The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-11-02
P SEVENTEEN


CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
VXTHEN Mary became conscious
w some one was shouting.
Bring some brandy for this lady!"
and moving her arms about and
slapping her hands.
This, she later learned, was mere
~ an attempt to discover whether
she had broken any bones. At the
moment, however, the indignity Of
her position - she was lying on a
couple Of chairs-brought her up
right and awake more quickly than
the burning liquor they were fore
ing down her throat.
She was in a restaurant, appar-
entity. About her lowered anxious
faces-a waiter, a fat man who
turned out to be the proprietor, and
a n%ice-looking policeman, who kept
saying, Just a little accident, you're
all right. Take it easy!"
Well, she was taking, it easy, she
thought fretfully. Her head ached
f%ercely from the jar when the taxi
crashed into the building, but other
wise she was all right, and she
wanted to go home.
She made this wish known to the
policeman, who held her arm firmly
as if he feared she might go faint
and drop again.
Truck going the wrong way on
a one-way street." he told her.
"You can't go out that way, lady"
He moved between her and the
door.
They're cleaning up the mess.
The cabs all smashed, and there's
there's probably a mob Of people
waiting to see the 'corpse-Say," he
broke off, you want to thank that
driver, lady! He saved your life!"
"Oh, I will" Mary exclaimed.
Where is hep"
They've taken him home. He's
not bad hurt. I'll give you his name
if you want"
please do. Oh, but-my pack
ages! Where are they?" The fat
proprietor indicated a pile of boxes
neatly stacked on a nearby table.
They were crushed a little, but not
damaged.
She thanked the fat man profuse-
ly. How careful and kind they had
all beenl
II CAN'T thank you enough" she
Il told him happily. Those are
my wedding clothes!"
"Ah-ah! SOP He reiterated as
she tried to press a bill into his
hand. Nah, nah, give it to Tim,
there-he has a big family" The
bill she pressed into the ~policeman's
hand met no protest.
want to try it?" he indicated
the front door. "IlI go first"
"Oh, no! Isn't there some other
way"
The policeman called "Hey,
Jack!' and the fat man hustled up
again. He looked more than a lit
tie worried, as well he might be,
for the sidewalk in front of his
place was a morass of splintered
wood and shattered glass.
The place was one of the innu-
merable speakeasies housed in the
Easements Of old brownstone fronts.
And the proprietor hardly vas con-
vinced yet that what had happened
was a mere traffic accident.
Accidents in MI. Jack Shay's life
usually had a deeper significance.
Fearing gang warfare al he did, it
was no wonder he appeared far
more nerve-wracked by the ecu
renee than Mary, the victim, did.
Come this way" he invited, and
Mary and the stalwart officer fol-
lowed him to a door at the real Of
the long room.
Here the fat man knocked, en-
tered, spoke a few words, and then
held the door open to admit the
others. 20. K, come on through"
TINE room was a small private
Il dining room. Half a dozen men
sat about a wine-spotted ~tablecloth,
smoking and drinking. A sudden
silence, like paralysis, seized the
group.
AS Mary and the officer appeared,
one man, tall and foreign-appearing
or was he merely we'll tanned?-
rose from his chair abruptly, then
sank back again.