The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-07-21
Chapter Seven
The IJnholy Three

SAAoPSSA DCsC
The Unholy Three
THE mention of lucre an al
"A mostinteliigent expression ap2
peared on the Apes face.
ooh, yeah?p he said.
There's no doubt in my mind, =
continued Miss South, that the
early Van Ryppers were probably
some Of the boys who gypped the
Indians out OF Manhattan Island
for twerify-four bucks and a hand
full ofcollar buttons. Thatwouldn't
mean a thing to a gorilla like you,
Of course. But to- a smart guy it
says jack. dough, mazuma, tin
greenbacks, spondulix. cash and
what do you use for money just off
Division Street,"
The Ape was interested, but still
unconvinced. He strove to bring
the conversation back to its origi-
nal premise.
"Okay," he said. "Mebbeit does.
But wot's dat got to do wild you
double-crossin -"
"oh, shut up" interrupted Miss
South, exasperated. "Nobody's
embarrassing you, you poor sap.
And. by the way, where do you get
the idea that I'm a softie about
you. ! wouldn't take you on a
wedgewood platter and smothered
in. watercress. Who do you think
you are, anyhow, Clark Gable?"
"All right, all right" said the
Ape hastily. LAY off'n me, baby.
Let's hear some more about dis
Van Ripper set-upa"
Hardness to you." said Dorothy.
Well (. -"
The house telephone interrupt
ed her.
Send him up, she said, into the
mouthpiece.
Now who," inquired the Ape
suspiciouSly, lis coming here2D
"Just a guy" Dorothy told him,
"who can use his head for some
thing beside a golf course for bar
bers. II you've got to know. it's the
Chiseler. Now that I'm getting
palsy-walsy with this Hardness
laddie, we could do with the
Chiseler's advice"
Between one Chiseler Jennings,
MIR. Ape Coletti and Miss Dorothy
South there existed chubby, If
platonic, little arrangement pat
erned roughly after the manner of
Design For Living. Mr.. Jennings
and Miss South were smart enough
TO take this for what it was, busi-
ness proposition. Mr. Abe Coletti,
on the other hand, was inclined to
look upon the tri-cornered part
nefship with jaundiced eye, His
was not one of your charitable ma
lures that, until disillusioned, sees,
naught but good in its fellow man.
Mr.. Coletti rarely waited to be,
disillusioned. He was suspicious
first and believing afterwards. It
often seemed to him thatshis whole
life had been spent in protecting
himself against such adverse catas-
trophies as the run-around, being
two timed and double crossed.
The result of this life, to date, had
been to make him wary. 1t had also
fashioned him into no mean dou-
ble-crosSer in his own right.
Hey, kidi" he said suddenly.
Amt we de mugs? Why we gotta
cut de Chiseler in on dis? Wot's
wrong wild US knockin' off dis
Hardness lug an divvyin' de
swag?n
Kiss South regarded him pity
ingly.
"You would come through with
one like that" she said. 1T crosses
your mind that it would be good
idea to lure Mr.. Hardness to va
cant lot and tap him with a black
jack You think, suppose, that he
carries his fortune in his sock?
Listen. Ape, you're one swell fell
low in a street brawl, but when il
comes to foresight you string along
with the laughing hyenas. No, we
need the Chiseler. He's got more
brains in his little finger than you
hayein. your whole family"
I'm Amongst IT.
THE doorbell rang. Miss South
4 opened the door with her own
ily-white hand.
Hello, honey" she said. "Wel-
come to our city"
Chiseler Jennings was a tall,
spare individual with pale, bulg-
ing eyes and a magnificent pair Of
straw-eolored mustachios. His high
cheekboneS and prominent fore
head gave him professional as
pect such as is enjoyed by those
who dispense such delicacies as
economics in our better universe
ties. He beamed now first upon
Miss South, then upon Mr.. Coletti.
"Ah. Dottie," he said, twirling
the mustachios by which he set
greatStore. "And Coletti! And how
are you today, Coletti?"
Miss South spoke for the Ape.
"Coletti," she said, 'sis all very
well physically. But mentally
well. he'd better not let the squir- |
rsis see him"
II got your message, Dorothy"
said the Chiseler, @and hurried |
right over. I take il there is some
little problem confronting YOU" |
Re spoke in a soft, pleasing voice.
The Chiseler was q man Of some |
education who, in his youth. had