{ title: 'The summary. (Elmira, N.Y.) 1883-19??, April 02, 1921, Page 7, Image 7', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031251/1921-04-02/ed-1/seq-7/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031251/1921-04-02/ed-1/seq-7.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031251/1921-04-02/ed-1/seq-7/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn84031251/1921-04-02/ed-1/seq-7/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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THE SUMMARY w n t to tk« aidtboard. It iraa «a ba traa peariag Umiell a jolt of bi$ farorita r/a that hit ayo aaaf ht aad bald ta aaothar pietara abera tba aidaboard. It waa tba picture af a raaeborsa—a ilim black beaaty with amall trim laga. Oa iti back parched a diminutive jockey, beneath wea the inacription \Manolicher II to Bulk Uallarny.” Spike leaned forward. And while ha atood and itared, hia pale ayea began to glow. A curious gulp escaped his lips as he stepped back a pace, tryiog to convince himself that hia eyes bad not lied. The girl in the chair watched as if bypno- tiisd. “ What ia it?“ she asked. “ Have you seen Dad s racehorse before?” Spike turned on her, with something like a menace. “Have I seen him! Sa d’yuh know who put that horse through his first paces? D’yuh know who jockeyed him through the Burglar's Handi- tap in 1912? Ever near tell of— Aw, hell — ” He tooke off abruptly and glided over to the girl’s aide. His talonlika hand gripped the arm of her tbair. “ Say! Don't tell me this here’s Big Bulk Mallarny's damn -Mallarny, who used to be the big noise in the racia’-game!’’ “ It is.” “And you’re—Big Bulk’s girl?” “Yes.” His eyes leaping quickly to the ioner door. Spike crouabed beside the girl and whispered fiercely: “Listec! I know yer old man! 1 know all about him. He don't know me, but that don’t cat no ice. Me an’ him played the eamc game with the p nies back Esat, an’ that’s enough for me. I stick by the old guard, see? I ’m going to get tbit mug outs the house—get ms? Nobuhy’s gein' to yegg Bulk Mallarny's joint when 1 knew about it.” “ But you can’t. He’d kill you.” “ What? That rube-get ms? That hick from tba corn-oslt?” Spike's teeth bared in unutter able scorn. “Can’t you see?” she whispered back. “That’a why be gave you the aaaless ganl That revolver hasn't had a cartridge in it since Dad gave it te me.” “Maybe heTI come along easy, ” Spike whic- psred. “I’ll thrown scare into him. If he don't, aa’ there's dirt, yoa throw yourself down—flat an the floor—get me? An’ say—when yuh tell him—when yuh explain it to the old man, tell bins Spike Nolan was here > Spike Nolan from thespshead, see?” Tbere was a sudden widening of the girl’s eyes, and Spike whirled re confront the ether, slandiag huge and menacing in the doorway. No need of words to tell him tho Westerner bad overheard. The corner of the table waa between him and bis object. Uisf spring fell short-and the older man reached tor his gun - and Spike leaped again. This time his long Angers found the meaty tfaioaf, and sank and sank until the Westerner’s thick cursing was cut short. A sort ef madness surged up within him; all thought of a weapon was banished from mind. With all of hia great strength the tramp strug gled to shake off that clinging body. He burled himself against the wall cast hi.xaeif across the room and went crashing to the floor, with Ipike always underneath, until it seemed that the bones of the starved body would shatter under tke thudding blows Yet Spike held on, his wire- kks fingers tighteniog, tightening. Hs was fighting blindly — blind with hate, with the mania to kill it need be, the brute whose throat he held between his fingers. 'The latter’s squat body ssemed all at once to person ify all the obstacles, the harshness and parse- cations that bad held him ruthlessly to the down grede throughout those thraa lean years, while abort the girl in ths chair, there was a breath of the nameless yearning Chat stood for all the better part of his nature For the first time •iace Manhattan days, something of the cold nerve that had carried him first across the track ra the old days came to the surface again. caught a glimpse of the white face of the girl crouching back in one corner, both hands clntched at her breast. Again the older man ^ang across the room, like a stricken bullock ^ i t b a Isooard at its throat; and Spike; one hand still at the thick, corded ueck, swung off his feet, clear of the floor, and crashed against tba Ubie in ths center of the room. The table joun ced up, and the lamp upon it hurtled to the floor, plungiag the room into darkness. That was sxhc - tly what Spike had wanted. He knew now that he bad evened up the odds. At the instant the light went out. Spike broke free and leaped catlike half the length of the room, landing without noise. A mome t later ths gnn ia the bands of the Westerner laced the darkness where Spike had been, with a vivid flare ef flams. Tne bullets flew wide - Spike’s teeth hared in the dnrk with a ccornful laugh. Already the ether man was afraid to Are agaie - having himself leaped back with the shots. Spike coaid imagine him eroHching over there by the door, looking iato the surrounding black, not knowing whether hia bullets had told er net. Every mo ment wag breaking him now. Spike lay flat, close to the wall, and in hia hand he cuddled the shiny revolver. He was at heme. This was what he knew best - bow to fight in the dark. Ha knew now that be had not only even ed the odds, but ssi^ad the advantage. Minates passed - bourn - ages! And still he lay flattened against the wall, but smiling now. He smiled sneeringly, pityingly, for the other who blundered over tbere by the door. The close shntroom was acrid with the odor of gunpowder. Presently Spike’s body began to stiffen as he dUeeted ill-suppressed breathing coming toward him along the wall. He drew himself up te a crouch, and his fingers tightened lovingly about the barrel of the shiny revolver. Then another impluse moved him, born of the cunning of the alleyways of the East. Noiselessly he felt thru hia pockets until he found a small knife. With nice calculation ha tossed it into the blackness, in front, and a little to the left of the heavy breaching chat was coming momentarily closer. It fell with a small metallic c'ick. Instantly a gun roared, sparling flame across the room, so close that it lighted up for a vivid instant the apace between Spike and the Wester ner’s crouching form. In that instant Spike’s body lanced forward, and the 'butt of the revol ver cams down with all the strength of bis arm. He heard the victim grunt gnttnrally and flound er on the floor. At the tame moment came t'ne sound ef run ning feet outaide the door—some one tried the knob, shouted, then a body flung itself against the heavy panels. “ Ualock tha duer. Open up qu'ek!” Spike flung at the girl. A b instant later he was bowled over by the padded rush of the Westerner’s heavy body- making for the window. It waa exactly what Spike had hoped for. He wae tho wrong kind ef ■tuff to stand any more of that game—the tramp. There was a crash of flying shards, a splinter of glass, as ths W. sterner burled himself through tha easement into the open. Spike beard tbs girl stumble in desperate haste against a chair, and her clear voice: “Dad, Dad! It’s all right; I ’m cemiag!” Shakily ha arose to his feat and stoed in the center of the room, pan ing, weak, from snddan reaccioB, still holding tha shiaing revelvar in his right hand. There was a rush of cold night air as Che door flung ia A big man in a fur coat was silhouetcad a monaent on tha threahold. The rest was like a bit of too rapidly moving picture-film There was a scream frona the girl, who flung herself forward and struck desperately, but not in time to avert the double report of a revolver, this time in the bands of the fur-coated man Tns this, wiry figure in tha center of the room staggered and fell aprawling as if it bad been a dummy of straw. It fell upon, its face and the limp arms were forward-flung within an ineh of Bulk Mallarny’s feet. It WHS four in the morning. In an upstairs room a light still burned dimly. Bulk Mallarny sat patiently beside a bed on which a small crumpled figure lay tossing under anesthesia. The doctor had j lat /eft. Toe r.iom was heavy and sweet with the breath of ether. A half hour the big man sat on before the boy stirred and moaned. Maliaroy bent closer, hi* homely, heavily graven face 'furrowed with so licitude. Spike's eyes flsw open. “ Ah! Juit a moment before you go off again, my ffisnd. You’re all right now The doctor’s been here Can you talk a bit?” Spike nodded weakly. “Good! You see I want to get a few things straight. I’ve oaly been able to piece this to gether. One thing I'm sure ot - 1 made a big mistake last nigat, and I'm sorry - very sorry, my friend. My daughter has told me. Perhaps 1 can do something to square things. I’m going to try. What ia your name?” “Spike,’’ said the boy sententiously. and then quickly, as hit msmory cleared: “ Say, bow is she - that game little girl?” \My daughter? She’s safe and sound, and asleep now.” “ 3ns s the goods,” said Spike. “ I knew she was, from tha start. Say, gov’nor, talk about nerve - yuh oughta been there and seen her bore into that guy with them blue eyes of hers, an’ him scandin’ over her with the gun. ” He broke off in coafasion. A smile bad stolen across the big man’e rugged face for a moment - and disappeared again. “ Spke, did you say your name was?” Mallar ny went on. “Merely Spike, and as good a name as any other. VYell, 8|we, as I said, I'd like yon ta clear up a few thiage for ma. la,tha flrit plaea, I want to know why you tsfed this break ing game. You’re an amatnra. Spike. Yon don’t need te agree with me; it isn’t necessary. Yes, you’re oaly an amature, and this is the first job you ever pulled off Now, it's a pretty good theory that ‘once a thief is always a thief,’ but it always takes an exception te make the rule hold water. I believe. Spike, that you’re the exception. I think I understood bow it was. You rebelled at that kind of a game, as soon as yon saw you were up against a girl, and incidentally incurred my lifelong debt of gratitude for what you did for nay daughter. Now, tell me: what made you try such a game in the first place?” Tbe question brought a return whip of the old urge to ths boy’s mind. In the quick flood of memory hs tried to rise, but fell back with a ■ mothered moan. “ You mustn't try that-not just y et.\ Spike lay back and met the other’s eyes. “Now, why was it?” the big man pursued. “Cold and hungry?” ‘T v s been hungrier, I guess,’’ Spike managed to ssy at last, “ and colder too,baek a streteh. It wasa't that. Any guy can stand it to go short oa the eats awhile. But yuh see, I ban to make it back East, an’ I was broke, an — Aw, hell, gov’ nor, yuh wouldn't believe it if I told you! Tbere aint nobody would- ” “ Try me,“ said tbe big men softly. Spike hesitated, gulped hard, and the words came piling out It’s me mother, gov'nor. She's casbin’ in. It’s her lungs. I knew they wasjbad,before I left home. I guess if I'd 'a done right, it would never ‘a’ come. Hell, this sounds like a lot of old cheese I’m givin’ yuh, but it's straight. Two weeks age I hears from a pa) hack home that the old woman’s all in. Me? I wac out in Denver then. I was broke - cold, flat broke - an' I knew there was n’t no time to rustle a job. I wanted to get homo gov’nor that’s on the level. I just had to get back before it happened. 1 had been ten days get tin’ from Denver here.” Thera wis qniet for a moment. During it, a definite queer relation seemed to be establish ed betwesB the two. Truly it wai earth’s sppo- sites that had come together heie - Spike, the wizened and degenerate child of the slums; Mal larny, untried ion ef the soil, with ail earth’s generous tolerance in bis rugged six feet two ef body. Into the subdued soul ef the boy some thing of tbe other’s virile strength seemed to pour. Mallarnv raised his head again. “Chicago, 1 suppose. Spike? Spike siarted-itarted and foftbe moment bis face seemed illuminated from within. Hia lips curled in a cold flicker of admiration. “ Say, yuh certainly get ms right,” be ejac ulated. “Yuh got me placed, gov’nor. You’re tbs first guy that’s got me nura her since Denver. ’ ’ He sneered in disgust. “So you just wanted to get back home in time, eh? Hum-m! 1 see. Spike\ Suddenly the big man leaned forward, bis voice ebangiag with startling abruptness. “Soike, I believe your story. I’d believe it, I think, even if I hadn’t taken tbe liberty of going through your clothes before the doctor came. 1 read chat letter from your pal. Spike, and 1 was inclined to believe it genuine from the first, while I s it here watching you. You don’t know what it is to pity yourself, ss 1 11 explain. It s simply that you’ve got to be moving early. Spike, or you're not going to mawe it in time.” , M llaroy cose, and pushed back bis chair. “So we’re going to start you at once, do you see? ’ hefinisbed. “Ttiere's aneas'bound limited goes through here at five-thirty in the morning. She stops on signal, it’s now a little after tour- thirty. I’m going to get your clothes now, and help you drtss. Then we’ll drive down to tbe siditg and flag that train for you. You'll be all right once you’ e aboard. With good luck you’ll be home by noon today.” Spike swallowed, as the full meaning of it all sank horns. For the life of him no words would came For many momen 's a(>er Mallarny had left the room, he lay as if stupiSed, and Light flooding down upon bis upturned face. Two hours later—dawn. The snow and wind of tba night had ceased; tbe blue wintry sky was of tbe color and coldness of enamel. Bulk Mallarny, in huge fur coat, paced up and down tbe platform. In the deep seal of the cutter which was hitched to ths rack, Spike Nolan lay back amid a pile of fur robes. His face waa very thin, and parcbmcnt-whica, but a birdlike excitement waa written on it, and the fiaab of the eyes belied the frail broken body beneath the robes. “A couple more minutes, and we'll hear her whistle,” the big man said, ecnsnlting hia watch. He stepped ever to the sleigh. “ Spike,” he (Continued en Pape 8)
