The Washington times., 1930-11-17
Nou Go On With the Story
CHAPTER o.

L
Polack Annie observed with
concentrated interest the emo
tion OF intense hatred In Silk
Freeman. Polack Annie had
seen that predominating storm
OF love in hil1l-Rnd no one else
had been able to boast Of that.
But Polack Annie's red hair
spelled red passion.
But he walked the edge Of
his anger off, paced up and
down the Chinese-rugged cham
her in his slippered feet; then
he halted before the bed where
she lounged, still propped on
her two pillows, cat-like, wary,
prepared for a caress or q
blow.
'.Red Top (his tone had a
brutal kindness to it, and he
hesitated and then grinned)
''you want breakfast, don't
you?"
ssOh. 1t doesn't matter" she
parried, whats the use Of
breakfast today?-you've only
got to eat again tomorrow any
way"
She lit a cigarette and dsew
the virgin puff deep into her
lungs, never taking her eyes
off him. Silk walked to the
door and opened it cautiously,
as was his custom, just an
inch.
'Pete!'' he called. And he
closed the door. carefully turn.
ing the patent lock. He had
hardly wheeled before there
were three raps. He reopened
the door, this time widely and
let it swing and walked away.
The Measured Devotion
The old ex-convict, Pete,
strode in, tray in hand the
dishes warm, for he knew the
Nhim Of his master. Without
q word he slid up the small
teakWoOd table beside the silk
spread bed and placed, one
after one, the breakfast dishes.
Then he shuffled silently out.
AS the door clicked behind
the man, Silk drew up his
chair at the table, opposite
Annie, and carefully, meticu-
lously inspected his food. Then
he spoke:
"You damn red head, you see
now what devotion is. ! sprung
that chump from Sing Sing.
He had q murder rap that sent
him up for the book and got
him out. How? Well, how does
the Big Boy do things! It's q
game Of give and take. What
the hell was his life in the Big
House? It's a bigger house
here. He's in prison still, but
he likes it. You're in prison
and I can make you like it.
But I'm going to spring you"
S"Yeah?" and Annie barely
slipped her orange juice, and no
high-born lady could have kept
her eyes more carefully trained
In her glass.
A New Game
sY.e-a.h, I'm goin' to spring
you - and you'll spring right
back" He leaned over the table
and the silver coffee urn tilted
precariously. ''You know that
young Yale Stooge-that college
kid that had you askin' ques-
tions? Well, I'll let him answer
'em. I know you. You won't
fall for him. You're too cold
blooded to fall. for any guy, and
you know where the pay win.
dow iS-get me2"
81 get you" quickly said An
ME, raising her coffee cup to
hide what she suspected might
be a blush-the first blush she
had known since the EdgeWater
Kid had looked at her SO
ardently in the Devils Hall in
Chicago.
SILK fumbled with his toast.
you know" he said, looking
up suddenly. "I never killed a
mani never had a man killed
over a jane. My theories have
been funny in life. I considered
friends those who best fitted in
with my weaknesses. T never
had many friends because /
never had many weaknesses. I
never loved because I could al
ways resist"
His eyes, always grayishly and
steely cruel, now seemed Ian
guild and tired to Annie as they
looked into hers.
''On1y you, kid" he whined.
s'Only you did I ever love-"
pass that" snapped Annie.
'sEpu want me to get . guy-a
guy / don't even know. What
do I dop''
silk narrowed his eyes and his
glance was piercing, a glance
that had struck terror in the
soul Of many a tough egg, and
then he calmly slipped his coffee.
Annie noticed that he had laid
the toast down without eating It.
She was carefully studying this
man, who never gave any illu-
lninating indication Of what was
really going on in the human
mechanics Of his brain. She
said, nothing.
'sRed-head," he bic curtly, Il