The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-20
CAST OF CHARACTERS ,
TEPRY MALLOW-f o u q d

JOE MONNN
pI.ees, new jobs, new girls.
HELEN-fell in love-hsrd
---oncc.
Yesterday: Downhearted, zoe
move. on, seeking work and
eventually he begs at a iunen'
stand for food and is given H.
He goes on, aimlessly, alone
CHAPTER NNlH
n was bitter, but it VAS better
to he travelling alone.
Now there was the way of the
country. Joe found, the first way 4;
and the way of the cities, the sec
ond way; and there was IN addl,,
ton still a third way, dire ana
desperate way that you were
loafh to come to only because the
iron WAS out of you any more
the primordial way of all HE:
violence and individual eXproprla-
ton. -
There came a time, in a small
and better nameleS Stown IN a
western state, when Joe Murray
fell in with three who had blown
into town i'm a wreck Of an old
car which had no virtue left but
mobility. Even so, there lisa SELF
sufficiency about a car, for a car
implies gasoline and oil, and they
betOken funds. Where would a
man get funds? They gave him
some idea, sizing him up for a
tough one If so minded to be,
while the four of them rustled
the mulligan in a jungle on the
edge of the town. They were all
Young. younger than Joe even.
but hard. with the adamantlne
polish that comes only from the
Furnishing of adversely on viei-
BUSINESS Unborn. -,
"We're on the country" said
the redhead, who seemed to be
the leader of the trio. "Only a
sap goes broke. They're stalking
the charities, amt they? Stalking
the government, stalking the
Tchurches, stalking everything to
what it takes, and plenty of that.
Well. need what it takes, and
they're stalking me. Only | don't
wait for them to bring it; | go
out and get it, and if | deprive
'themsof the rosy feeling of giving
something to the poor, that's their
tough luck. If they didn't have
it. I'd leave them alone. They got
it, | want it. and that's their hard
luck"
), "Wel." said Joe. chow about
some poor sucker needing what 1t
takes himself-and you take it
away from him."
They all laughed. Don't be a
dope. Listen mug, you think peo-
pie work for things and earn
them and then own them, don't
you? Well. how about all the sapS
that thought they owned all this
country, and nobody but them
could say work about what they
owned? Who owns most of, it
now? Not the saps; they've lost
it, How? Read the papers. Who
owns it? Banks, other saps,
money owns it. It's a system. II
you take a guy, you don't rob a
guy-you. tap a system"
Joe frOwned, studying the the
DRY.
"Look here. boy" said the red
head, who was enjoying a philo-
sophie. excursion which, however
valid, was in no way necessary to
his own self-justification. "How
many tills liable to be tapped,
how many cribs liable to be crack
ed in this country fail to carry
insurance? When YOU come up
against sap and take his money,
who loses? Not the sap. The
system! The system declares a
thousand times a day that 1t
wants TO take care of the poor
and the needy, and I'm ali for
helping it along"
Joe said. "Hm" and looked
significantly at the battered car,
at their dusty clothes, none too
new, at the pot simmering thlnly
on the lire.
The redhead laughed. THAT
was another system, buddy. We're
all sapS in our way. We were
saps Tor the gees till the bOokieS
cleaned us. SO we're on the coun-
trys making another stake"
He was curious. as to their
methods of making a stake. They
smiled at his curiosity. No. they
touched no banks or pOStoffices
they had no racket; they raided
no stores or warehouses: they
broke into no homes. They pur-
sued no ambitions too big for
their size. They fitted from town
to town, lighting like a mosquito,
and flying as far afterward. They
played safe and easy and com
Portable.
Tell YOU" said Red, speaking
out of quick reelection and deci-
sion. ''You throw in. We can
stand the company. Wen set you
on your feet"
What do. do" asked Joe.
"COmc along and we'll show
you. We've got a cinch cased for
tonight. Stick along and you'll
see. ...
Joe shrugged. They would tell
him no more, grinning. He was
Indifferent. But he went along
to see.
-
They wont at midniCht They