All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

. 790 I tried to get out of their way by turning my back upon them, and edging slowly toward the reserves’ room. “Where are you going?” the leu- tenant asked sharply, and I stopped at once, feeling sure that I had made my- self still more conspicuous. “ Stay right there till you're told to move. What you got, Malone?” ‘““\ dago woman, sorr. She was thryin’ for to make a corpse of that bad divil, Tony Varelli, whin I butted in. She’s his woife, sorr.”’ “Huh! Do much damage to him?” “ Knoifed him twicet, sorr, in Gor- gan’s saloon. The ambilance tuk him away. I got the names av witnesses, sorr.”’ “All right. Let’s get it entered and— What are ye starin’ at, both of yer” I had impetuously turned my head upon hearing Malone’s charge against the little Italian girl, and both were regarding me questioningly. Recog- nition came into the prisoner’s wild eyes first, but it followed in the twinkling blue of the Irishman’s very quickly after, though he seemed a bit undecided about his guess. “ Nothin’, sorr,”” he answered hur- riedly. “But I seen the gintleman thare somewheres afore, an’ I was thryin’ for to plaice him.” I hoped fervently that he never would. Mrs. Varelli was studying the floor again. “ Here you, Krause! ” the lieutenant roared suddenly toward the reserves’ room. “Clear that bunch of rubber- necks away from the door. You have seen this gentleman before, Malone?” “Yes, sorr, somewheres.”’ “Huh! That’s vague enough.” Malone reddened a trifle, and went with his prisoner before the blotter in which the charge against her, with all the necessary frills, was entered, while IT stood waiting for orders. A reporter came in, nodded to the “ czar of the precinct,” and hung about until the latest entry in the blotter was completed. THE ALL-STORY MAGAZINE. As Mrs. Varelli, a broken, half- savage atom of humanity, was being led away to temporary quarters, she looked quickly up at me, plainly won- dering why I was there. “Know the lady? ” The lieutenant’s voice was so very quiet it startled me, and the reporter’s attention came away from the blotter instantly. oe No.”’ “Seemed to know you.” - “ Really!” I saw the reporter grin. The lieu- tenant's glance went over my shoul- der. “ Here’s Parks,” he announced, as if it did not matter. “I guess he’s stabbed blind, found something an’ didn’t know it. We'll go inside, 1f you don't mind. Frank!” “Yessir,” his assistant answered in- stantly, Tell Malone I want him to remem- ber where he saw this gentleman, and to do it before he leaves the station- house.” ~ essir.” The reporter was all eyes. Parks came in quietly, without any fuss, and I was marched into a room, which I presumed was intended for such con- ferences as that which followed. When the door was carefully closed and I had accepted the offer of a chair by a flat-top desk, Parks, with a glance at the lieutenant, who remained stand- ing, began with: ‘Let me tell you something. The truth won't do you any harm, but the other thing will only get you in bad. What were you doin’ climbin’ them fences?” I told him my story. “Sounds all right. friend go?” “He went into the bar a few minutes before the lights went out.” “What's his name? ”’ * Rollins,’ I answered tingly. “ Does he live in the city?” “ Central Park West.” Where'd your unhesita- comicloooks.com