The Washington times., 1938-03-02

been seeing all his life but p
they get for it,
Yet it wasn't so easy, this plan
Of giving toll the air. But why
should people want to work at all?
He'd managed to keep his inde'
pendence so far, and he's passed
the danger zone of youth when
most boys went to work for some
reason that was beyond him. And
now he was twenty-three.
All around him he watched in
tense industry being applied for a
nine-hour working day, every day
His mother had a private laundry
which had started with the neces
sity Of washing for the first-born
Nat, and now held fine prospects
of becoming large organization
with the arrival of Gene, the tenth
in the line.
Instead of coming back to sup
per one evening he dropped in at
a pals and they went strolling
along the streets with no particu
lar place in mind.
The pal was nicely dressed,
flashy, some folk would have
called him. but Nat liked his turn
out more than he said. He knew
his pal wasn't working, at least
not in the same way that most
people mean. and he'd dropped in
on purpose to find out from his
pal how a fellow could cash in on
his leisure.
AS they walked up the street
Nat envied his pals self,aSsurance,
the arrogant way he passed
through crowds, the condescend-
ing expression in his eyes when
an attractive girl happened by.
He envied all these things and
hoped his pal would loosen UP
with a little liquor and give him
the lowdown.
GIVES THE LOWDOWN
The pal did this. He had known
all along why Nat dropped in so
casually, and he didn't see why
he shouldn't make a few drinks
out of it. -.
He gave Nat the lowdown be-
cause his boss wanted another
mana new hand fresh blood
to handle the minor brutal kill
ings, who could be trained, If he
passed the test successfully
enough, for a higher position.
What the pal didn't know was
that the Boss had another man
lined up for the job and that
there was liable to be some COM
petition.
So Nat was introduced to some
Of the boys at the club that night.
They were a tough bunch of yeggs
but most Of them were of his own
nationality and after the first few
drinks he began to like them.
He slept some place that night
and 'phoned his folk the next
morning in case they reported him
missing to the cops. After that
he was initiated.
Mike, the big man who acted
for the Boss, gave him a gun and
holster that fitted Snugly under
the left arm-pit and told him to
wait around the club for orders.
All day long he waited, took his
meals free at the counter, joked
and talked with his friends Of the
previous night. That suited him
fine.
BOSS HAS PLANS
The next day was the same. He
did nothing. He was good at eat
ing and sleeping and making
passes at danes and if that was
all the Boss wanted him for ned
picked the right guy.
But the Boss had other ideas,
surprising ideas for such an lnno-
cent face. He always kept well in
the background, managing his
team Of gunner like a pedigree
trainer.
He studied Nat for a while. let
him get used to the life, had him
tailed SO that he got to know his
habits. He watched from places
that Nat had never suspected.
In fact it was said that no one
knew the Boss except Mike, and
he kept his trap shut like a oank
vault.
It paid him.
Because the Boss was one of
those hard-hearted guys who
eventually found out everything.
The Boss had a reputation for
choosing his men well. He took
crowds on his payroll sometimes,
when ne had a big proposition in
the air, but few made the grade,
which was stiff.
Nat didn't know all this. He
had the same feeling of content
ment and ease that success tes-
timonial in a postal course ad in
spires. He'd stepped into the
niche life had meant for him and
he forgot there were other inches
-oblong inches with brass handles
specially made for this depart
ment.
ORDERED TO KILL
On the third day he went out
strolling. After all a guy couldn't
sit all day and night in a stuffy
joint like the club and wait for
something that never happened.
That Was where he took the wrong
turning. The Boss noted it and
through Mike sent a man to tail
him.
He had a typewriter report
that evening that would have