The Washington times., 1928-12-18

ri
the nutterfng, gaudy society but.
ferfIv whom Iris somewhat if'0ni.
ca1lv called Mother But there
seemed no peace In the Ring home.
Every member III the family went
his own way, had his i set Of
friends, arnusernents. interests.
And In the glitter Of her cousins
life Mary knew she figured ~
something Of poor relation.
Not that the Smiths were poor.
But about the Michigan farm there
waA none Of the FURNISHED lux.
ury which characterized Uncle
SherwCod's establishment.
"As II that were IMPORTANT
she told herself Indignantly. AT
least we're happy and know
they're not. And IL happiness
doesn't matter--Wel H.
She strolIed back through the
park and had breakfast with
Blessing in her room. Al rather
lonely day for Mary, since she
saw none Of her relatives until
she came down for dinner at 2
o'clock.
Then Iris caught her, flushed
with excitement, managed to
whisper in mysterious tone.
Were going out tonight.
Summing. The most gorgeous
new place, darling--'The EN-.
erald, it's called. Just waltz
CHAPTER i
Uptown from the corner of the
Avenue where the Ring home
crouched behind its garden wall
and half way across Manhattan
Island toward the west was the
Emerald Cafe.
The Emerald was no gayer,
perhaps, no more brightly lighted
out front nor discreet1y shaded in
the big room behind the bar ap-
preached through door marked
Family Entrance" than were
other resorts along Harlem's Gay
White Way. Yet it had an air
ali Its own; character which set
it apart on the street where up
town night life, initiating the
costlier article downtown, flared
and scurried, screeched, ratified
and howled and tried to be merry
ere dawn and death overlook it
once every twenty.fot1r hours.
Some said this distinction was
due to the personality OF one,
Spike o'Hourke, who had fathered
the Emerald and cherished it
accordingly. Certainly Spikes
smile, all punctuated with gold
teeth flashing like SO many lit
tie torches, and the famous great
diamond which famed on his
broad chest set up atmosphere
as he numbered through the
crowd. nodding to favored few.
There were occasions when
Spike sat down at one of his own
tables upon invitation of some
member of a party in correct
evening dress and devoted him.
self to being agreeable. But he
made no point of this. Slum-
ming was endured but not en-
couraged at the Emerald Cafe.
Others eclared-though not
loudly--that the Emerald shone
after the manner OF a woman
who smiles because she lies. The
place had secrets to conceal, these
maintained; pockets OF darkness
1mpenetrable and sinister. Spike
ORourke, said they, was neither
SO affable nor so artless az he
appeared, and various sorts of
business were conducted under
cover OF the din of revelry in the
resort,
But of course those who whis-
pered didn't know, really. And
such as might have been sure
did not whisper.
At any rate the Emerald lay,
slattern and drab, all day, fur
nishings knocked this way and
that, tables running with stale
Deer, air heavy with stale smoke,
the piano with front removed
grinning into the gloom of drawn
shades-ravaged and melancholy.
And it was just at this time,
before 1t began to shake off di-
shevelment that the door under
Family Entrance" opened eau.
tiously, a mere slit, and one
ozzed through. No sound attached
to his incoming. apparently no
movement one instant the place
was vacant, the next occupied.
A rather confusing small man.
nerism this might have been con-
stdered by some, yet with value
to the youth who possessed it.
He could, for example--as now
he did-arriVe with his presence
unannounced, flatten his slender
height against the wall, cast a
wary eye over what lay before
him, thus assuring himself the ad-
vantage of seeing before he was
seen4
1t was the ability to move thus
stealthiiy which had earned him
the sobriquet of "Spook." A police
lieutenant fastened 1t on him
first, qualifying it by strong
terms; later many police lieuten-
n,.A Gnd nfh0T