OCR Text |
Show pff FICTION COWf? 1 THE PORK BANDIT I VT By DEE RAXDALL XTOSEY COLLINS, as you know, is the Number One Egoist of the day. Just as Napoleon once laid claim to tho title. But that was back In the 17th or 18th century. And nobody no-body bothers much about him any more. Except those who like to diK and delve Into musty old history books. Napr.'.eon had only an Empire to conquer. N'l&ey had a newspaper olllce and an ever-loving Tillie as j his territorial grounds. It's true, it proved rather expensive expen-sive this ego-building business. But no matter the cost. Nosey Is acclaimed ac-claimed at a self-made man. One of the finest men on the staff of the Daily Gazette. Besides Tlllie and the newspaper office. It must be revealed, Nosey has still another love. She now lay cozily In her private retreat . . . the right hand drawer of Nosey'i desk. There was quiet purr as Nosey patted the soft, dirty white fur on D e r m 1 e ' neck. I Dermic was the TV!, nickname for Hypodermic. Hy-podermic. A name Week's fitting to the oversized over-sized cat because Beit you really had to p. . stick a needle In MCUOn her to make her stir. There was only one other thing that would rouse this reflexlng feline. That was the amell of boloney or liver, even from the farthest corner of the ink-smat-tered city room. Originally from the restaurant on the corner where she was expected to rid the place of mice and make herself generally useful, she had found refuge In Nosey'i comfortable comfort-able desk drawer. The clatter of dishes and hustle bustle of the crowded restaurant had proved too much for her sensitive nerves. Nosey stopped his tender patting. This annoyed Dermie no end. Raising Rais-ing her head, which was more energy en-ergy than she cared to use, she perked a quizzical eye at him. "Dermie," Nosey spoke seriously, "If we could get a beat on this Pork Bandit case, we'd sure have something." some-thing." Dermie'i answer was an assent-i assent-i lng hiss. "Seven butcher shops In seven days." Nosey went on, "that's a record for any criminal He's plenty nervy, too. Sent them all a notice beforehand. He's got the cops In a quandary. Must be a ghost bandit." Here he snickered scornfully at the Idea of a ghost ransacking a cash register and sticking a butcher knife In a man's back. "What puzzles me," Nosey went on with hit one-sided conversation, "Is how he gets In and out with the cash right under their eyes. And why doea he always pick on pork stores? The same chain all the time. If we could get to the bottom of that, we'd be getting some place." Dermie's boredom with this conversation con-versation was evident. She settled back on the comfortable pillow installed in-stalled in the drawer. But not before be-fore locking at the empty plate before be-fore her. Soon she was snoring peacefully. She knew the plate would be filled later on. plate. She let out a growling Diss and rousing herself, waddled off in-, dignantly. She wasn't used to such shabby treatment Nosey had no time to worry over this breach of friendship in Dermie's Der-mie's indignant stamping off. In fact, she was back in a few moments, mo-ments, rubbing her face against his pants leg as a reminder of her gnawing vitals. She hadn't been fed in two hours. Nosey paid no attention to her pleading. He was waiting for the stranger who was to visit him. At precisely three o'clock, as the note stated, a tall, shabbily dressed man appeared. His dark hair was sleeked neatly back, but otherwise he was hardly a picture of sartorial elegance. "Mr. Collins? You received my note?" Nosey noticed the stranger's , a mm m r ; The stranger's hand quivered nervously as Nosey motioned him to a chair. Nosey read and reread the unsigned un-signed note on his desk. "Maybe I'll be able to get a lead out of this after all" he reflected. Some butcher butch-er has received a note saying his store would be next. He was coming in to speak with the editor. The editor edi-tor had turned the whole business over to Nosey disgustedly. News seldom walked right into a newspaper news-paper office. Leads that came in by mall might better have been called "misleads." Usually some quack seeking publicity. Grim determination could be seen In the set of Nosey's features. The editor had faith in him. He would have to get to the bottom of this thing. As number one egoist, he felt certain he could. AN INDIGNANT public was be-coming be-coming boisterous in their vehement vehe-ment denials of this Pork Bandit who slew and robbed at regular dally Intervals. The editor had hinted at a bonus or something equally satisfying satis-fying financially to the guy who got a lead on this story. It would sure come In handy, Nosey dreamed. Next month he and Tillle were getting get-ting married. A glint of happiness filled his usually usu-ally placid eyes. Sweet Tlllie with her flaxen curls. And how she could cook! Nosey's mouth watered In anticipation an-ticipation of the dally meals, like those he bad already sampled at TllUe's little apartment. Dermie opened drowsy eyes and looked reflectively at the still empty hand quivered nervously as he beckoned him towards a chair. He took the paper the man handed him. "I'm manager of the store on East 80th street. Received this note early this morning. I left the place and hurried right down here as soon as I could. Didn't have time to change my clothes," he looked down apologetically. "Your store will be next. This afternoon." the note read. It was I signed: "The Pork Bandit." Nosey scanned the writing carefully. care-fully. Nothing there to give much of a clue. "Have you seen the police?" "No sir, thought I'd speak to you first. They seem to be getting nowhere no-where fast," he laughed ruefully. "There has been a note before each crime, you know," he reminded him. Nosey absent-mindedly patted pat-ted Dermie's neck. She stirred, looked languidly t the visitor and dozed off again. Nosey asked him a lot of questions ques-tions and the visitor seemed anxious anx-ious to supply all the details possible. pos-sible. "I'm flattered you have so much confidence in us," Nosey told him. "Will you pardon me a moment mo-ment while I get my notebook. 1 want to jot down all the information you can give me." Now Nosey never bothered with1 a notebook. Any old piece of copy paper did tor the hottest scoop. Outside the city room, Nosey headed for a telephone booth. He made a call, picked up a notebook from a protesting stenographer and returned to his nervously waiting visitor. He wrote down sentences scrupulously, scrupu-lously, making sure to dot every "i" and cross every "W To anyone looking on, it was evident Nosey was stalling for time. It was only a matter of a few minutes before the two husky cops arrived. A pair of handcuffs were clinched on the now sputtering visitor visi-tor who demanded to know the meaning of this. I "Here, boys." Nosey addressed! the cops, "is your Pork Bandit" He kind of sneered over the name as only a real egoist could do. The man suddenly stopped battling. bat-tling. "How did you know?" he asked. "Well, you see," Nosey drawled, his five feet four swaying magnlfV, cently, "you said you just came from your pork store. When Der-! mle woke up and just went right', back to sleep again, I knew that was a lie. If you had really come from there, she would have been over there sniffing your pants and licking your leg, maybe even chew lng a piece out of it It's past her meal time now," he smiled down fondly at Dermie who had stirred at mention of her name, looking expectantly ex-pectantly at the empty plate. He went on: "Then you told me some details that the police have carefully guarded from the public Nobody but Die Pork Bandit himsclt could have known them." The man hung his head despairingly. despair-ingly. "1 used to own hair of the chain of stores." he spoke bitterly. "Until my purUier swindled me out of my share. It was the only way I knew of to get buck what really belonged be-longed to me." For a moment Nosey s gme was sympathetically bent towards the man's buck as they led him away. Then he returned to Dermie. ! "Have patience, old girL" he patted pat-ted her head. When he returned, there was an extra cushion In Dermie'i Der-mie'i drawer domicile and a brand new plate. It has two sprightly mice painted on It This hat caused no end of concern to Dermie, who, minus her once sharp teeth, can't figure out Just how U bite Into the little rascals. She doesn't have any trouble with the extra helpings of boloney, though. |