Newspaper Page Text
their Sbbiftbait home: "Red" -was .&
secretive "With his pals, as he was -tyith
the United States detectives. Only
once a year he emerged into the un
derworld to help out with another
job and take home another year's
supply of capital. The shewdest man
in the game, he had long baffled
Uncle SaB.
"Red" cursed bitterly as the cell
door cianged Behind Harris.- Why, he
knew just where to makfe ample re
turns for. his imprisonment "Red"
could walk Into" any counterfeiters'
headquarters and there would be a
cry df joy. "Red" was the most
wanted man among the criminal fra
ternity of America. None so shrewd
as he, no hand so steady.
And he would avenge himself ten
fold. He would find "Father" Tom
Costigan,. the man whom the detec
tives had never got yet, the gray
beard of 75 who had lured him to his
own downfall. "Father" kept a warm
spot m ms heart for "Red."
"Red" could hardly, endure the1 de
lays of the last ffctf days." He
smacked his lips as iff imagination he
saw himself at work upon the steel
plates; "Red" felt the glamor of the
old world anew. , He squared his
shouiders as he left the penitentiary
gates in his new suit and laughed
defiantly at the admonitions of the
warden.
He made his way to New York. .He
knew, that "Father" was still alive.
The death of so great a man , would
have rung through the walls of .every
penitentiary in the eountry inside of
a few dayS;r . .
, And .he . found "Father" .exactly
where he badexpected in Regan's
restaurant,. "Father.' jept to. his old
habits a,t 75. .Trailed day and night;
-"Father.", laughed in the detectives'
faces. He had a genius for organiza
tion. He knew how to select others
to do the dirty work for.iim.
- "Red" . slunk in jo t Regan's, for
he left ,the. prison shame upon him,
and .the place had changed some
what; it was gaudier and more glar-
ihg;. .But nobody kne.w him and in-.a
moment he had spotted "Father" in
the ojd eprner "Red" was deciding
whether he should cross the restau
rant to. him when he realized that
"Father" was. talking to the young
fellow who sat opposite hinij the two
fenced in between the pewlike struc
tures that Regan's affects;
The memory of his. own downfall
came strongly over him. He had
been just suph a chap as this.bright
eyedboy who., was, bending forward
and listening to oid '"'Father's" ar
guments; "Red" slipped put of his
seat, and; unseen by "Father," took.
a.plaee.,in the seat behind the oid
man. The pewlifce, construction pon
cealed hun completely .but round the
edge of the pew adjacent to the win
ddw. "Red's, sharp ears could catch
the lpw-sp.oken wpjds.
"It's, a cinch," "FaUier" was say
ing, "You're a fool, bjpy, to worry
over losing, that 30b: Every man is
a grafter; the6nes- who. succeed are
simply those who .don't. get found
out"
Age had not dulled-the edge of "Fa
ther's" tongue, just the s&me words
"Father" had used to hhn; "Red,"
in those years so long gone" by. "Fa
ther" had madf? a ctdokj of many a
decent man with his damnable soph
istries.' "I don't know," rijuttered the boy.
"I've got to livevapd. I I'm tdinpted,
Mr. Costigan. If I'd ever kijfiwn my
mother-it might have been different"
"Oh weme'h don't understand,"
said "Father." "God bless all good
women, I say. But it's a man's
world, boy, and a man has to fight
with all means in, his power. Now
that . engraving ability . of yours is
simply. genius Qrofts -"
"Red" started as if an electric
sb,opk had gone through, him.
''Grofts!" it, was not a. .common
name. And his. boy would be about
that age. And the hereditary engrav
ing power, which he himself haa in
herited frpm his.own father ! ind the
look in the boy's eyes that had at-
