The Washington times., 1939-01-16
SMART GUY Daily Short Sit

when he had taken the job.
It had all started a little over
three weeks ago, Then he had
been spending the last Of a small
sum Of money he had saved from
his previous job. Instead OF
watching the last dollars go the
way the rest had gone, slowly but
Isurely, he decided to have one
fling out of it anyway.
EASY MONEY"
So he started out and his luck
seemed to change Immediately for
he got an offer from a man to
whom he had confided while they
leaned against the bar in the
Sudan Club in that easy comrade-
ship derived from the bottle. It
was to smuggle diamonds. No de-
lay. that is, after the preliminaries
of the first crossing to London,
where he picked up the stuff and
booked immediate passage for the
return trip.
Then lie first night out he met
Priscilla Blake. Meeting Priscilla,
the way Larry felt about her now
was enough excitement for the
whole trip. She had natural
blonde hair, deep blue eyes and
dark lashes.
It was all that Sleep needed.
She rushed in to take possession
and for a minute he felt the ex-
treme pleasure of her coming. He
sighed audibly, sank farther into
her comforting arms and then-a
key clicked in his door and man
stepped in, little blue steel auto
matte in his hand. The small
bright muzzle focused a beam Of
light directly in Larry's eyes.
"A wrong move, buddy, and
you're a dead pigeon.
Come on now, buddy, want
those rocks. Do you get me?"
II don't know what you're talk
ing about" said Larry.
The fellow stared q minute
Then he continued:
1.-THE boss changed his mind. He
says you're yellow, see?" He
smiled with contempt. I'm to
take the stuff and if you don't
come through with it right now
I'm going to make you. They don't
call me Tough Louie for nuttin'. r"
The fellow started to advance
on him, then stopped, turning his
head to listen to sound from the
deck outside.
It was all the break that Larry
needed. He exploded from the bed
as though shot from a cannon. He
missed his grab for the gun and
lmomentarily expected it to go off
He wondered just how it would
feel to be shot. He ground his
teeth together hard, but no shot
came. In = moment he saw why
The gun had been knocked from
the mans hand by his attack.
He closed his eyes and in last
effort increased his own grip on
the mans throat. For the first
time he could feel the fellow grow
ling weaker. He increased the pres
sure on the mans throat. In a
minute he felt he would have him.
But that minute never came. In
stead the thug brought his knee
up in a quick hard smash against
Larry's groin. His strength left
Larry. A wave Of nausea swept
over him. His mouth dropped open
and he slumped over and lay still.
His alarm clock, ticking away
on the floor, awakened Larry. He
drew himself up and was sick to
his stomach.
LAST NIGHT OUT
Priscilla so occupied his remain
ing days that the whole thing
seemed like a nightmare that he
hoped to forget. But always there
hung over him the thought that
he must tell her the real reason
for his being on the ship.
On the last night as they stood
in the shadow of the bridge, with
the night close around them and
1.-THE water rushing by giving them
a sense Of isolation. he kissed her,
long and fervently.
"Oh, Priscilla" he said. Il
shouldn't. L"
But it was impossible for him
to go on. He did not answer her
murmured. "Why not, darling?"
except to kiss her again thor
oughly.
"Ill always love you, Priscilla,
he whispered. What might hap
pen tomorrow faded out.
His late sleep had given him
just time enough to pack. Now
he was at the rail. The sight OF
a ragged bum picking up snipes
on the edge of the crowd on the
pier snapped him out Of his re-
view nf the past few days.
That bum was peering intently
at him when he wasn't apparently
looking for cigars and cigarette
butts. In a minute he partially
raised his battered hat and with
the same hand scratched his head.
He took q few steps and repeated
the gesture with the other hand.
It was the signal agreed upon. A
queer feeling ran through Larry.
When he made contact with that
bum, he would be outside the law.
When he shot the long butt of the
cigar that he was to be smoking,
shot it to that bum in as careless
a manner as he could. then ne
would be a crook. A smuggler and