Show I DA yS y'S SHORT STORY SORY fiction ion by y Americas America's r a Greatest W Writers r I It tr bI a DM JL 1 C J- J t THE LEPRECHAUN t R By Albert Dorrington twee te UK tAlt of ot a t man no hJ higher her than op op p of m my boot Wilton announced n the breakfast tahl table talle He Ollie peeped fI round the chair and seeing m myno rny my no po doubt back Into line maam a a. Lanigan proprietress of Tho Thod d In Need boarding house hOURC stared starell mouthed at Wilton lon her fingers finders Ing ag and relaxing In the folds told of ot her herin hern in n Im I'm not In tumor humor for tor your youri our ourI I. I i orr A week wee ago slit ht hMO hate blamed the HUo black ty try that belongs 8 to the tho or organ pun man manthe manthe n an anthe the WA way Hut hoth both are away at nt aty aty nty y Island this month tho cf- cf o of last night that's that yc ye C r rIton Iton lion nit Mt tight In his hilt chair the tho Ins Ing paper thrust to the far ar end of ot Able as though Its Us contents illS dis- d and Irritated ted him A late lato riser id td como conio down to breakfast long the other boarders had left let the A l tout stout clean shaven man mon o of im Jm height his jokes and stories e c night before had hod kept the big bl- bigg s C g room In a constant smother of ot iter But of ot nil all Mrs Mm V lers he hl was the tho on ono who preferred to the tho whisky ie lIe thing that puzzles me Mrs an nn ho went on on was WIl the crea- crea i makeup Ho lie wore a a. cocked hat ack silk Hk with a n. pink cloak clook and ruffles and the tho tiniest silver sliver silvered led ed shoes In the world Wilton I learning across the tho table i v landlady landlady's direction You have no marionette people or midget ct theatricals thea thc trl ls in the house he be Inquired earnestly earn earn- earnestly estly None at all nil orr Theres There's only the hunch bunch yo ye saw last Int night Mr Lynch o of number three Wilton sipped his coffee abstractedly with occasional down glances In tho direction of oC his hla chair legs and fireplace opposite A vendor ven or of o trinkets and cheap Jewelry his hi appearance at L nl- nl gans gan's was generally I welcomed by tho 1 little cosmopolitan crowd o of breadwinners ners who patronized tho the East Sido boarding house Mrs Lanigan reached for tho the discarded dis dis- discarded carded newspaper with a n. sigh Did DM ye 0 r read nd the account of the tho poor lady who was waR murdered yesterday in fourth fourth an an Madison she sho ventured d as though anxious to avoid old i further urther reference to his uncanny little visitor for In her heart lay la a suspicion that Wilton was anxious to bc begin ln the da day with a n. bit hit of ot innocent fun at her expense Yet Celtic Ima imagination I was fired by 11 his unusual gravity and preoccupation occupation of manner I Iu u Murders do not Interest me mc he told her after a n pause Judged ed by hy some homo American papers ever every tenth citizen is a a. gunman or a n crook TI tho the fault ault of ot the tho police for how comes it that a lad lady like Mrs In should bo shot in n broad da daylight daylight day day- light and robbed without a trace of the murderer anywhere When these gunmen gunmen gun Jun- I men can n waylay y people In places like n an time the fourth Fifty-fourth an escape Continued on page nipo pJ n I fil I I I I DAI DAILY Y SHORT STORY Continued from page 3 cops game themselves a L fu funeral funeral fu- fu noral Wilton was silent his his eyes traversed the tile floor Joor space to the tho window and back to the door Mrs Irs LanIgan Lanigan Lanigan Lan Lan- igan moved nervously with her tray tm- as she she- followed his roving roving- glance The leprechaun Is ye C She laughed uneasily while the milk mUk jug and sugar basin rattled ratted on the tray In her hands Oh You have a a. name for it Wilton Witton Witton Wit Wit- ton flung out his eyes ces brightening at atthe atthe atthe the points Now what in creation Is Isa Isa isa a leprechaun Mrs Irs Lanigan 7 tle little man who comes to help poor wives at nt times Mr Wilton But sure its it's ye e are o this mornin In Ireland we have them but not riot Inthis in inthis inthis this country at all aU Mother of Mercy What Vhal ails aUs ye yeT e 1 Wilton had risen from Crom the th-e chair and was staring wide eyed at the tho half halt open door immediately behind the now trembling trembling trembling trem trem- bling landlady Look he ho cried hoarse hoarsely Over there therel I IThe I The tm tray almost fell teU from Mrs LanIgan's Lanigan's Lanigan's Lan- Lan i igans igan's nerveless fingers as she sidestepped sidestepped side side- stepped with a suppressed cr cry behind his chair Wilton's taco face was waR a a. stud study in suppressed excitement and curiosity you see it he demanded under his breath Surely you ou arc are not bUnd blind No was the almost h hysterical rejoinder Go Co als aisy please carrying I the joke too far tar yo ye 0 are this Im not Joking Wilton v snapped My c eyes es are clear enough to read that Infernal newspaper type my head Is not fuddled with whisky kY fumes either Mrs Lanigan Look look Pointing with his finger he seemed to crouch across the room to the passage passage passage pas pas- sage outside Here his glance elance flashed up UI the tho narrow stairs while his hl ged gred indicated bedroom number three Gone In there he declared huskily You Yott saw it I Mrs Lanigan Lanhan reeled into the passage I sweat moistening her brow Wilton's strong strong fingers closed on her arm irm and steadied her r shaking g limbs I You saw it slip into number three he Insisted hoarsely Are you afraid of these leprechauns Mrs Lanigan 1 Mrs Lanigan fanned her red hot taco face with the morning paper Im not sure that I didn't see th the light of a silver shoe buckle on on the stairs Mr Wilton The saints protect us in an tho But you arc are not afraid of or the tho le leprechaun leprechaun le- le 7 They lher come for a good g purpose purpose pur pur- pose you ou say Where did he hide In number three Shall Shan we go o up I I Mr Ir room The door will be locked There never nover was such sucha a man for Cor locking his door There was never nC a landlady who couldn't open a locked 1 door in her own 01 house Wilton laughed And if ir we dont don't s got get t a second view of the tile lep lepre- lepre re chaun chaunt Ill I'll nC never nCr r forgive myself or you ou either er I Mrs an fled and amI soon for tor a a. key soon returned palpitating with suppressed emotion motIon Wilton shot tho the key koy In the tho door and nl n Hung filing It wide The room was wasa a small one with a window overlookIng overlook- overlook I In Ing the tile river and nud an nn arm array of or squalid I tenements and Chinese shops hops Wilton took In the th cheap foreign made dressIng dress dress- lag Ing table at a n. glance lanee A pair Imir of or large mud t soiled boots displayed something of DC number threes three's walking habits In a a. I far corner cornel a a. small black bag lag showed ed I against t the yellow skirting skirting- board A skeleton kc key appeared Incidentally I In Wilton's fingers rBI rB u Ir the Is the tho I not un under er bed bcd Mrs lr Lanigan it may he ho In hero he predicted with a n. smile In the turn of his wrist tho the contents content of tho the ba bag were emptied on the floor From a litter of or miscellaneous articles he ho drew out a 0 small lod ladys lady's s watch with tho the monogram H Fl C. C Inset with pearls and diamonds A small bank hank book bearIng bearing bear bear- ing tho the written name Hannah Chon- Chon inside almost fell CeU into his hla hands Wilton turned to the tho astonished land Jand lady his taco face grown suddenly tense and anti hard hanl I I must ask you ou to keep silent he ho commanded One word to tn your people and and and- I The Tho sound of an automobile wa was I heard outside tho the house A moment later tho the front door was opened ad admitting ad- ad nuttIng a lank stooping shouldered I man man with largo large feet and a R. slightly han hanging ln ja Jaw With a furtive glance along the boarding house homm passage pl tho the stooping jure fi-jure mounted the tile stairs hur hur- My 1 God Lynch tho the landlady moaned What hat shall I sa say Wilton thrust her behind the door s a-s tho long Jong gaunt shadow of or number three seemed 10 o lead across the tho narrow corridor A revolver slanted from Wilton's Wil Wil- tons ton's hand as ns the door was thrust back I Hands up up Theres There's a 0 bunch of ot plainclothes plain plainclothes I clothes men around this house Lynch 1 alias Nolan tho the Knife KnUe Youre You're wanted i for the affair Keep your our hands where they aro aro 6 I Wilton's revolver almost touched the snarling face tace of ot tho tIlo trapped woman I slayer Walk VaJk out into the thc street he ordered or m my bullet may get you I where your food goes oes in I Three plain clothes men aPPl appeared I suddenly in the tho passage e. e VII Wilton ton fol tol- lowed Lynch Lyncha skulking shape down downstairs downstairs stairs pausing once to look back at the Ue speechless landlady above That lock door of or number three al almost almost al- al most beat m my keys he explained cheerfully Then in III a 0 con consoling whisper whisper whisper whis whis- per But m my little leprechaun has helped me J through h tougher doors than Lynchs Mrs Lanigan Good by |