The Washington times., 1924-04-30

live as cheap as one. We had a
hard time of 1t to make 1t go at
all. Thirty dollars a week for two
people is not much more than Sis
for one. And then last fall,
found out it was going to be three.
Ed was glad when l told him we
were going to have baby, but he
was worried, too. You think about
it yourself. A little two-by-four
room that you have to cook AMI
eat and wash in. baby clothes and
Doctors bills to be paid.
One night after supper, Ed sat
drumming on the table with his
fingers while I was cleaning up.
He hadn't said much all that
evening, and he turned sudden to
me and said:
kid, we got to have more
money. This is a hell of a way
to live"
don't swear and 1 don't like Ed
to swear, but / said. Sure. it's a
hell of a way to live, and sure, we
got to have more money, and it'll
be worse when the baby comes, but
how are we going to get it?"
Suggests Bandit Game
He said, well, been thinking"
I said. Thinking what?" He said,
Jaw. I don't know; just thinkin?,"
and turned the subject.
1t was maybe a week after that
he brought it up again. He said,
Look here, Celia, I've been think
ing about how we might get more
money, and there's one way all right
We might do it," I said "How?"
And he said, well, come here and
sit down." And he told me a lot
of people were getting away clean
with big wads of money in hold.
ups, and If we just had the nerve
we might try it, too, and if we had
any luck we might pull off couple
of good ones and then settle down
and have a home of our own.
I'm not trying to put the blame
on Ed. II he thought of it first,
was willing. At first it seemed 9
sort of a joke, just talk, that we
would never really do. But got e
thinking about 1t too, and / got to
thinking most of all about the baby
that was coming, and what big
difference 1t would, make for the
baby IL we had a decent place and
some money in the bank, and the
next time Ed got to talking, said
free Of my own will, Look here. Ed
lie you really mean it, Ina willing
Wen try the game together"
Decided to Take Chance.
We talked about it a lot after that
when we were lying in bed with the
lights out. and after we had talked
lit cut, he patted my hand in the
dark and said, "All right, kid, two
lis better than one. Wen take q
chance together. Let's go to sleep.
Ed had one pistol, a little rs auto
matic. It's the one I used in mos
of the hold-ups. 1 don't know whore
he got 1t. He had it when we were
married. 1t was stuck in the bureau
drawer under some shirts.
Sometimes he carried it when we
went out at night, but not often
Lots Of fellows had pistols. Why
shouldn't they? There were lots Of
hold-upS in Brooklyn, and who
knows when we might have got held
Iup and robbed?
But one pistol wasn't enough for
what we planned to try, and we
decided to get another. Ed tried
a couple of stores in Brooklyn, but
they wouldn't sell him. The detec.
tives were stumped to find out
where we got those other pistols,
and it's no wonder.
One night after supper Ed went
over to the Bowery land tried one
of the pawn-shops. He didn't got
them there either, but while he
was in the store talking, there was
negro man who heard him, and
| as he went out the man followed
| him. They went into q doorway
and the negro sold him two guns
| for So apiece. Une of them was
a Smith and Wesson and the other
was gun something like 1t, but
can't remember the name. Ht
sold him some bullets too, but not
many, just a handful Of them, that
he brought home in his pocket.
Read Up On RObberies.
| I like to read. had been read
ing magazines ana books about CIR
crooks and bandits, and 1t begar
to seem sort Of like a game or play
acting after Ed really came HON,
with the guns. 1t was more excit
ing than anything l thought II
ever do.
We ste. 4 a little hold-up at HON,
that night. / put on my hat anC
coat, and put the little automatic II
my pocket. We had made up oul
minds we'd try a store first. So W,
moved the table over, and Ed stooC
k.l~ I'D 4. IL