Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-06-19
The Evil That
Men Do
By BERNARD C. GUERNEY

"PfNlY," Cronin had said, 81 set
out to get you-and did. But
It's five years you would have got
ten, instead of three, If l hadn't put
in good word for you. Yes, sir,
you just take 1t from me, and I'm the
boy that ought to know, the sooner
you quit this game the better It'll be
all around" (There were rumors to
the effect that Cronin's rather interest
ing past, which included prize-fghting,
sailorlng, and mining, was also not en-
tlrely devoid of an inside knowledge,
us 1t were, of penal institutions, gained
through no mean achievements in
yeggdom. } "And just you bear
this in mind, old scout: I'm a-going
to keep an eye ON you, from now on
In prison and out"
Big Jim Cronln-iorld, plethorlc,
with his odoriferous cigars and noise
less tread, and big, hairy hands, that
could smash through an oak plank
or Il criminals skull.
Under such auspices had Pinky gone
away to serve his sentence; such the
surveillance under which he felt him
self to be (though never word Of
Cronin filtered through the prison
walls to him). all the weary while he
served 1t; and such the influence he
| foresensed, even as he blinked at the
sky-free, now, like himself, without
the crlss-cross of an iron bar lattice
upon his face.
! tta1 lot fVNo a
Of age, indefinite of feature, colorless
Of complexion and hair, inconspicuous
of stature, noiseless Of step, unasser-
tive of speech, unobtruslve of manner,
drab of apparel Not In vain
did the Bertillon clerks always look
him up and down, and, as 1t were,
through him, and then fill In the blank
on Special Distinguishing Marks with
none" Yet stay-one physical pecu-
larlty he did have: the first joint OF
the little finger of his right hand was
bent inward at almost right angle
whence his all-sufficient alias Of Pinky
1t was this deformity which gave him
greater dexterity than that of the less
gifted dips" who had to manipulate
with the first two fingers as sort OF
clippers.
Although he had no word Of Cronin
the mere terror Of him made Plnky
try to reform. But at the end of q
fortnight, Pinky began llmbering uI
his flngers-one never could tell.
One morning he found himself near
Wall street; he looked about him fur
tively--a countlessly repeated perform
ance Cronin was nowhere to be seen
could he have shaken him off? He
hoped on Broadway car, bound up
town. But, why did the passenger
across the aisle keep himself so close
ly screened behind his newspaper
These thick yellow shoes cOulC
be no one else's save Big Jim's.
Despite all Of Pinky's watchfulnesi
his trailer was instantly swallowed VI
In the crowd, although they had bOtl
gotten off at the same time.
Pretending to telephone in drug store
booth, Pinky looked cautiously at {
fortultous mirror-and there, reflected
was Cronln's huge back, as he bent
over the cigar counter. Yet there was
no Cronin there, when Pinky, with the
courage of despair, strobe past openly
| He broke out In a cold sweat What
was Cronin's idea In this cat-and
mouse gamer Evidence? Cronin's
mere word was all sufficient. To catch
him red-handed2 Cronin was a clever
enough shadow not to have let Pinky
see him.
At two or three In the morning he
entered the dlrty-whlte building with
its ugly green lanterns with something
akin to assurance. Nor was he mis-
taken in his reception.
"Well, what can we do for you to-
day, PinkyT asked the sergeant, aft
er a greeting Of almost effuslye cordl-
tricks recently Or did some one pick
your pockets? Or m ybe it's wanting
to be locked up you areT
That's it, sergeant" said Plnky,
slowly.
"Pinky," said the sergeant, with a
tolerance somewhat akin to a lawyers
for his client, or doctors for his
patient you must nave lilteu nhsk
OF the real STUN instead OF lealher'
or else you've lost your nerve Ihere
hasn't been the ghost OF inurmur
against your good name so rar-Detter
go nome ana sleep IL OH
"Sarg' said Pinky with gulp, Il
guess that's what 1t isl must have
lost my nerve. But that don't change
matters--beres what's left of the
money, and here's the gold monogram
I burned the wallet Piease