Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-07

TIME taxicab drew up before small
shop in a gloomy little street
one of the backwaters of the
district between Soho and the
Tottenham Court road.
rPay the man and send him away,
the barman whispered. 80
Porle obeyed and their guide, with
n gesture to them to remain where tney
we're plunged into the tobacconlSt
shon He emerged in a brief space OF
time and led the way to some huge al,
Joining gates of what was announced
as a furniture emporium. After a mo-
ments delay poStern door was opened
from inside and they passed into yaro
"a square, untidy, cobbled place III
corner of which stood one rickety-looK,
ing furniture van. They deScenoeo
some stone steps to lower level. OUT
side another formidable looking ooor
they paused, and their guide, taxing
small electric torch from his pocket,
flashed it three or four times IN front
of narrow window. A moment later
the door was slowly opened by an enor-
NOUS man, obviously an ex-prizenghter.
come in quick" he ordered. Get
vo,lr toffs in and the door closed, Harry.
The boss is nervous tonight
The barman nodded.
This way" he whispered.
He pushed aside curtain and they
entered a large, oblong room, utterly
destitute of any attempt at luxury. WIN
sanded floor and bare wooden chalrS.
There were a dozen tables where men
and women sat playing cards and drink
ing. end at the farther END negro
hand was humping out popular Jazz
music. On the left and right were two
additional rooms, one of which was
taken up by a bar. and most OF the
other by large bacarrat table. In the
space between the two few couples
we're dancing. From the entrance TO
the baccarat room a man fastened for
ward to meet the newcomers. He was
a thin, weedy parsonage, virtually pald,
with a cast in one eye and a NOUN
the under lip of which seemed to nave
been permanently drawn sideways. he
stared at the two visitors at first DOUBT
fully, but the longer he stared the
stranger his expression.
Don't / know YOU two?" he asked.
"Freddy's club in New York." Victor
Porle reminded him. You're Freddy.
I should have known you anywhere.
The man frowned in warning FASH
ion. 49,.
That's all right" he said, 'but don't
get chucking my name about TOO freely,
please. There was some trouble when
I quit yonder" .,,o dotoct;ves
was shot when they raided the place.
Served him right" Freddy muttered,
under his breath. He was double
crossing us all the time. Took hum
dred dollars week from me and then
sold us. He got his, all right. What
are you boys doing over here?"
Seeing life," Solomon Graunt grum-
bled. and not succeeding very Wen.
London's a bum hole"
ITS the rottenest place on this rot
ten carth." Freddy admitted. There's
only one thing-we've no competition.
This is the only joint of its sort in the
town."
Are they on to you?' Solomon Graunt
asked.
They're on to us all right but they're |
soft lot and they don't like firearms.
/ keep this show going with little gang |
of my own-most of them have grudge |
against the cops. They might get mo
the place in time, but I guess there
Amt many would get out alive. 1t |
would take a hundred to raid us. and
then we've seven ways of getting clear.
ITS the toughest crowd I've seen in
London" Victor Porle admitted.
Freddy accepted the compliment with
. grin.
You're right and then some, ne ao-
mitted. We get few of the sight
seeing nobs here sometimes, though.
There was lord and duke here last
night. What're you counting on doing?"
"We1l look around" Victor Porle de-
cided. II shall play bit presently.
I see you've got room there which
looks interesting"
You've got to show the ready first"
'We've got that"
IN answer that they have" Harry
interviewed. Il brought these guys on
from Jimmy Dowells. You heard what
happened there?"
Nope" Freddy replied Succinctly.
They're raided. The cops are taking
them away in wagons. got these
gents out my back way"
Freddy laughed long and mirthlessly.
"A swell show Jimmy runs, too" he
remarked. That's the sort of crib the |
police like. No trouble-scarcely an UNI
kind word. You'd hear the bulldogs
bark some down here if SO much as a
peaked cap showed itself"
A Russian woman. pale and unwhole-
sonle looking. but with beautiful violet
ewes. magnificent but overdeveloped |
figure and masses of black hair, came