The Washington times., 1929-01-30
BY Winifred Van Duzer'

+ ?
He pulled his coat collar up and
the too-big cap down and faded
through Fifty-ninth Street toward
the river. It occurred to him that
he ought TO eat something and he
sided into hole In the wall at
the edge of Helps Kitchen and sat
on high stool midst negroes and
chauffeurs, where he consumed
greasy d0ughnuts and drank weak
coffee 1t was when he came to
pay his bill that he discovered how
really desperate was his position.
In a fervorgof honesty he had been
living strictly on his salaryno
easy task for one accustomed to
spend as he went. Pay day al
ways found him broke, and since
he had not collected this week
there were less than 81 in his
pocket.
Go q long way on two bucks,
guess. Say, there's lot Of kinds
OF saps and I'm them all. The
stir-bug couldn't have got me
cleaner
His thought began to burn with
rage toward Coky Jones. He re-
membered O.Rourke's determine
tion to frame the hoppy ana send
him up the river and how he, him
self, had put a stop to it, What
had got into him, made him see
things that way? A soft streak?
He'd turned soft all right!
That was gone now; the blood
lust went soaring through him. He
stopped short, teeth grinding
From that moment his purpose did
turn about; not now was his
mind set upon stealing out Of
town, but on giving the police the
slip until he could get Col1y Jones
Some way he would manage to do
this. It would have to be soon
tonight, tomorrow at the latest.
Perhaps the bulls themselves
would stumble ON GOky' s trail, but
this seemed unlikely. The Spook
had small respect for police sa-
gacity.
He bought newspaper, but
found no account of the robbery.
That meant the dicks were sure Of
q pinch. Only when worried did
they give out news. chatter q lot
of misfnfOrmation, making the
usual promise OF arrest IN the
usual IA hours.
Then things tightsrling up all
around. And maybe he couldn't
get aawy with II. The Big House
for his like his father before him..
No chance If lie we're caught;
they'd prove the job on him.
Iris? He could set her right, he
thought all at orces he would tele-
phone, tip her off about GolSy.
Maybe she would 50 to the front.
Sure she would Iris would not see
him take the rap, not when she
knew
He found telephone ard gave
up one OF his precious nickels
Only to hear the Ring buffers
thin, disappearing voice say Miss
Ring was out
He had not realized how hope
had flared IN him till he came
back to the street, stepping into
I the mild Spring softness Of late
afternoon with a feel Of creeping
chill.
For hours he walked before
buying the evening papers and
glancing through them under a
street light. These. too. printed
nothing about the hcld.up. When
he tried to reach Iris second
time. he was told that she had
gone for the evening. He put up
the receiver with bitterness draw
ing at his face. No reason why
Iris should not be enjoying her
self. Yet some girls would not do
it; some would stick around when
a guy was up against it, waiting
for a flash.
It did not occur to him to ask
for Mary Smith Yet Mary was
waiting. All day and far into the
night she sat besi1e the telephone
waited there in her great, gloomy
room until the brown head dropped
and the brown eyes closed and !.