Smyrna times., 1930-10-01
Among Detectives
and Crooks
By FLORENCE KERIGAN
IS BEG your pardon. Miss Blair,
u haiiavaS,p

1llSo
| believer
The girl under the clock in the
Union station looked up at the
young man and her blue eyes swept
him frankly.
"Sylvia's letter." he went on, tap
ping his pocket.
"Oh But you don't look as
/ thought district at" She caught
the hint of warning in his face.
Sorry. Stupid of me in such a
public place-Mr Sheridan"
He bowed. sylvia tells me that
you want to see something of the
1 underworld" He laughed softly
deprecatingly. If such a thing ex-
lists at all. You write, l under
stand?"
j It was her turn to be deprecat-
ing. "A little, and with this vogue
for detective and mystery stories
! I-Oh, brazen of me, isn't it, to
use Sylvia this way and expect you
TO give up an evening of your val
liable time"
He bowed again. Il am delight
ed. But don't expect too much.
4 There is nothing spectacular about
i the average crook, only l wouldn't
wear that diamond. 1t might be
+ temptation to anyone
She took it off her finger. DO you
want TO take care of it?''
Wrap it in your handkerchief
and put it in corner of your
! purse"
about the most spectacular
thing l can show YOU" he went
on, as they descended the station
steps to the street, lis China
town"
SO he took her through China
town where there had been a tong
war recently, and showed her the
house where several white girls
had been kept prisoners. And he
took her to a little mission where
half hundred crooks lodged in
for shelter, and get a few free
meals.
They're the obvious ones" he
said. i couldn't begin TO show you
the ones who live in uptown apart
ments, and whose wives raise beau
tiful kids and send them to Sun
day school and believe their hus-
bands are steamfitters or something
equally respectable. We might find
some more in the Jade temple.
Shall We have dinner there?-Oh," J"
seeing her hesitate, Its safe
enough. It's guarded day and
night by sturdy minions of the law.
There's good food-Chinese and
American. ard good music"
They found table in quiet cor
ner which commanded view of
the whole room, and Sheridan
proved himself an unusual and a
delightful dinner companion.
You see that slim Chinese over
there talking to that blond girl?
That's Charlie Wong, the biggest
opium smuggler in the city-Only
we can't prove it. over there in
the corner is Slim StinsOn, a no
torious pickpocket." He shrugged
his shoulders. Il could point out
here a burglar, there a gangster,
and it wouldn't mean anything to
gou. You could almost take your
pick here and hit upon one who
had done time"
A man passed them and Sheri-
dan started invOluntarily, then
leaned toward her. See that man
with the curly. iron gray hair, and
the birthmark on his cheek? That's
the slickest crook of them all
Dick Anthony. He's got several
bank robberies TO his creditor
discredit !-Only we can't prove it.
Her blue eyes We're wide. "It's
rather alarming isn't it, 10 know
that any man might be crook
even one you meet in society?"
Yes, indeed. Its a thrilling life,
Miss Blair!''
They SAT while longer, finish
ing their dinner and listening to the
music and making comments upon
the various people who passed.
It's getting late" she said at
last, regretfGlly.
He was all attention. Il should
have shown you some other places"
he apolOgized, ''but you were so
easy TO talk to-DO we have to go
on hunting criminals? I'd like TO
make this a pleasanter EVENING"
theater-dance"
''Thank you, but pershaps Sylvia
told you am taking the nine
O'Clock train for Chicago"
Pm sorry"
He took her to her train, gave
her candy and magazines. wished
her success with her detective
story, and hoped off at the last
minute.
She sat back and smiled. She
opened her purse and unrolled the
balled handkerchief. The diamond
was gone from its folds.
"Well," he grunted. Thanks to
a girl we've got the goods on him
at last" He set the instrument
back on his desk and looked up
as q blue-eyed. ingenious looking
girl came in. They've got Dick
Anthony" he said. "after be
pawned your ring"
Didn't / tell you all you need
ed was Imagination, Uncle Dick?"
He grunted. 81 never would have
thought of writing myself a let
ter and dropping 1t at his feet for
him to find-if you call that I'M
agination !"
She perched on his chair arm and
ran her fingers through his iron
gray, curly hair. "Poor young man.