Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 99: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Men of the Night The shooting stopped. “Silkeen ’ll never go t’ jail. Dey gotta take him t’ de morgue!” Leela looked at him questioningly. “Silkeen Harry. Mr. Mid’ton’s chauf- feur—nights. Dat was his gat. Coppers been on his trail | Billy checked himself. There is no wis- dom in talking with a stranger, no matter what her name. “But Black Wolf—where is he?” She asked it fiercely as if not a moment could be lost in having the answer. Her eyes flashed. “Wit? Silkeen.” “Then they’ve got him!” she cried, her manner threatening as if about to avenge the man she thought dead. Without a word more they followed Jerry, who had moved toward a room that fronted the street. No lights were turned on in thisroom. They raised a window and peered out furtively, though the windows on all sides were bursting into light and from them people were leaning. Voices, half-hysteric,y, chattered and called out vaguely to know what had happened. Two dark blots lay on the sidewalk where the Wellington-Dane entrance light made a dim yellowish splotch. “S’help me!” Billy whispered, jubilant, as he clutched Jerry’ s arm. “Tt’s a getaway! Silkeen’s croaked ’em an’ made a vanish.” “Means we got to get away,” Jerry an- swered unhappily. “I always said that Chink would ruin everything.”’ “VYouse always pull the I-tol’-you-so stuff. Silkeen ain’t ruint nothin’ but two perfectly healthy cops—dat’s my bet.” Jerry Peete shook his head mournfully. He was obsessed with the gift of prophecy, and after the manner of prophets he was not at all discouraged by his inability to be accurate. Leela leaned from the window. She pressed against Billy. He could feel the warmth of her flesh; and a strong strange perfume, of oriental pungency, that he had noticed before now seemed for a moment almost to strangle him—but he liked it. To her ears he said— “Tf the p’lice didn’t aw time butt in dey wouldn’t be gettin’ hurted’so much.” ‘But she did not appear to hear; and Jerry answered with a wordless grumble. The light clicked on behind, and the three of them whirled in nervous alarm. Merwin Middleton was in the doorway, and glanced from one to another. He had a way of being noiseless, and also of making people wait a little uneasily until he spoke. “Good evening,” he said sarcastically, but rather amused. No one answered. Leela flushed. “Some excitement on the street. I noticed the crowd as I came by. Shooting affair, it seems.” “Cops?” Billy gasped eagerly, hopefully. He gave the little crook a slow answer, half-smiling as he said: “TI think not. They appear to be for- elgners.” “Uh,” said Billy. It was not clear whether he was relieved or disappointed. “Foreigners are ruining the country,” Jerry grumbled. He did not say it to be heard, but to express himself. Middleton looked at Leela coolly, without welcome. His manner was ironical, though one could scarcely put a finger on the place where politeness faded and insult began. ‘‘And how can I deserve the honor, Miss Cabron—at such an inconveniencing hour, too?” Leela pointed through the open window. “T knew it was coming.” “Oh, really. A gang battle right on our doorstep. I have heard that gangsters sometimes give notice of shooting scrapes in advance—so the police will keep away, isn’t it?” He was wilfully misinterpreting, and she knewit. Her nature was flamingly petulant. She had been spoiled in about every way that a woman can be spoiled—and the devil has as many traps for their souls as there are sands on the shore—but she held back her temper, though with clenched teeth and tightened jaw. Her eyes gleamed, and Middleton, without seeming to evade her, looked away. “Wasn’t dey after youse?” Billy asked, mystified. “After me?” This with just a hint of surprize. “Why on earth, Billy, would anybody be after me?”’ He handed his hat to Jerry; and while getting out of the overcoat said: “Just lay | the coat in the library, Jerry. Thank you.” The telephone rang. COniuicloool< 97. (C@)