The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-02-17
Chapter 13 THE BIG SHOT TALKS

THE BIG SHOT TALKS
 It was not an attractive picture that this man who had created his own dynasty in defiance of society painted for the contemplation of the girl who claimed him as her brother.
 But the hours that had followed since Enid had embarked upon her daring adventure had reconciled her to the fate that had carried her brother into the ranks of the lawless where today he ruled as the Big Shot.
 As she listened to the man who denied kinship relate the circum- stances under which he had em- parked upon criminal career, Enid found new hope. It was born of desire to justify, somehow, her faith in her brother; that his deg radiation was the work of others, who had found him pliant tool to further their own purposes.
 She must draw him out: learn all there was to know about his crimi- nal activities, Then perhaps she could save him; perhaps it was not too late for him to turn back
 How do you know that you came from ChicagoP9 she asked How do you know who you are?"
 ''Aw. say-listen!" he ejaculated, looking at her as she lay in bed, propped up on pillows. T get you, but there's nothing to it. I'll say I'm dumb all right on this memory stuff about everything that hap pened before I got done in, but that doesn't help you out any. You are way off. I've told you before. You've got the wrong dope"
 There was sudden quiet in her voice. "Tel me about it--all- everything!" she said.
 He dragged runinatiyely on his cigaret for moment, then again he shrugged his shoulders.
 "Oh, well sure, if you're so stuck on itl" he grunted "It won't take long The Fritzies told me I'd been blown up in an ammunition dump with some other Americans when the Allies were running like mad in that spring retreat of IS
 q was the only one they found alive, and they made me a prisoner r,l ck1 f,, al r. ter the war they handed me back to the Americans, and was brought ever to New York. I couldn't remember my name or anything and there was lot of hot air about making me hos pital case.
 T did the duck good and plenty ol that idea l handed myself a name-Hal Varney-and then started cut looking for a job"
 He paused, flicked the ash with sudden savageness from his cigar ct and gave a bitter laugh. q didn't get onel We weren't such fine he roes after the war as when we were going over! didn't get any,. thing except a few hours work here and there. I went flat.
 There was a joint down off tho rowery where they sold bad liquor to buns when the buns had mon ey, and sometimes when you were a regular customer. they'd hand you a shot for nothing and there was always some come-on soup twice a day It was an awful hole --and I was one of the buns" He paused again. "D'you like it so far?"
 There were tears in her eyes; she could only see him nistily. "Go cnl' she whispered.
 "Aw, don't let it get your goat, kidl" he chuckled. "It turned out all right for me. The joint was owned by a fellow named Izzy My CTS, who owned lot of other queer places, too.
 "It wasn't often he showed him. self around there One night, the first time I'd ever seen him, he blew in. He spotted me, and came over and called me by my right name. Hello, Norryl he said. The last time was out in Chi cago your ma and dad told me you'd been killed in France. Say, this will be some news for them. aIzzy took me to his house and came down with pneumonia. He sent for my father and mother. He'd been an old Chicago crook himself, and he'd known my people and me since I was a kid in the glitters.
 well, that's about all. l got the dope on everything. I had a nice little record myself in Chicago with a gang. Anyway. when I got bet ter I joined Izzy's crowd, and so did