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Show -1 I k m t. -Tj' "ft- -Jfi-"i Tjr" -ftr " i-V n rlVittotfUjffl I T Ratty Fallon's Grab i v I J By Elliott Walker 4 . I . - n m f . A, rJb 1 As Fullon peered from tho nllcy for the tonth time, ho drow back with a Jerk to mako quick, professional preparations prep-arations for tho roceptlnh of tho victim vic-tim coming hnBtily down tho dim, do-sorted do-sorted sheet. "Steady, nuw, Hatty," ho whispered to his excited pulses, Tor tho approaching ap-proaching footsteps rang on Iho walk with tho firm tread or a vigorous man. "You're workln' ulone, yo know, an' not rcdlln' nono too Biuart but, horo goes rcr yor sick kid." His teeth ground cavagcly r.a he gripped his short, loaded club an Ingenious In-genious weapon or lend nnd leather with n wrist loop. Again Fallon squeezed n wary squint around tho cold bricks, IiIb face pressed closo, his cap rubbing tho wnll. A glance satisfied him. "Soft hat, big fellor, hands In pockets, pock-ets, head down, tblnkln' or notliln', Bomo gent out Into a-hurryln' homo. Uucss ho won't git thoro Boon's ho cnlkllatcs. I'll nail him on tho nut rrom In front. Ono two now!" Llko a hunted nnlmnl, tho slim, wiry flguro crouched and lenped, striking strik-ing heavily with his club as his feet mado a rapid shirt on tho sldowalk, which brought him within a nlcoly calculated cal-culated distance or the bent hoad. Dut his prey Improved that second ot astonishment In a most unexpected, and, to Hatty Fallon, disconcerting manner. His wholo left sldo scorned to shrink away with n lightning twist, his hoad moved a fow Inches with tho turn, und the weapon of Hutty grazed harmlessly harm-lessly down a coat Bleove. The sleeve camo up and out as tho assaulted ono wheeled back. It was too sudden for Hatty, that smashing loft fist. Between his narrowed eyes It slammed, and ns tho thief staggered, stagger-ed, a heel tripped him. Fallon lay upon his oack making feeble struggles. Ho know exactly what ho was about Tho man on top was choking him fiercely, but not professionally. pro-fessionally. With tenBo nock muscles, mus-cles, tho gasps and gurgles of Hatty were a fiction. Ho was breathing very nlcoly between them, nnd the faint movemonts of ills trained hands beneath be-neath tho other's coat wero not for a clutch which should frco him. Ho dug suddenly nt his enemy's back, pinching and chowing. The strangling immediately became moro pronounced with injunctions or a violent vio-lent nature. Hatty's other hand whero was it? Those expert, searching fingers, whero wero they? Mr. Fal lon know and was pleased. A dreadful throat rattle, a cessation of breath (he had a lino supply In his lungs) a limp collapso of head, hnd limbs and tho hold up man lay still with fixed eyes and a droppod Jaw. Ills adversary got from him In haste, pressing at Fallon's wrist. "Dy Jovo! I've gono too far confound con-found him! Pulse going, but tho man doesn't breathe. He's unconscious. I'll get to a tolophono. Tho nmbulance Is tho thing not tho police. I'll work him back with a bit of help." Hatty heard these remarks with a grim dollght. Ho watched tho hurrying hurry-ing logs rush up tho nearest flight of stops, and reached under his thigh.. Tho man pulled tho door boll, sharply, then turned to look at tho prostrato one. Ho was gone, "Well, Maine," Hatty closed tho creaking door as softly as ho had opened it. "Well, Tim." The weary fcattyes of the woman gathered Into a smile of welcome. Sho put a finger to hor lips, nodding at tho back door. "Sleepln'?" Fallon sat down In a broken backed chair. "Tho tenement's tene-ment's qulot to-night," "Thank God, yes. Pete's sleepln' lovely. Whero'd you git tho black eye, Tim?" "Doln' blzness," returned Mr. Fallon, Fal-lon, "un' u neat Job, consldorln'. I nln't hoavy enough to work alone. I'v'e the quickness not tho weight. Hut Brad got drunk 'bout 13, an' I had to, ye know. So I goes up on Cranford aveuuo an' slips In tho alloy what lies between tho big houses, an' conios out on Hnwyorth Btroot lonely place, an' a chance at rollers goln' homo late. I had to wait, but, finally ono come." "Yest?" Bald his wife, drowsily. "You'ro played out an' most nsloop, ain't yer, my gal?" A note or tondor-nornesB tondor-nornesB thrilled tho low, hnrsh wills-por. wills-por. " 'Taln't bo much that," the woman sat up. "It's more a bewllderin' reolln' comln' or tblnkln' an' wonderln. I can't talk but I'm llBtonln', Tim, an' I'm glad you'ro In." "Spoakln' or thoughts. I had 'em all right, hldln' In that alleyway;" rejoined rejoin-ed Fallon, cheerfully, t. "mi quit of 'em now, with n grub In my clothes, you by mo, an' little Pete Hlumborln'. Thero, In tho dark, 'twas different. Says I to mysoir: 'Hatty, a tougher man novor was than you bo lately, an' It's tho softness, sufforln' in yer on 'count or Mniuo an' tho boy what makes yer fool llko doln' murder for a dollar to holp 'em.' 1 seo you, -Jlst ns plnln, bondln' over I'otle, white an' cryin', an him rollln', an' niuttorln'. Tears run In my eyes tears, Mame. It was like a plctur, there In tha dark." "Yos, sir," ho pursued reflectively, "I buo that, au' it mado mo doaprltf ; more, so thuu I over felt. Sure, It thu soft spot In a teller, gits to, nchln'' ,1 that's what freezes him up Into boln M n dovll." jpj "Thoro's good In tho world good :M In tho world," muttered Maine, rock- fH Ing In her chair. "It's como to mo ' th"s night. You never was mean lo U me, Tim, never! You ain't so bad T 1H It's steal or starve. I know I know. l An' Petlo so sick an' noodln things." . "Come! como!" said Fallon roughly hut kindly. "Tho lad's restln' an' hot- '' tor. I'll watch the boy. I don't know how much I've pinched, but there's a roll In the pockctbook. I couldn't see, but my thumb an' fingers knows tho ':l reel of bills. To-morrow wo'll havo a 'M doctor from out of town. 'BJ "Tim!" her hands clenched again, '. "I i'vo had a doctor." 'HJ jWhat!" sternly. "An' I told yer" "Yos, but you was out. Ho wasn't ifl the kind to squeal. He was a youngish VJ man Miss Olnoy's brother. She told '.Hi him about Pcto." HB "Tho mission gal?" iH "Yes, yes, sho could como in yer H said. Oh! Tim, there's good' In the world." Mr. Fallon grunted. "Mighty little," .H gjj1'1,..''0" "Go n,leai1- What does he '"Just In tlmo,' ho said. Til have tho little chap out of dangor In two .H days.' An' the things he done, Tim. Llko a mother nn' so quick. Ho rua to tho nearest drug store an' como JH back with two bottles an' he paid for )HJ tho medicine. Such a kind, cheorln' H man ho was, too. Tcllln' me not to fl worry, an' slttln' by our boy, calmln' lH him so nice. First I know Potlo drop- H pod off an' he's slep' ever since. Tho doctor set thero by him tor nigh an hour with n littlo glass thing stuck BJ under the baby's arm. Dy an' by, up BJ ho gets, all grins. "'Oood!' says ho, 'the rover goln' .1 down Jost right,' an' ho give mo some. directions. Thon ho wrote a perscrlp- VH tlon which I was to get In tho mornln'. " 'I ain't sure I'll havo tho money for ' It,' I says. HJ "He was settln' on tho old loungo !fl flxln' his mcdlclno case, for he glvo S mo somo. nervo pills to tnke, an' Bays HJ ho, l am,' sort of laughln', an', be handed mo a five-dollar bill. If 'twa'n't S rcr that an' tho bottles I'd think 'twas all a dream." Hfl She wiped her oyes with hor dirty JH apron. Fallon's sharp visage was sot llko a mask or iron. BBJ "He'll git It back an' more," Bald he, grimly, but his voice quivered. "I'm only hopln' my grab's worth while. I owe that man somothln' an' he'll be HbJ paid. Perhaps, by to morrer tho fover BbJ would have went up! Lot's soo now," His prize was extracted from its hid- ing placo whoro ho had been patting It ..VVj with the lingering enjoyment of an- 'flVJ tlclpatlon. "Lot's see. Mame," open-lng open-lng the wnllet, "hero's ten, twontyl (Lord! nln't wo luckylj Sixty-two bones fer tho starvln" poor. Papers, Bfl nothin' to us. Vlsltln' cards aw VH great God! Mame." HH "It's hls'n'l" gasped tho woman, VH staring at tho bit or pasteboard Fallon . thrust beroro her. "Ho ho left mo ,'H ono Doctor Hoswell Olnoy an' I mBj know that purso I seo It wheu ho glvo mo tho money. Tim tell mo -BHb Oh! you didn't hurt him bad?" "Not a bit," said tho man, dully, 'vj "but If ho'd yollod lor holp well, I'm 'H Hatty Fallon, yor know, an' " flfl "Sshl I do know," her words wore IB anguished. "Maybo. aftor this?" "I'll try," said Fallon, simply. "I 'BJ kin do somothln' tend bar, or bo a H bouncer." Silently ho replaced the money nnd IBb papers. JBb "Where did ho leavo It?" ho mut- 4bB tured. yBfl "On the loungo. Tim," tho ghoat of' a ''H smile wreathed the palo lips. HI "Put It there, an' pick It up for safa JflH keepln. 'Twill bo tho'' truth. What 1H about to-morror?" 'aVJ "lie's comln' betwoen twelve an' , two. Hospital work, ho does, an' VB t mil's his best tlmo. After u couplo 'BB or days we won't need him, ho Bays." "Hum!" Fullon got to his foot and BJ went to tho door of the back room. H There he llstoued to tho quiet breath- H lug of his child. BJ Ho camo back and stroked his wlfo's H unkempt hair. HJ Then, by tho light of tho dim kero- S uono lump ho surveyed his discolored H orbs In the clouded mirror hanging on B tho shabby wall. jSJ "For a couple ot days botween tho hours of twelve and' two I shall bo out," said ho. . Jjp (CnpyrlKht, by Dally Story Pub; Co.) M |
