Evening star., 1925-02-08
Dyoo-o-1-o~"--o--

foolin' around. Sure / plugged him,
and I'm sorry / didn't bump him
off"
so you admit you shot him." said
Capt. Collins. Well" my lad, you
know what. that means, don't you?
stead Of fours You might at least
have given your little girl a kiss
first"
Danny the Dude fell into a chair,
buried his face in manacled hands,
and sobbed out his version of the
shooting of O'Malley. Bitter curses
punctuated the recital. There he
was. layin' for me with the cuffs in
his hand! Wasn't even going to let
me upstairs to see my kid-my kid!
I tell you I was goin' straight. 7 was
Il was! He waited for me Just as
he said he would. Waited right in
my house with the cuffs, and my kid
upstairs"
oMalley propped himself up
"'Twas because of your litrfe GIRL"
said he, that I was there. The cuffs
fell out of my pocket and was
picking them up"
You Iie" raved Danny the Dude
what license have you got to be
thinkin' about my kid? Yau
dirty
-heIp me up, boys" pleaded
o'Malley. "I1l bust him right in the
Capt. Collins raised his hand. shut
UP, both of you! I'll tell the story
now as it ought to be told. AS my
old woman used to say. Anybody can
see through a door after somebody
bores a hole in it. "
The gray-haired apostle of the CEN
trail station was not an orator. He
spoke as one man to another. The
story was long in the telling, for
Capt. Collins omitted little and sup
piled much that O'Malley had thought
was a secret of his own.
$50, you see," concluded the cap
tain, "to sum it all up, police pro-
lection is a pretty broad term. This
harness bull that you took such
pleasure in wingin' is the one, who
made It possible for your little girl
to walk, who guarded her from al
harm while you were away and who
headed the petition for your parole
If you hadn't found him In your home
bruised and out of his head, 1t would
have been because you'd have later
found your baby stretched out under
a. sheet at the city morgue.'
x x X X
THROUGH most of the recital
l. Danny the Dude had listened with
tight lips and challenging eyes, but
gradually the hard lines had softened
incredulity had been replaced by
amazement, and now his youthful
features twitched with the reaction
He looked up at Collins.
Il was brought up to hate cops.
said Danny, but if you amt lynn IL
get down on my knees and kiss all
the polish off that guys shoes!"
Faith" chuckled the captain, "Td
hate to have that sentence passed or
me. Jim's got the biggest shoes in
the department. Now, let's See
Mother O'Malley appeared in the
doorway.
Parade" she called. parade, an
it's comm this way! All the kids in
the world and a brass band, Hear
it?"
They all heard 1t then-the Hillside
Park School Band, trying its best to
master the mysteries of the official
police anthem, Fearless and True
Capt. Collins went to the front win
dow. A battalion of school children
500 strong, was coming up the street
carrying school colors and American
flags. At their head marched Miss
Sadie Smith, holding by the hand the
daughter of Danny the Dude. The
parade came to stop outside the
O'Malley residence. A youthful yell
leader waved his arms. The response
rang throughout the neighborhood:
"Rah-rah-rah, Officer JIM"
O'Malley's crimson face disappeared
under the bedclothes, whence came a
muff1ed voice: For the love O. Pete
They amt comm in here, are they?
You talk to them. captain, Tell 'em
I'm much obliged"
Capt. Collins returned from the
window. Better take the cuffs of