Evening star., 1928-03-18

Asre-topped mahogany desk. The
Swart, short lump Of a man III the op-
poSite seat drew back. His right hand
tvitche6 toward drawer OF his desk
There the other hea reason u know.
lay q loaded automatic But the little
mans reply was Suave 10 the point Of
oilincSS.
Now! New! Hosan!" he protested.
THAT amt any way for one gentleman
10 bite al another"
"Gentleman," Sneered Hogan. drop
ping back 10 his chair, however.
The butt Of contempt let his right
hand Join his left i'll a gesture Of relief
II tell YOU. Hogan. we hardly break
even on the last six cars you sold us,
counting the one the cops found here
and was a dead loss, an we're both
lucky We didn't get into trouble, thanks
70 me-"
Thanks to you." Hogan snee7ed
sgain You know, GilderSleg. you
couldn't prove that had anything to
Go with lifting that car. and you
wouldn't dare try to prove 1t If you
coul6!''
Gildersleg shrugged
That's things better not said. Ho-
gan. conduct my business 50 the po-
Ice Got nothing on me, I been aSSumin'
you done the same, or I wouldn't take
chances 6ea!in' with you. But that's
neither here nor there. We can't take
any chances, The cops are watching
this place and We both got 10 lie low
FOR a spell. They can't prove thing
against me. but I'm goin' to be sure
about the cars buy till they get salts
fed"
L see,' Hogan commented acidiy
Meaning, you don't want any more
frcm me"
Not for spell. Hogan. And. mean
time. there's three grand in the safe
for you. 5000 good dollars to close ac-
counts, Ycu can take it or leave it.
AL or no'hin', an nothin' you can DO
Again Gilderslegs hand indicated the
gun drawer. Hogan glared. then
shrugged his shoulders.
All right, you yellow sneak! You've
sol me. Let me have the money and
we'll call it quits
Hogan watched while the garage
owner crossed to the locked safe by
the big front window. Hogan knew
Gildersleg was taking no chance OF at
tack when he turned his back and be-
gan twiriing the combination Of the
safe, IL which, the caller felt sure, was
kept a comfortable fortune.
The automatic was not GildeTSleg's
only defense. The door Of the Office
vas open. In the outer room. COM
Tnanding q complete view OF his en-
ployer's scnctum, sat Mike Fenton,
huge, dour; ostensioly Gildersleg's as
ssstant manager, IN fact his alter ego.
Mike was the only employe In the con-
fdence Of the head OF this precaTious
business. He never left his post from
once opening TO closing.
Hogan glanced at this guardian, then
al the strong box. 1t was one Of the
sc-called burelarproof portable safes,
with q tilne-clock attachment. Across
the front ran the owners name, The
Cildersleg Garage e. Motor Sales Co"
under that the safes makers. a we'll
know New York concern.
Hogan had wondered about that safe.
The bolts clicked. The doors swung
open But the interior was hidden be-
hind Gildersleg's broad back. Again
Hogan glanced at the vigilant Mike.
Then he leaned forward and SEEM
tngly fixed his gaze on the floor back
Of the kneeling Gildersleg; in reality,
watching the mans every move.
Gsidersleg drew bunch of keys from
his pocket and unlocked an inner door,
then a drawer beyond At the same
moment Hogan, with his eyes appar-
entity on the rug back OF Gildersleg'S
heels, rose from his chair, took three
steps forward and picked up a coin he
had palmed for the purpose.
Dropped something" he commented,
putting the coin on the desk and re-
turning TO MS chair Gildersleg glanced
around slsp!ciously. but Hogan was re-
turning the pointed gaze Of Mike.
In that instant the caller had photo
rrsphed on his brain. over Gildersleg's
shoulder. the interior oi the safe.
A FEW minutes later Dirck Hogan
"a went out, his money In his pocket
In his mind there was budding q plot
Slowly he climbed into his car, parked
across the street. His eyes studied the
windows Of the garage Office.
The Gldersleg Garage and Motor
Sales Co was one Of the largest con-
Germs CT its kind IN New YORK Here
vas q big, legitimate business, both in
repair work and in buying, rebuilding
and selling used cars. It's headquarters
STOOD midway Of ore Of the busiest
blocks In the night club and theater
district. taoyoughfare awake - hours
6 day. The cleaning Gildersieg show
room vas visible from one end Of the
block 10 the other.
N one front corner Of this showroom
was the private Office Of the proprietor,
is street side all glass 70 the floor: TWO
others SCI OF By hall partitions Of ma
koganizac pine. The safe stood IN the
fl.l glare of electric Light KEEP! going
al night.
"A TN box would "a cone the old boy
l0st ss good one Of the helpers had
remarked when the new strong box was
moved In. "A ye2g could Just as easy
fHipe piEnpae of cops nose as crack
this crlc right out on the Sidewalk like
tins
D3rck Hogan mad some such thought
sx ne Grove slowly away. But he knew,
700. that Ca!cerEieg had reason 70 pro-
bect ttlat safe 10 the limit II stood In
the place cf both hank sn6 Esfe-deDosit
company. For GiiGeysjegs main bust
fleSs Was 81 Z nature demanding ready
cash. and, moreover. nigh, al any mo-
naent csl for quick getaway. In such
. czse, bank eYltaEg!enents or unwieidy
Investments might prove a serious
handicap. The legitimate garage and
s&%es apartments served ag csnoufiag ge
spy mGcn more lucrative fence for
stolen cars. FGr faye years NOW Dirck
hogan. king of n1otoy pirates, had found
u MS best paying narket
But u Dirck had needed further
pFr2f fs1at this connection was bGst
fhSecs j came as his car Grew from the
f5JD Ef gIsAcFc III the paaSers out of
'i1e tail u MS eye, a habit of Iiopan's
t11gle face sepSfa,e6 Itself from the
weia%F. II 8sS tpe ppncescript cgIn
ie'lsnce u man h3.esIng by = shoD
S1nor". E]t the fellows eyes were TO-
ci1Sec orl Hogan.
Cafe, from headquarters or I'm q
'fiH1SHisH lvfsan nlQt'eFed. That's
ont 0pD With something ia his nat ~.
s.css banana oil. Snc I've got & nincf
~ Knows nle. Guess In about through
GDiAg business At the old marfet HI
'h&i;' he skidec tiio9ghti1lIy ae he s3ir
mo aseJna sped But not througi
Win CiAcefsleg slo1 quite"
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