where 1t
was aimed. Biff! And down went q
rescuer. Bin! And another hit the
floor. Then he stopped a second to
shake two attackers from his broad
shoulders. More biffs! Now three of
them had him by the legs. A kick
or so and he was free again. i saw
him lift slim, long-haired youth,
who had hurdled almost into his
arms, and toss him over the heads Of
half a dozen others. Douglas Fair
banks, in one of his most hectic
scenes. couldn't have done better.
/, How long this lasted couldn't say.
but 1t seemed to have been going
On for a long time before I thought
Of Inez. Easy enough to locate her,
for she was standing just where Mr..
Moran had left her, almost In the
center of the ballroom, with no one
near her. And in that giistening
white costume she was rather con-
spicuous She had taken on her
white domino, in order to see better.
I suppose. and she was watching the
affair with shining eyes. She had her
chin UP and appeared no more fright
ened than rs II she were at foot
ball game watching goal-post
scrimmage. She was even clapping
her hands as her busy escort got In
a telling blow on one of the many
faces that pressed around him.
+ +
nut, Of course. Mr.. Moran couldn't
ID go on Indefinitely knocking down
Armenian gentlemen in evening dress.
They got too thick around him. They
'swarmed about and over him, like 50
many angry bumblebees. They clung
to his arms and legs, draped them
selves about his waist and climbed
on his wide shoulders. They ham,
mered and clawed and bit and kicked.
And at last he went down. True.