Show f r l k 1 F FICTION J 1 QUICK CHANGE By FRANK L. L PARKE L Cornet THERE HERE were three people on the Sullivan Square platform the theold theold theold old woman Horty and the girl Three south south bound bound t trains r a ins had stopped plopped and still the girl waited So waited too He would have waited all day as long as she was there but he had an idea it wouldn't be e necessary was tough skinned leather headed hard-headed you wouldn't have thought it to look at him but he had what amounted to toan toan toan I an extra sense delicate little feelers of perception like invisible antennae antennae antennae anten anten- nae sprouting up from the round hard brick-hard skull He could tell when something was coming Perhaps that was what had made him a good cop and climbing from the ranks a good detective that and his amiable amiable amiable ami ami- able willingness to shoot it out on any and all occasions was a mighty good man with a gun He was conscious of the weight of oft It t now sheathed beneath his coat Something was coming sure Mc- Mc This Hugh was coming Any minute now Weeks Week's forty knew it They knew that McHugh Best had written to her but the they y hadn't Fiction known what he had said Now it was obvious He had arranged to meet her here on a certain El EI train at a certain time It n was three o'clock in the afternoon afternoon after after- noon loon and forty had been trailing the girl most of the day He was going to bring McHugh in by himself himself himself him him- self dead as the saying goes or Clive Most likely dead or near it had a notion McHugh would case ase his gun before hed he'd let anyone take lake him well that was fine with Let McHughs McHugh's hand move and ind he would see hand rove Dove but qui quicker ker and that would be about the last thing he would see Take rake no chances with a killer most Jf f all a young one So Se stood there with his screwy extra e sense thrumming like I 1 violin string listening to the rumble rumble rumble rum rum- ble of the approaching train He had been pretending to be in difficulties with a vending gum-vending machine on the platform Now he gave it a couple rf n f last jerks His eyes slanted and andle de le saw the girl stop her nervous pacing and stare at the train comIng comIng coming com com- ing in He saw that and he noticed too though absently the old woman who was the third person on the platform She was was' feeding peanuts to the pigeons that always whirl and pout out and parade aro around Dd Sullivan Square care She was a tiny little thing al n drab black clothes and she was smiling at the pigeons milling at her feet strutting up for what she had to give them The train rattled in and stopped with hiss and shudder of air It didn't bother the pigeons they were to the El The middle door of the first car opened and grinned and turned and took three quick steps toward the door of the car opposite him But the pigeons weren't used to and they were closer than hed he'd thought at his sudden sudden sudden sud- sud den approach they leaped into the theair theair theair air with clattering wings a whirling cloud dodged and smacked squarely into the old woman He weighed two hundred pounds she went down He hadn't hurt her but by the time hed he'd gone through the automatic reaction of picking her herup herup up and seeing that she was all right I the doors were closed and the train was on its way Thank you the old woman said but wasn't there to hear it He was taking tho the steps four at a time to get to the street for a cab Gotta catch that train at the next station he bawled Step on it M n t i a r k r a r dodged and smacked squarely into the woman th the e doors closed and the train was on its way The driver nodded Okay boss He yanked the wheels and slapped her through low to high A light held them You wanna see the paper he asked like a good wise tip-wise hack- hack ster He fumbled for it in the bucket seat to pass it back to Dickens with it complained complained complained com com- trying to get a look at the train above Step on this can will you Then he referred to the pigeons pigeons pigeons pi pi- pi- pi geons in picturesque speech THE r HE girl found a seat and the young man held a strap in front of her Both faces were young alike too in that they were strained white and empty She moved to where there was more space and he followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed and dropped down beside her You shouldn't have come Mart You shouldn't have taken the chance I had to see you he said Maybe May be the last time They wont won't take me Kit Im I'm better dead than inthe pen again The pupils o of her eyes seemed to swell as she peered at him Did you you you-do do it Mart The murder Kit you know You know Ive I've been straight since I got out Ive I've been sticking to the job Ive I've been getting good pay I was inline in inline inline line for a n raise when this this this- But the police I Its a mistake I swear it but I cant can't prove it I was living in this cheap joint saving money so you could come on soon Someone tricked this rich guy in there and killed him I knew they'd look up my record and pin it on me just lust like they did so I beat it first Its It's just luck just crummy luck Ive been going straight Kit 1 even been going to church I even told one ohe of the curates all about us He said when you came on we could be married right in church I mean He looked at her quickly Did you tell anybody I III had to she said I told Ma She would have known soon any any- way She wasn't against you Mart in in-in in in spite of getting mixed up in that trouble She said she felt you'd be a good man if you ever got a chance Oh Mart what are we going going go go- going ing to do Ill get to Canada he said Ill get there Unless they they they-they they catch catchup up with me They arent aren't taking me Kit I cant can't help it baby Im I'm not letting them take me I got a gun here and Ill I'll Ill Oh no Mart Marti No no no nol I missed it at City Square but he got it at Friend street He knew they hadn't left the train he would have seen them He caught it all right but not alone First pigeons pigeons pigeons pi pi- pi- pi geons forty muttered under his breath with a few other words and i i now these lugs He meant about fifty high school boys and girls They were talking laughing and pushing and was jammed with them into the car where apparently apparently apparently they all wanted to stay McHugh McHugh McHugh Mc Mc- Hugh wasn't much older than any of these thought grimly well I too bad too bad product of environment environment environment environ environ- ment they called it polite way of saying slums He could see McHugh and the girl up in the car ahead that wasn't crowded Plenty of space space thought if McHugh went for lor it Tough in front of the girl but what could you do shoved his way forward inch by inch He didn't need that extra sense now he could see what he was going after but still it was plucking at his nerves Maybe it means youre you're going to get it this time Maybe maybe Doggone Doggone Doggone Dog gone it grunted out of my way will you He was jammed between between between be be- tween a kid and a fat man and the fat man was trying to read his paper and the front page was literally literally literally liter liter- ally pushed into face He couldn't help seeing it McHugh Boy Innocent Murderer Murderer Murderer Mur Mur- derer Confesses McHugh Exonerated Exonerated Exonerated Exon Exon- Flight Attributed to Panic The train pulled Into Boylston street while forty was still reading He shouldered past the fat man went out the door and walked down the platform He put his arm in an open window and tapped McHugh on the shoulder and said quickly Youre okay we dont don't want you Hey leave that gun alone now throw it away Dont Don't get scared so quick after this As the train jolted ahead he shouted from the platform Buy a paper 1 What did he mean Kit gasped Gee Gee gee I dont don't know Gee I II II II I- I I I- I ISay Say he said get a paper I haven't any change You got any pennies No Kit said She smiled The first time in a week it must have been You want ant to know why See Ma knew I was going to meet you She wanted to have one good look at you she said She promised shed she'd act like she didn't know me so I told her where She said it'd look better if she was doing something and I gave her my last few cents to buy peanuts for the tho pigeons |