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Show L mzmm TTT By Arvin jQme J Surprlslngly, the boss was agree-able. agree-able. "Why, sure, kid, why not? Go ahead and good luck to you." FriU was worried. The boss was too decent about it He talked It over with Ruth. Ruth's face was white when he finished. "We'll have to sneak out," she said. "We'll have to get so far away they'll never find us." He went to the window and looked out. His heart sank. Two men whom he knew were standing stand-ing in a doorway across the street. He told Ruth. He told her he didn't have a gun. He wouldn't know how to use one if he did have one. "It's no use," he said. "They've got us." "No, they haven't," said Ruth. P RITZ WAS BORN Into a world " ef crime and vice and rackets. was taught to hold the other world in contempt; to think ef it always as prey. FriU Mvtr carried a gun. He was too smart for that. Aa long as you didn't have a gun you couldn't kill anybody. When he was K Fritz contacted something. The doctor whom he consulted called It by some fancy riama. "If you want to live, my boy, you'll have to, go away for awhile." FriU didn't want to leave his world, but he wanted to live. He went away. He spent six months at a sanitarium far from the city up in the bills. At first he was too sick to take notice of his surround- She went to her bureau and took out a gun. "I've had this for ages. It belonged to my father. He taught me how to shoot." Fritz stared at her. Admiration crept into his eyes. He didn't say a word, but they packed suitcases and then crept down the back stairs, leaving the apartment lights on. A man stepped from the shadows. shad-ows. Fritz knew who he was. Fritz was scared. He started to run, and just then Ruth shot and the man grunted and toppled forward. Then they were both scurrying down a back alley. A policeman's whistle sounded. They came into a street and slowed to a walk. A taxi cab stood on the corner. They got into It and told the driver to take them to the station. They reached the station and bought tickets and boarded the train. Fritz sat frigidly till the train moved. He didn't relax till they reached Chicago and changed trains and were on their way again. He looked at Ruth. It occurred to him that he was now a member of the world he hadn't known. For 10 years he had been the prey of the old world. He always would be. Then gradually he understood that he was leaving the old world behind. ings. When finally he did notice he got quite a shock. He had seen green grass before, of course. But never so much. The air had a different dif-ferent smell, too. A good smell. The people were unlike any he had ever known. Gradually he understood un-derstood they were the inhabitants of the world ha had always held in contempt. Ha didn't understand them. But ha liked them. He liked especially the nurse who tended him. He liked her red hair and blue eyes and clean fresh look. Her name was Ruth Masters. When Fritz got well enough to walk she walked with him. It was summer. Fritz didn't know what was happening to him, but he felt queer. Ha wanted Ruth with him always. They were married and went back to the city. They hired an apartment and FriU returned to bis old haunts. That night Fritz told Ruth about his "business." He couldn't understand under-stand her horror. "I- couldn't quit it I wanted to, honey. The boss wouldn't let me." Ruth said she'd leave him. Fritz became desperate. He said he'd talk it over with the boss. |