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Show r I ' . , 1 1l l . 'I I ' - Tap GapBy Gap GapBy . - By THAYER WALDOm WALDO m ileCluf McClure ileClufewyptpcr McClure'ewI'paper McClureew'paper -'ewI'paper 'ewI'paper ewIpaper : - ' . -ewyptpcr ewyptpcr -ew'paper ew'paper ewpaper - - ' ' SyndIcate Syndicatew SyndicateV.MJ SyndicateVMJ w " . 1U . U Se-n Se n Sert service - Ice . . BENNIE B ENNIE .N.N113 N.N113 NN113 . . set his tils litis lips lips in to aer a acrfirm \er er sery seryfirm \crfirm crfirm \ } firm line and resolutely kept hIs hIseyes hiseyes hiseyes eyes upon the . kdger J.edger Jedger ledger . Through thp the theopen thpopen HIPopen open window came the 'I I ' syncopated syncopatedtinkle , ) ncora ncopatedtinkle ted tedtinkle tinkle 6f 6t Of a piano and the rhsthmic rhsthmicclick rln rhUhnilcclick thodc thodcclIck clIck of or dancing shoes Merely b\raising b raising l\ l bs lraising bsraising ) \ \ raising his head Dennie Bennie coulil COllltJ could hnse hnselooked hn hn\elooked hn elooked \ e elooked looked across the narrocourt narron narro\\ narro narrow \ court III di IIIrcctly directly (11rcctly 11rcctly ( rcctly rectly Into the room "hence hence w \ " hence C'1mL C1mL c'tmc ctmc C'1mLthose c'tmcthose cinx-those cinx those ' - those sounds He lie could h\\ h iii ln\e ln e he ' \ \ e ceen seen ceenthe seenthe ; 'seentlio seentlio ' the keyboard ke ; , } board , , with Morne 'Iorrle Iorrle Morrie Morrieeal ' Z\e'1I Z e'1I e1I \eal eal \ ' ilSnimble ' . , I Inimble nimble fingers skipping s1.lpplng s1lpplng . over o 0 ' cr er ItnIl It , , \nIl nIl gnd gndbeyond ' inilbeyond nIlbeyond \ beyond , , a flash of bare legs If'gs Ifgs ' as Beth Bethtapped Bethtapped Retlitapped tapped upon the platform ph.ttform phttform ph.ttformNow PlatformNow platformNow . Now It must not be assumed th Ui It itthis itthis I Ithis this self denlil denhl v . was as a mitter m\tter m tter m'itter ' \ ' of con conscientlous conscientious conBdentlous scientlous scientious regard for iluh duty du ' \ with v.1th v1th . himTo him himTo himTo To be frank , . Bennie rather heart heartl1y heartlly heartlly l1y lly despised his job and on mostoccasions most mostoccasions mostoccasions occasions was quite rcndv rendv ready to neg neglest n neglect < . > g I Ilect lect lest It for diversion Ordln\rll\ Ordln rll Ordinaril OrdlnrllI Ordlnrlltoo Onllmrll\too Onllmrll too ' \ \ \ + I too , , nothing could hive h'1\"e h'1 h1 "e e have ' \ " been bpen 10 so sopleasantly 10pleasantly ' sopleasantly pleasantly diverting lverting as to w 's s \ ' ttch ttchBeth ttchBeth itchBoth Beth dince d\nce d nce dance ' \ , , even e\"en e "en en \ " from this 111CI'1nr 111CI1nr drstgne distinceind ; ' ttchI ( ' ' I 1nd and ' \ with \ Ith the rorechol foreshortened foreshottened ; tened tened'Ie \'Ie\ 'Ie Ie vies 'IeHut viesBut \ " ' vic\I vic I \ Hut But ut todly tod'1Y tod1Y today ' tlicre there ( ' c'lsteil clsteil c'isted cisted 11cted ' ; most moct ; un unu unusu 1111u&uil 1111uuil u usu & u u1 \1 1 it \ not to S1 s'i si si\ si siunhiip ' \ ' unhlpcil unhiip\ unhiip unh\lp\ unh lp unhgips unhiipcliciiinstances ' \ , , \ cil cii cliciiinstances CIIIII cam CIIIIII camstances I tnncec stances < ; ; notli Betl Beth . niiil find and Bcnnic Bennie Bcnniceie BennieCIC ss \ \\eie eie \\CIC CIC \ \ ere ' 'on on 'onlie onlie ' on onthe , the ( OIKS OlltS outs ' ' I I It II t li h ii II id ] all nil happuied haplll.l1e hapllll1e liapptned : . out of It a aclear Itclp ncleir clp clear Ir , ' sl 'l l \ s \ 'orImoct [ ' [ For 'or or 'or or ' ' \ ilmost \Imoct Imoct almost ; i 1 a ' iPII \PII PII sea \ P 1\ 1 \ 1thl tin thl thi tinIml s \ siiul \Iml Iml I Ih Iel h iiul \el el \ . , , , . , , one togetliei togethel together with nc rit\ci rit ci nt\1 nt 1 . \ ( \ + ei ' igngziel I iqinnel I gngziel 111\11 111 11 ' ] ' \ el . And .1nd 1nd In the pist p1St pest fmonth few f\\ f fe's fes ( ' \ ' month monthspi " . I IJIlin JIlin tai ins fim ' " for mairnge D131rl\ge D131rl ge mairigge ' \ hnd had hecorn becnmt be < .fIlni fIlni . ( a afiegnent ifipnnent fiegnent ( I III 'quent quent ( ' topic bl"t\\ bl"t blt between bl"tE'n bethseen " \ ( , E'n En ' them 1 \ " , - II < . ' soon .oon oon 'non non is 18 rs Bennie Benllle completed completrd his IllS s'ndf sndf s'ndfof s'mhof smhof s'mhofireless ' 'I1I I1I ' " or of \\ireless ireless wireless \ \ \ Irrlesc ; , there would be n a niininent ius > , CI\ CI CII CIIlnlllent ( > \iininent iininent \ I Ilnlllent anurent 1 posItionltln position 's s , ' wiltlns alting \ltln ltln ' \ PPlh Pc Peihips'P PeihipsP , ii IP an anIp'smild " I Ip'smild Ipsmild 1 ' ( ' \ ' Moulf \ QulrJ ] JLe pe Je , ; sent cent to ' ) some ome romiihuc rOmJlhliC roinmlrtrc j 'Iliit Iliit " ' ' iiot trnt and Heth Beth would \ ould KO go with \ Ith lilmis him himis 1 ' is < ; Ills his lals hisIre wifeI'ennie \ wife \\Ire Ire wife1'eiinie IreI'Pllllle himI I 1'eiinie 1eiinie I'Pllllle IPllllle I'ennie Iennie ' ' found a sort of hittci blUei bitter sit1 C1tI sgtI C1t sgt C1t1ctlon ; ' I "ictlon ictlon -1ctlon 1ctlon 'fiction fiction " - ' ' ' In dwelling d\\f'11Ing d f'11Ing f11Ing \ ' on Its I1n\1\t\ I1n 1 t tinglit I1n1tI ( imilhlhe\ imilhlhe imilhlhewere ' \ \ C1tI \ + I I Ilies h\ h here ( ' \ were "ere ere " \ \ ere , he told himself hlmcelr ; withi withrasgge \ with Ith IthI I iMge 1ge rasgge ' ' ' 1\ 1 \ ' { ge com conviction IcUon , as far rnr allRll8 apalt'is apaltis apail allRll is \8 8 ' \ If ifIheyhad Ifhevjiad I Ithpv.had thpv.had thpvhad Iheyhad ( . , never ne\'er ne 'er er \ " ' met Belli Beth could go'rcr go RO'iir ROiir I I'ILr 'ILr ILr 'rcr rcr ' ' 0\\ 0 own 0n \ n s\\ s sweet seet \ \ eet wry \ wn \ n , , an and If It ledher led ledh ledher h her r rl right ht Into thfi tM thQ arm nrm nnnA ! of thRt- thRt that- that thRtth thattlnt thnt thnttint - tint tht tlnt th \t t \ int lat rat , . Morrle 'rorrip rorrip 4forrie 'rorripeal11 ' \eal-\\11\ eal 11 'feat-v 'feat feat v ' \ ' Neal eal11all - \ win h \ allright all allII allnyht II right ht He , , 8 $ nnlCjdlln.t nnlCjdllnt ennleJ4didnt < * nnJe ( , ; , dldn ( . t cire c'tre ctre care ' a acnnp'I asniap asn sniap cnnp'I cnnpI cnnp'IShe ; p , " ' She had lied e.d ed . had h d her chance hst last hstI hstmht lastnizht listni I mht nizht , . : ht to chooBeL chooBeLand choose and she had h had d aald 8ald said " ' ' ' Bennie . _ . . .rack60n rack60n Jackson , . JnckBpn1 , ' y you're youre u're ure ' the themca tliemeanest mca meanest St , , m08t most mostsuspicious moat wsplclous suspicious amplclous fellow I II Ic ie Ic I c\ c cer e \ + er knew knewl I ! Of courser , ' I'm Im ' going goingI goingto goingto goingto I to keep 01taking on 01\ 01 \ taking the Jessonsr lessons Jessons Mrteals \ Mr \r r Mrcals ! 1 1eal ] \eal eal ! \ teals cals s giving me V 'Hult Hult 'HultHong ' flint's flints fiat's fiats ' ' + ; \Hong Hong "rang rang "rangi \ " wrongwith i \ % \ + Ith that ? tSo t ' HongI I So Bennie Bennie had pl picked .ked ked < . up his cap capand capand I Iand and stalked out of 01 ' her apal spat apnitmentvery tment , ' \"f'ry "f'ry fry very tment'l"f'ry \ " ' coldly Hevasn He \ wasn \vasn vasn wasp t the kind kllld tment'l tmentl tolet to tolet tolet let a girl see that she had hurt hurt111m hurthim hurtlilm 111m him Ma Maibe Maybe , } be Both Beth had 1'orgotten 1orgotten forgotten ' forgottenabout I Iabout .tbout tbout about . the treasurer's treasurers ' onlce ofUce office . , Ilght tight IlghtI Ilghtnc tightnett lightnext I nc\ nc nct nett ' \ t door to the dance director director's directors director'sand directorsand ' , I lnd and : that Bennie went there se\ se seernl several severaltune severaltimes \ ernl ernlI ernltune I tune tune ' " e ea s.1l s1l . c i day to return accounts accountsto to ITie fire ? he safeell,1f safeI safe safeell accountsI I \\ell,1f ell,1f ell1f I\ I \\ell ell Iell \ \ ell , , If thatHI.S that \ was \HI.S HI.S HI.Shat . \ what \\hat hat sheant she \\ant ant want wanted \ wantcd \ antcd cd ed she che : certainly could ha have hale ' e it with withotfit v . without antI ith ithout I out otfit outn \n n any ' \ inv , } more Interference frolD from frolDhim fromtihm fromhim him tihm He \ was as going to finl finish < ; h his his"Ireless hiswireless hiswireless "Ireless Ireless wireless " stu studies les In a n hUinnd hum hUin hurrs ' \ ind \nd nd gnd then thenget thenhet thenget g-et g et het - ' is 1S as far away as possible pocsllJle ; from from7enIth from7enlth from7enlth 7enIth 7enlth studio and HoJly'oodnd Hollywood HoJly'ood HoJlyood " , ' \nd nd 'tnd tnd 'tndBeth ' \ ' indBeth ndBeth Beth Mlllard 'HUard HUard Millard ' He reached reaehed In the thedesk thedesk tliedesk desk dra drawer " er for the little manunl manunlhe m\ntln m ntln minimilie ' \ I Ihe he always alw8\s alw8 s nlwass \ kept there determinedto determl1wdto determinHdto determl1wd determinHd code codeAs to spenda ' spend 'Ipend Ipend I a < few minutes determl1wdI re\ re rele resiewing resiewingcode reviewingcode reviewingcodeAs \ le\\ le leInF \ \ InF : I As he took It out Ills his e\ e eves ees eses \ es stinveilIn stiavedin stU1\ stU1 stU1ed stiaved \ ed 111 in one fleeting glance Innce to the window windowopposite \ windowopposite \ Indo\\ Indo Indoopposite \ opposite Imint Immt.11 Immt11 Immullitelv- Immullitelv Immullitelvthey . rli . ltel\ ltel ttely lteltlley \ " - they tlley rh ris rivetedtliere eted etedthere etedthere there , he sit s\t s t sat ' \ uplifeht UPllbht uptight , ten tense < ; e nnd and andstgrtled andstutled stgrtled < : t\l t l ' \ tied The " sn 11 n ule Hie ade v\ v w \ vis \ is 1S being pulIpd pulled pulIpddo pulleddown pulleddown do\\ do don down \ n o over o\er o er \ + er the lowoi 10Cl lowci 10\\ 10 \ Cl hilf h'1lf h1lf htlf ' of the tliewindow \ ' \ % Indo\\ Indo indow IndolIe \ \ He lIe just had hind time for a aglimpse aglimpse I lIlllpce glimpse ; of ' i 't t ' \ m1n mgn mins s liand hand on thp the thecord ( IIPcoid (01 01 cord ( then It VTIS W'1S W1S svgs ' completelv eonipletely drgsvn drgsvnand dnwnand r\\\ r rn rnnd ' \ \ \ n nnd and Bennie \ " wis 'is is ' ' \ < ; st\rin st rin st stirlne ' \ tring'it tringit ' it 1t a hhnk hl'ink hlink hhnkIJUff hl'inkhuff hlinkluiff ' IJUff huff squaie sqUlue square squareThe sqUluefhe squaierhe rhe fhe The music 1n ' ' ind 'inch inch the clicking cl1d.lng cl1dlng . t'1P t1P tap tapof t'1Pof tipof ' of feet ha had ccaseil ceased cea ed Involunt'1llh Involunt1llh involunt Involuntiiilv,1'ennlc's Involuntiiilv1ennlcs ' i i1 . , Pennie J'ennie's Jennies ' ' ' ' " teeth cime c\me c me cgme ' \ h\r h r Inrd hard ' \ to-ethel to ethel toetliet toethelU toetliet4t to , : - ? ctliei ctlieit \t t U 4t \ that tholt moment the tI\E tI E \ ' sound of tbe the tbepwno thepiano thepinno pwno piano " was "as as resu resumed = med Bennie halted haltedIn haltedin haltedin In his tracks pulled pU771ed puzzled 1 les Ies e < ; , there therecould therecould therecould could be no doubt . about .lbout lbout It , nohe now no\\ no \ he hee heeven heeven een even e\ e \ en heard Beth's Beths ' ' < ; shoes hoec ; again He Hefaced Hefaced Hefaced faced ' ' iroupd 1roupd 'iroupd 11 11re lire-oliitP lire oliitP re'oilltp reoilltp - " ' olute and won wondoing \ wondcring wondcringSuddenly on doing ulng ulngSuddenly doingSuddenly Suddenly he lie stiffened IIstenlnJ IIstenlnJwith Ilstenln listeningwith ? with rene\\ rene renewed reneed \ \ ed Intensity Intenclh lntensity ; . , Tile The Tilene.t Theneat Tlienext ne.t net neat ) . Instint Inst'1nt Inst1nt inst'int ' lie he had ha sprung "prung prung < " to thephone the thephone thephone phone 1udUS ' ' iiid 1ud 'tud tud \ was \\US US frinticallv frantically ( r lntlcall po poanding poandingthe poundingthe ndlng ndlngthe the s\\ s switch sHch \ Hch , ' Give me toe the btuilio tudlo studio pollce- pollce police- police policequick pollcequick police-quick police quick - quick quickt t ' " " Tn Two 0 minutes later ratcr [ four our men v . with withdrawn withdrawn ith ithdra dra drawn " n revolvers revolver'3 revolver3 ' prec preceded ( ed Bennieon Bennie Bennieon on the rush to Morrie Neal's Neals ' officec officeI officeZe'1J office Z\e'1J Z e'1J e1J I \ el c ' l sat at the piano , his face tace taut tautand tautand tautand and strained straine Both Beth was still s1l11 tap- tap tapping tapping tap tapping - ping feverishly feverisbly feverisblyI feverisblyThe feverishlyThe feverishlyThe I The door it 1t at the far tar side stood stoodI stoodopen stoodopen I open I ' 'lhe lhe The he studio policemen pOllcemen rushed rushedI rushedacrO rushedacross rusheducrohs I acrO across ! : > 9 through It There cime C'1me C1me came ' n a ayell aiell yell eU , a string of 01 ' oaths , a sound ot of othl'R ofIn ofheavy hl'R hlR In ' asy \ Y scuffllng-1ncl scuffllng 1ncl scuffling scuffling - ind 'tncl tncl ' the thing was wasaU wasall wasall aU all over 0er oser 0\ 0 \ er . The four uniformed mcn men mcnemel menemerged menemeiged emel emerged ge I < , , securely 5ecurely grappling hvo two hvoothers twoothers twoothers others whose whoce ; : looks 1001.s 1001s . re revelled rese'tled resetled ' e'11ed e11ed ' their theirprofession theirprofession theirprofession theirprofessionBeth profession professionBeth Beth eth ran rnn Into Benule Benute Bennies s arms and andclung andclung andclung clung there , , crying * . ' 'Oh Oh ' ' Oh , darling darIlng , you're youre ' ' wonderful wondcrful wondcrfulI I ' I Iw Iwis w \ 1'J 1J ' t ' so 5 O . n afraid fral ' ' ' ' ' The 'Ihe Ihe treasurer of ot Zenith studio studiocme studiocame studiocime c\me c me came ' \ out of ot hi his " office ofhce , mopping bls his blsuro hisbrow hisbrow uro\\ uro brow urolth \ \ \ with \ lth a n silk sill , . handkerchief hand1.erchlef hand1erchlef . , and andgrlppel1 andgripped andgripped grlppel1 gripped Bennie Bennle Bennies S hand warmlyoure warmly . , ' \oure oure \ You ou re a rcil rC11 real hero bcro , my boy boyl bops I ' he hep heDeclaimed hepxclalmed p Declaimed clalmed ; ; ' 'but but 'hut hut ' I don't dont ' understandI understandJ understand1 understand -J J -1 1 - I don't dont ' ' see hOOU how hO\\ hO \ \ " ' you } ) ou knew ' Why Whythose , thooe those ; thug thugs < ; ma made trade e : Morris Iorrls and nnd Miss Miss'I11I'1r Miss11111grd iMlsaMllhril 'I11I'1r I11I1r 11111grd ' ' here KO go on \ with Ith their prac practlclnp practicinQ practicing tlclnp ticinQ tlclnpn ticinQgnd ind gnd \n n ' \ 1 < tol told the rest rEt . ' $ of or u us they they'd theyd they'dolinot they'dnhnot theydnhnot ' ' t > olinot llOot fie t'le tle t'ie tie ' flrst first one who let out a a1)C'C'P al.mep aiwp 1)C'C'P 1CCP l.mep lmep ) . ' ' ' ' , ' Btnnie Bl-nnle Bl nnle Bcnnie - . ; , oilmioil lIunell iinned do\\ do duwn don down \ n Into lleth's lleths Beth's Beths lleth'stljJll1rnc Beth'suiturned Beth'sMiilurncd BethsMiilurncd ' tljJll1rnc uiturned , ' \ idoiing idotiug ollng f.lceHue faceMetes face f.lce flce faceIkrc . Huel.ere Metes Ikrc Hue s < ; ivhcre \\l.ere l.ere "here here " \ \ . the ciedlt cledlt credit goes goes"le goesle , " Ie riplkd replied rlJlIIL , 'if if ' if iflie . ' she .he he -lie lie - Indn't Indnt h'1dn't h1dnt hgdrr't hgdrrt ' ' ' rCml.l1l rCmll1l remcnt rCml.l1lbel remcntbeard remoinben-d remoinben d . beard bel Lli - hoto how ho\\ ho \ \ to tup tUI1 tap out n R a message messne niessne . ; In Inlloi : STIMOISP n lloi ' 101 se < ; 1 " cotle code 1 " I'd Id ' 1 < ha\ ha hay have hac \ c a been halt half a aml'e aini'e ami'e amie ml'e mle ini'e inie ' ' from frolU here hv by now nosy , th thlnL.ing thlnLing thinkings thlnL.ings = inking inkings . s ' ' e c tl'li.tlo\c tlli.tloc tl'li.tlo tllitlo c dart dartt u'lln ulln ' ' ! ! . t , , lo\c lo c role \ me mcl lncl } " " J t } > 1 * j s , |