Newspaper Page Text
THE WHISPER BY ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
. .f
Illustrated on Opposite Page by a Pose From Life
by Pauline Frederick, Star of "Joseph and JHis
Brethren
' and Called Most Beautiful 0oman
in America by Artist Harrison Fisher.
(Copyright, 1908, by
As I centered the alley the bells of
the dim city tolled for the passing
night Far in the maze of filthy lanes
and mist-choked streets a policeman
whistled; I heard the distant din of
an elevated, rushing through the fog,
which roiled from river to river,
heavy, stifling.
In the. gloom' of the alley a shad
owy form passed. All around me the
Vapor became tainted with opium
and a flare of yellow light streamed
out from an opening door. There was
a momentary murmur of voices, the
soft shuffle of felt-shod feet, the rus
tle of silken sleeves. A painted paper
lantern swung from the doorway,
dipped, and disappeared. I heard the
deadened slam of the door and the
black night veiled my eyes again.
I raised my eyes to the dark fiouse
before me where from a rusting bal
cony a sign hung low above the door
way. "This was her house," I said aloud
to myself; but I passed .on to the next
house. Before I could "find the han
dle, the door flew open and I heard
McManus' angry bellow: "Git t' hell
outer here, yes dope suckin' yap!",
and a Chinaman was hustled into the
area, fleeing like an infuriated ape.
I stepped into the low-ceilinged
room aad took a chair at a table be
side -the wall. Two young men sit
ting there said, "Hello, Jim!"
"Good' evenin" said McManus,
leaning over the bar, "did you. see me
givin-' de bounce to Wah-Wo?"
"Yes," I said, "when did he come
back?" . . i
Robert W. Chambers.)
"He jest came in. I told him to git
an' he give me de ha-ha, so Charley
trun him down."
One of the young men at the table
beside me looked up from the Welsh
rabbit he was eating and called for
ale. McManus brought it himself, "a
brimming pewter mug. Then he
bawled for Charley to take my order.
Lynde, of the "Herald," advised me
to try a (rabbit,, and Penlow, of the
"Tribune," spoke well of the chops,
so I left it to Charley and he retired,
whistling, "'Oh, I don't know!"
"It's a wonder to me," I said, hang
ing my wet mackintosh on a peg and
kicking off my overshoea, "It's a
wonder to me that Wah-Wo was dis
charged by the court."
"There was no evidence to hold
him," observed Lynda
Penlow lighted his pipe and rattled
his mug on the table.
"No evidence," I repeated; "do you
fellows doubt that Wah-Wo did It?"
"I suppose he did," -said Penlow,
"it was my scoop, too."
"We- may scoop yet," said Lynde,
"the man's bound to be caught."
"Gents," began McManus, "vousb
is dead off- Wah-Wo ain't in it,"
he said contemptuously: "I give him
de t'row-down fur why? fur be
cause I don't give de glad hand, to
no dope' suckin' chink. But he didtft
do no dirt to the gal whut youse
gents was stuck on he. ain't that
kind! He give me the laugh an' I
t'rowed him down, see? An' I woa't
do a t'ing but push his face in. Sea?"
Well, Mac said Lynde, "what s
your theory? Yqm know as much
about.it as anybody. The girl cams
