Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-14

n less tune as he turned Off the
Bowery and swung into East
pIouBton street. 1t was a wet night,
with raw wind sweeping around
the street corners, and Pinto walked
along with an air of logged persist
ence, as II trying to make the best OF
"a disaRreeable duty. His heavy ana
somewhat fiorid features were express
xionless. For all that his face lndi-
Gated, he might have been thinking
that It was fine night for murder,
ar wishing that he was in plain
clothes instead of uniform, or p1ctur-
ing himself in his coy home playing
with his baby, whose lusty "da- da 9
and 'goo-goo's" he was pleased to IN
terpret as wonderful linguistic
achievements.
Perhaps il was nothing hut In
stinct that caused him to slow down
his pace as he passed a squatty and
rather dilapidated building in the
middle of the block. SO far as APP
pearances went, 1t did not differ
greatly from it's drab and unprepos-
sessing neighbors. yet Pinto cast
sharp glance at the ground floor win
dow which bore a lettered sign pro-
claiming that the premises We're oc-
cupied by Sylvanus Gage, dealer IN
pipes, tobacco and cigars. AS If the
upon him, the patroman ceased his
humming, and his lips were set in a
: tight line as he proceeded down the
block.
Being an ambitious and hard-work-
ing officer, Pinto made it a practice
10 cultivate the acquaintance OF as
many as possible of the people liv-
ing along his beat. lie knew SNl-
vanus Gage, a thin. stoop-shouldered
man with a flowing beard, black cap
adjoining his bald skull and mild blue
eyes that had a habit OF gazing III
gubriously at the world through
thick lenses trimmed with furnished
gold. Despite his patriarchal APP
pearance, he was reputed to be using
his tobacco business as a cloak for
a fiourishing traffic in stolen goods.
So deftly did the old man manage
his Illicit enterprises that the police,
though morally certain of their facts,
had never been able to produce any
evidence against him. Little was
known of his housekeeper, sour and
sharp-tongued slattern of uncertain
age, but there were those who sus-
pected that she was not entirely in
nocent of completely in her employ
er's clandestine activities.
It may have been of this Pinto was
thinking as he plodded along with
the measured gait of the seasoned
patrolman. The soggy sidewalks
glistened in the light from the street
corner lamps, and here and there
along the pavement water was form
ing in little pools. Most of the win
dows were dark and, save for an oc-
casional shiftyeyed and furtively
sinking pedestrian, the streets were
deserted Pinto halted for a moment
to look at his watch, then quickened
his steps, pulled" the buff colored
box on the corner and trudged on
again.
Once more he was humming
tune Each of the scattered providers
he met was subjected to a critical
scrutiny out of the corner of his eye.
Now and then he lodged into
dark doorway and tried a lock. From
time to time he glanced through the
window of a store or shop. 1t was
all matter of habit with Joshua
Pinto. For seven years he had pur-
sued the same dull routine, varied
only by an occasional transfer to an
other part of the city, or by a
change from night to day duty, or
vice versa. He had broken up IL few
nocturnal street brawIs now and
then he had foiled the designs OF a
second-story artisan, and on two or
three occasions he had caught a
safe-blower red-handed. but nothing
very exciting had ever happened to
him.
; On this particular night. however,
an acute observer might have no.
ticed an cir of disduietude about Of
hcer Pinto There was the merest
hint of uneasiness in the way he
twirled his nightstick as he walked
along, in the intensified alertness
oh hm he
sional passers.by, in the quick and
somewhat nervous glances he cast up
and down the shabby streets. Likely
az not the rain and the wind. together
with the gloom pervadng the dis
trict, were responsible for his state
Of mind, and possibly his physical dis
comfort was aggravated by pre-
monition-though Pinto himself
would have called It a lunch
that a tragic event was soon 10 en-
liven the tedium Of his existence.
Again his footsteps dragged as
once more he strolled past the estab-
lishment of SyIvanus Gage. The
building was dark and still, like most
Of the others I'm the block, vet some
thing prompted Pinto to cast a sus-
picious glance at the door and win.
dows, as If he sensed an omen in the
shadows clinging TO the wall.
He stopped abruptly as a door
slammed and shrilI feminine voice
called his name. A woman, scantily
dressed and with loosened hair fiut.
tering In the wind. was hurrying to.
ward him with excited gestures.
Officer She clutched his sleeve
and pointed toward the tobacco shop.
"There--hurryn'
The patrolman's eyes followed her
pointing fingers. A second story win.
dow opened above their heads and a
frowsy person, disturbed by the wom-
ans harsh voice looked down into
the street. Pinto regarded the speaker
with apparent unconcern. recog hizing
the housekeeper of Sylvanus Gage.
Another window opened across the
street, and a second face looked down
on them.
Officer Pinto. schooled by previous
experiences with overexcited females,
CASUALLY inquired what might be the
mater.
Natter retorted the woman,
"Mlrder-thats what's the matter.
Why don't YOU get a move on?'
Pinto permitted himself 10 be led
along The driver of milk waGon
halted his nag TO watch the commo,
ton The woman. jabbering and
shivering opened the door of the 10,
bacto store. pushed the officer inside
and. switched on the light above the
counter.
There" She pointed at door In
the rear Of the dingy shop. He
Mr.. Cage sleeps back there"
We'll, what of it?' An impa tient
look cloaked PintoS real feelings
He's got 10 sleep some place, ain't
he?"
The woman's eyes blazed "Yot
stand there handing ont sass while