Picture Show (Oct 1920 - Apr 1921)

18 Picture Show, February 19?//, 1921. A fine story of a croolc who wanted to go straight. %t£t iiiiiiiiiiliuiiiiirmiiiinii.il 7 I nun ijii ""'""y,/,,,,,,,,,,,///^^^^ ^ SAPPHIEE " MIRE WILSON, chief of the toniest gang of crooks in New York city, sat back in his easy-chair and blew a cloud of smoke from liis Corona Corona with a purr of satisfaction. His gaze rested on the sumptuously furnished room, only one of many in the magnificent mansion that was' the headquarters of his gang, and then rested on his pupils. . Again he purred with approval. Men and women, they were all stylishly but quietly dressed, and looked just similar to the thousands of society folk who occupied similar mansions to his own in the exclusive neighbourhood of Fifth Avenue. Mike hail no use for toughs or tofTs. He had brought his ice-cold, quicktiiinking brain into the business of robbing other people with the same degree of thought that a merchant pits his experience and business acumen against his rivals. In Mike's case his rivals were the police. _ Against them he waged a perpetual battle of wits, and so far he had had more than his share of victories. True, the police won a skirmish here and there. Hi; card index had just icminded him of one which was a notable triumph for his enemies. One oi the cleverest pickpockets in the gang, Roger Moran. had been caught nearly two year. ago. He was due to be released in the morning. "A smart lad," mused Mike. "Only that bit ot bad luck which even the best plans can't prevent, got Koger in the pen. The police will be keening a sharp eye on him now. but I guess we shall be able to bead them off." He turned to a pretty young woman who sat on the edge of his desk. " Roger is due out from the pen to-morrow, Minnie. Funny Hetty isn't here to talk over arrangements to meet him." " Betty Palmer will be on hand. Milce, don't you trouble," said 'Frisco Minnie. "She was buying things for him the other day She knows the date." " Guess she's as fond oi Koger as you are oi me, Minnie,'' said Mike, with a sly chuckle. " You seem to take a lot lor granted, Mr. Wilson." said Minnie with that aristocratic air that hail deceived half the jewellers' salesmen in New York. " You're sure the real duchess, Minnie " said .Mike admiringly. "Hello! Here is Betty." All the gang ro-e from their seats as Hetty Palmer stepped into the room. Young, not more than twent ytwo, she looked as much unlike a crook as a bishop looks like a burglar. A dainty, lasciuating girl, she looked a lady from the top of her coquettish fur toque to the shimmering tips of her tiny shoes. Honesty shone in her merry brown eyes, and the smile on her I bfl would have allayed the suspicion of any detective tliat ever wore a badge. Yet those delicate hands, so charmingly gloved, could coax the secret ol the cunningest combination that ever locked a sale. The lit He, shelllike cars could detect the slightest sound of the. rumbling ot the tumblers in the lock as certainly as a great musician could pick out the slightest discord in an orchestra, She curtseyed with mock politeness to the gang, and then went over to Mike. "Just talking about you, Betty," said Mike. " Roger comes out to-morrow." " Did you think I had torgotten," said the girl. " I've thought of him every night since he was taken. ' There was a soft note In her. voice, and the suspicion of a tear in her eyes as she spoke. Then she threw back her head and laughed merrily. " I don't suppose I shall sleep a wink o-uight, but yon can bet I'm as Iresli as a rose when 1 go to meet Koger to-morrow," she said. "Two years. It has seemed twenty, but it has passed at last." " Minnie tells me that you have lixed up everything that Koger is likely to need " said Mike. Betty nodded, " I've got his trunk packed, and since 1 am not vet, known to the police, I llgured it would be best lor mc to meet him alone." "Then, that's settled," said the crook, rising. " I've arranged for a swell dinner here, so you can tell him the old bunch will be waiting to drink his health." , ' Betty Palmer was at the gates ot the prison long before the time of Roger's release. She was shown into the room of the chief warder, a kindly looking man who gave her a quick scrutiny , and then ottered her a chair. Betty hail given the suit-case containing Kogcr's clothes to a warder, and presently Koger came into the office. Betty could scarcely restrain a cry oi pain that came to her lips as she saw him, he was so altered. It was not that he looked very ill physically except a pallor on his checks through confinement, he seemed tit enough ; but there was something in his eyes that frightened her. It was a 'w////////////////////////////y///////v////////^ '//^////////////////////////////////////////////////////,// ■//'////////////////>■///////////;//'///////////////* ENID BENNETT as Betty tells Roger they must part [Paramount-Artcrajl. look as though of a man who had lived under the shadow of death. The chief warder shook hands with him heartily, and then turned to Betty. " You're his sweetheart, I guess," he said. " Use all your influence to keep him away from the lot he mixed with before." As ho handed Koger some papers he fixed the young man with his keen eyes. " You'll not forget what I told you, Moran. It's the straight game that pays." " I'll not forget, sir," said the ex-convict. " You've been very good to roe." The two men shook hands, and Roger passed out with Betty, a free man. Roger's Resolution. " /"> EE, this is good ! " exclaimed the man as he I* inhaled the fresh air. " Two years in a tomb I Only those who have been through it can realise what it means, it was real good of you to come and meet me, Hetty," he went on, looking very tenderly at tljc girl beside him. " Well, it's all over now. Roger," said the. girl. " Spike has got the most scrumptious feed waiting for you, and all the bunch are waiting to give you the glad hand and welcome you back to the fold." Roger halt opened his mouth to speak but thought bi tter of it. He gazed ahead in a dreamy kind ot way. What's the matter, Roger ? " asked the girl, pulling »P and looking at him with some alarm. "I know it must have been awful in there, but — but you don't seem pleased now you're free." " 1 was thinking, Betty. You get to do a lot of thinking m there," he added bitterly. You're surely not thinking of what that old warder said." exclaimed Betty. " It's their business to reel oil that stuff, just as it is the business of tho bulls and dicks to nab crooks. It's all part of the game." " 1 don't know," said Roger slowly. " That headwarder is a rcaUsport. He did a lot for me. Used to be a famous baseball player in his time, and I reckon he's always played the game straight." He was longing to tell Betty that he had meant what he said when he had told tin? chief warder that, he would not forget his advice, but somehow lie could not. He was alraid the girl would despise him. " Y'ou'll soon clieer up when you se the gang," said Hetty. And then .-he kept talking of things tliat hail happened in his absence till she got him into a cheerier frame of mind. Roger Moran received ft great welcome from Sapphire Mike and ttW gang, and he was | laced in the Chair of honour at the banquet Alike bail arranged. The chief crook had kept his word, it was a feast lit lor a prn.ee. Roger .Moran was the only unhappy person in tho room. Come what may, he had decided that he was going to run straight in future, and he cursed himself lor his weakness in not telling Hetty outright and reliving when he was in the street. His onlv, excuse was that he was passionately in love with Hie girl, and he was afraid lie would lose her if he deserted the gang. But when it came his turn to respond to the toast ol his return, he thrust all doubts aside. _ " Mike and all of you who have been my pals," he said. " 1 mean to play square with you. I ought not to be here at all. I have finished with the crook game. Ia future 1 mean to run straight." He sat down suddenly and faced the crowd with a grim smile on his lips. For a moment they stared at him a? if they eoidd not believe what he said, then "several of the men rose with threatening gestures. One of them drew a life-preserver from his pocket and made for Roger, but Mike called him off. *" Just clear out into another room, all of vou except Betty," he ordered: " We'll see this thing through." He called the girl on one side. " Don't get scared, Betty," he said. " They all talk like that after doing their first bit on the island. I'll leave you to talk sense into him. You'll do ' He went out, leaving the two loven together. £» ■ , " You don't mean it, Roger. You re not going to cut the gang? " said Betty " I do. Betty. I ought to have told you in the street, but somehow, I was afraid of losing you. I want to play straight all round. I want to marry you, Betty. Let us both cut the gang and start again ? " ".Why couldn't wc get marrrd without'being honest ? " replied Betty. " Because vou would be ashamed of mc and I should be ashamed of you," replied Roger. " Let s both hit the straight trail together." Bettv shook her head. " It's no use, Roger. We're crooks, and it's the only trade I know. What could I do on the straight and narrow ? At the best get a job washing steps, or waiting in a third-class restaurant I've got used to iHxury, and I couldn t stand the servant stunt. Besides, I couldn't desert my pals If you mean to go, I shouldn t wait till Hike comes back. He might get nasty." " I'm not afraid of Mike or the whole gang, and vou kuow it, Betty. Nor am I afraid of the ilaii"er It's just because I want to go straight, and because I want to take you with mc tliat I'm pk-ading." For a moment Betty hesitated, then she gave a reckless laugh. ,. " You've got my final, Roger. Forget me. I in sticking to the gang." Roger Moran knew that it would be useless to plead further with the girl in her present mood, but lie made a silent vow that when he got fixed up. if ever he did, he would come back and get Betty out of the clutches of Mike. Roger took up his hat and crossed over to Betty. " So long for a bit, Betty," he said as he took her in his arms and kissed her. " But you can stnke on mc that I'm not going to lose you." " Once a Crook." THREE weeks later Roger found employment with Joshua Starbuck, the manager of the one bank in the little town of White Harbour. It was not much of a job as jobs go. being nothing more than a man-of -all-work at Mr. Starbm k's pretty country cottage on the, outskirts of the town, but Roger Was happy. Mr. Starbuck was a man nliout seventy years of age, and his wife was two years younger. Thcv were the dearest couple imaginable. All through life they had tried to help others. They did not preach religion much, but they practised it a lot. Roger had liecome a great favourite with the old couple, who had no children of their own, and they began to look upon him a« a son. The time passed very pleasantly for the cx-conviet, who never had the slightest desire to go back to tieold life. He was happy in the daytime, among the fruit and flowers, and he spent his evenings reading and studying in order that he might be able to take a better position when opportunity nrose. About a mouth after he had lieen with the Starbucks, Roger received a great shock. Coming Into the cottage one afternoon he saw Betty and 'Frisco Minnie taking tea with the old couple. It was a< much as he, could do to control himself, nnd he could see the two girls were equally surprised. He had given Mr. Starbuck the name of Roger Hampton, and it was under this name that old Starbuck introduced him to his visitors. Betty and Minnie had told the bank manager they were sisters, both artists, who had come from New York for a rest, but they found the country around White Harbour so charming that they intended to prolong their stay. Mr. Starbuck had found tin m a cottage, and they had Just come back from inspect ing it when Roger came In. Roger was by no mean? satisfied with the story, nnd his suspicions were increased when, nftcr excusing himself to the company, he strolled round the house and saw Chauffeur Charlie, one of the members of his old gang, smoking a cigarette as he leaned against a new six-cylinder car. He hung about hoping to get a word with Betty when she came out of Starbuck's cottage, hut tho bank manager accompanied the two girls to the gate.