Adventure, June 1911 — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

Denny the Rat ‘Back again?” he snarled, reaching for the bung-starter. At any other time Denny would have fled, but for the present he was completely obsessed with his. great idea. With his hand he made a motion well un- derstood between the two. The barkeeper gave in sullenly, as if sorry to lose the op- portunity of using his weapon. The thief slipped quietly into a back room. After a long time the garrulous stranger finished his drink and departed. Denny drew a deep breath and eyed the barkeeper stonily across the sloppy table. “Gimme a poice o’ poiper—none 0’ ye're dirty pad, cully—an enwelop and a stamp. Now chase yerself; this is me busy day!” Grogan’s night helper rose reluctantly. This was not the man he knew. Come to bully, he found himself relegated to the position of servant; nevertheless he went. Such is the dominance of a splendid con- ception. { The material at hand, the Rat wrote with many blotches, laborious lip-spelling of words, and hunching of elbows. With his letter finally finished, safe in the en- velope and addressed, he rose to face the bartender leaning over his shoulder. That worthy stretched out a soft, white hand. “Come in and have- 2 dram,” “and I'll wrap-you up a pint. = “Where youse goin’ to stay?” he asked when the drink was gone. “Now, I’ve got a cot,” he added tentatively; “if you think——”_ And the Rat said he did think, in rather a bored tone, for he was ee under the spell of his great idea. BY THE time Denny awoke on his bravely earned cot the missive was in the hands of the Chief of Police. And, while it may have caused intense ex- citement in that individual’s pouter-pigeon breast, he displayed no undue elation. Graft is a delicate thing, a butterfly whose gold- powdered wings must be brushed ever so gently. The Chief, therefore, having pon- dered long and thoughtfully, pushed a but- ton and gave a careless order. Affairs of importance should be hid under a bushel. A little later Denny, somewhat tremulous at having to invade this holy of holies, en- tered. The night’s rest had not done him good. Twelve hours of contemplation had weakened his nerve, for the deed he was about to do sat uncomfortably upon his _Oftenses. “he Said, 291 cowardly nature. He sidled crabwise to a chair and, clutching his limp, black hat, watched the Chief’s movements appré- hensively. The latter, without looking up, passed him the letter to read. Denny, in a quavering voice, began. He wondered greatly at himselfi—where he, a robber of drunks, snatcher of womelis purses, purloiner of fat men’s watches, ever conceived the hardihood to formulate such a plan "The Chief’s attitude toward him had as subtly changed as had the barkeeper’s. There was just a spark of contempt in his eyes where Denny had been accustomed to find a blaze. Also—which- warmed the cockles of his heart—there was a little hint of respect, which he thought due him now he was in a fair way of becoming a desper- ate character. Alas, Denny, it was only the fear of rubbing the dust from the but- terfly’s wings! However, not being given to self-analysis, his chest took on an arch not unlike the Chief’s own. He felt that fate, so long ad- verse, was beginning to relent. The note read something like this: Honorep Sir—Yu kant find who has wrote this unles-yeu. imme yure word not to proseente | fer past rophane tried {> pull me last night ¢ as a vag, also m3 wanted 6n a charge of dipping. gim- me a clean bill an Ill put yu wise on how to katch Larry Lackmore. we done several jobs together and got another framed up. I want haf the money five hundred plunks. pass the woid to Grogans nite man if yu mean biz. Signed a friend. p s this is no bum steer. “Did you write that?” asked the Chief. “TI ain’t no dip!” protested the Rat ve- hemently. “Let’s put it this way,” said the Chief diplomatically: “‘Could you put your hand on the man who did write it?”’ Denny thought that under certain con- ditions he might be able to find him. The agreement having reached a point where, as the law has it, ‘‘there is a meeting of minds, Hf they proceeded amicably. II ) LARRY LACKMORE, as he was ) known at that time, was a peculiar if not eccentric character. Born of rich and influential parents, he chose vol- untarily to espouse a career of crime, and, strange as it may seem, his success in this COmmiclbooks (C@