I JO ELLEN
By ALEXANDER BLACK. Copyrlrtt, lt.4
I (Continued From Yrstordjiv■)
be here at the back door of a
in which nobody lived might
teemed a culminating Irony, if
len had been a psychologist. In
It changed the current of her
g for the moment. It did more;
ized her attention. She could
ave been sure what this some
was, whether a flicker in the
r of one of the smeared win
or an effect in the door. The
was In the shadow of a roofed
between the house and the
ler kitchen, and she had a sense
ended movement, as though It
have been slightly open and
fully closed again.
) boys had found a way of get
lnto the house, and Billy, for
tad been firmly forbidden to vio
ts Integrity as a locked place,
len knew that at this juncture
was In the pirates' cave.
I went to the door and tried the
s.
it was a surprise, to have It
[ freely. The winter kitchen,
dusty, and with the unaired
stared hack at her, From the
e of the floor the dining room
d repeated a like stare. When
ihadow at her feet showed the
closing of the door behind her,
len turned sharply and saw the
made a strange movement with
and. She could get this much
e being able very clearly to
him out.
hat do you mean by that?"
lemanded, advancing meanwhile
ich the door knob.
shifted his position until his
was against the door,
t me say something to you,"
lis answer.
could see him clearly now; a
r man, tallish, with rather rc
ible blue eyes, a jaw that would
nemhered. and lips that seemed
it. He was without hat or coat,
lde of his soft collar was streak
th dust. There was rust on the
ruffs of his shirt.
"We'll open the door first," said
Jo Ellen, "if you don't mind.”
Her hand went forward in a deter
mined way.
"But I do mind.-’ he said, without
moving, "you needn't he afraid of
me. I-"
“Let me get this door open,” com
manded Jo Ellen. She tugged at the
knob until the door bumped his heels.
“Look here, kid!" He caught her
wrist with an unequivocal grip.
“Listen. Don't he a little fool. I
want—-—
"We'll see who's the fool." and Jn
Ellen accomplished an astonishing
T.iggle, an utterly unbelievable wrig
gle, that brought her other hand
close to the edge of the door.
"I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he
Bald, without changing position, and
/-t
New York
--Day by Day
VJ
By rt. O. M’IN'TYRE.
New York, June 2S.—Among the
most courageous workmen in Gotham
are the "sandhogs.” They are men
who dally risk their lives under the
Hudson river. They are encased in
a shield that worms its way through
the muck of the river’s bottom.
In case of a break in the shield
I they are doomed to suffocate in the
inflow of mud. The bravery of the
"“■■ndhogs" is really responsible for
tunnels that span the river. Hun
ts have had narrow escapes and
• large number have been trapped.
The "sandhogs" are sturdy, hairy
•bested men w Ith booming voices.
They are as husky as the toughest
lumber jack. And they*live to them
selves in the water front boarding
houses. Very few of the "sandhogs"
ere married.
They dress in corduory trousers and
flannel shirts and are inveterate
ehewers of tobacco. The pay for. the
"sandhog” is sometimes as high ns
$20 a day. He must accustom him
self to darkness down in the subter
ranean depths.
His chief physical danger outside
of a break in the shield is what is
known as "the bends." This is a
form of body cramp that contracts
the body in the agony of terrible
suffering. fnless the victim Is
brought hurriedly to air h' dies In a
frightful seizure.
Several years ago 22 "sandhogs”
were seized with "the hends." In
their agony they attacked each other
and for a half hour they battlpd in
the pit, screaming, biting, kicking
and clawing. All were unconscious
when they reached the fresh air.
The "sandhogs" are men with un
usual taciturity. Even among them
selves they epeak only in monosylln
hies. Their attitude in life seems to
he that as ail are playing the most
0-amm ]n n crisis It is each
the famous chef of the Wal
dorf, eate only one meal a day. He
partakes of this In the evening. He
attributes h!s unsual health to this
eustdm. Almost Invariably noted
chefs of Now York have surplus
flesh snd yet they :>re as Invariably
small enters. It Is told that one of
the highest-priced cl.efs In town has
a colored cook from Ceorgla who pre
pares his meals In an extremely plain
fashion. A chef becomes very much
like the girl at the candy counter. He
may sell his wnr»s, hut he does not
care to partake of them himself.
It la the fashloh in New York to
ballyhoo food with floss and glitter.
An order of bacon and eggs Is brought
In on a huge silver platter with shin
ing half circular top. There Is the
usless water cress decoration snd
other fol-de-rol. For a cup of coffee
one must watrh the bubbling percri
lator at the side of the plate wonder
ing any moment whether or not It
will explode. I think the chefs grow
tired of food because they have to
spend so much of their time primping
It.
Columbus Circle Is Manhattan's
merry-go-round. When night comes
to this upper reach of the great white
way there Is an incessant whirl of
motor lights seemingly whirling
around am* around. Twcntyfour traf
fic pollcerna* guide the maelstrom of
traffic herb at night. Many motors
shoot off ln»i the pnrk and others
up Broadway There are fewer acci
dents at Columbus Circle than nny
oj.'jtr trafflo point In the city.
■pit wns discovered the other day
that a bellboy in a New York hotel
rode to work In his car. He cuts
quite a figure in the cafes nt night,
too. He Is Just one of scores that
* hope hells to play the larger game -
that of purveying llllelt liquor to
patrons.
fOeurgtht, 1*24.)
Jo Ellen at once became aware of a
fact that remained vividly with her
thereafter, one that had a startling
significance. This was the fact that
he now held her wrist at an angle
and with a firmness that left her
quite helpless. •
Nothing like this had ever hap
pened to her. She had thrown Bud
Blakely, who waj half a head taller
than herself; she had wrestled with
Uncle Ben until he was gasping.
O yes! she had preformed prodigies
of wriggling at one time or another.
And here she was held out like a fish
on a string hv the left hand of a man
who seemed to be taking no trouble
at all.
She looked up into the blue eyes
with what should have been indig
nation, but actually was an astonish
ed awe.
VII.
However, one could not afford to he
awed for very long.
"Let me go!” she said, In a whis
per that had all of her anger quiver
ing at the edge of it.
"If you'll let the door alone.”
He succeeded in making this sound
very clear and final.
"You see,” he said, "that door . . ,
anybody might see it open . . . like
you. Can't risk that. Makes this
damned place like an oven. I slept out
there last night." He jerked his head
to indicate the yard at the hack. "But
now it’s daylight. Anybody
"What do you want?" asked Jo
Ellen steadily.
"Yes.”
He released his hold. She continued
to look at him fixedly.
“Could you find a way of getting
me a drink of water?”
His voice had changed and the
softening of it came ludicrously. A
drink of water. If she went after
it. . . .
"What's the idea?" challenged Jo
Ellen. "If T go out—how do you
know . . . ?"
"I'm taking a chance," he said.
"But I'm burning up here. Since last
night.” He saw her glance move to
ward tlie taps in the kitchen. “Water
turned off. Went after the connection
in tho cellar. Rusty handle—it broke
off.”
"But who are you? Why did you
come here? Are you hiding?
"Will you lot the door adone?"
"Hiding? Yes, that's It. Until to
morrow morning. Until to-morrow
morning ought to do the trick." He
reached in his pocket, drew out a
rigaret case. Last one." He stepped
into the shadowy corner to strike the
match.
"If you’re hiding," said Jo Ellen,
what are you?"
He looked at her through the blue
haze of the smoke.
"The bulls would use bad names.”
"Bulls-!”
"The police.”
“Then you're just a burglar?"
And he laughed, not altogether with
a happy effect. "No. Nothing
like that.” He flicked the ash and
stepped closer. “See here, kid. I'm
gambling on you. I haven't done any
thing. it wouldn’t do you any harm
lo take my word. lint the gang of
them is out to get me—for some
thing I didn't do. That happens . . .
when you haven't been very good.
See? And I’m gambling on you to
keep quiet. After you bring the drink
of water-"
"At night,” said Jo Ellen, "when
it's dark—why couldn’t you . . . the
bridge—"
He shook his head. "They'd watch
that if they didn't watch anything
else—that and the Dyckman Street
ferry. They know I got to the hill.
By tomorrow *hey’ll think I slipped
through. Understand?”
"And you're gambling on me."
“Hot to. Unless T kept you here.”
"Kept me here? You'd find that
quite a job.”
"I'd have to hurt you."
Jo Ellen considered this. "What do
they call that," she asked him, "when
you help hide a—a crook?”
He gave her a hard look.
"Who's asked you to help hide a
crook? Call me anything you like,
hut all I've asked you for is a drink
of water. A drink. I’ve been here
since last night—”
"Since ten o’clock," said Jo Ellen.
It was really exciting to see him
start at this.
"How did you know?"
"I juct happened to notice some
tiling from my window. I didn't think
about It. Now I remember. And I
can't see how you knew—in the dark
—that it was an empty house."
I knew it was empty." He paused
for a moment. "I've been in It when
it wasn’t. The place seemed pretty
nearly as cheerful then. A visit, and
no fancy welcome. People don't wel
came a black sheep. Maybe you never
saw a black sheep. Maybe you haven't
any in your family."
Jo Ellen tried to grasp this
"I'll make it short," he said. "Simms
is an uncle of mine."
”1 see.”
"I’ll bet you don’t,” he said, fling
Ir.g away the last of the cigarette. He
took out a soiled handkerchief and
mopped ills neck. “You think I'm ly
ing. A liar and a crook. That wouid
put you in hard luck."
"You’re Stan," said Jo Ellen.
“Then I'm not lying"
"I've heard of Stan."
“Does that mean I won't get the
drink of water?"
"I can do better than bring water.
Somebody—I'll bring a wrench to
turn the thing.”
"You’re a good sport," said Stan.
"You’re—”
She saw his eyes fix themselves
under the frown. He seemed to stop
breathing or at least to be suddenly
set. She followed the direction In
u hlch he stared and saw a face at
one of the windows. It was Emma
Traub, her mouth open and her nose
flattening against the glass. In an in
stant the image melted as If wiped
away by a gesture with a cloth.,
■'Hell!'’ came out of the Stillness.
Jo Ellen shrugged nervously. “She
doesn't matter.”
The thick, hot silence scttlpd again.
I'll be back in a minute with the
wrench." she said moving to the door.
He glanoed at her intently, and her
look answered his.
"Keep your eyes open," he said.
She fancied that in his own eyes there
was a reluctance, if not a misgiving,
though he was pretending to be off
hand and confident.
VIII
Her mother was not in the house.
Uncle Ben sat on the porch reading
a newspaper. She came up at the
back door (life had become full of
back doors), found a wrench In the
box, then paused to give considers
tlon to an idea. She had thought of
the collapsible drinking cup when ghc
thought of the wrench. There was no
reason why she couldn't go futher.
During the necessary detour from
the hack door she obeyed the instruc
tions that weren't needed. She kept
her eyes open.
Afterward she found it hard to re
call precisely how she came to that
other door and how she first knew
that he had vanished. It had been
funny to go from the cellar to one
dusty room ofter another . . . even
Into the clothes closets and the attic.
She called softly. (O-oo hoo! like Mrs.
Tice.)
Mr. Stan was not there.
The Simms family’s black sheep.
Evidently there was no telling how a
black sheep would act. She had an
Interval of Intensive thinking. If her
mother saw her she would believe she
was wishing. Well, perhaps she was
. , wishing she could know why he
had gone; and how. Did he decide at
the last that he couldn't trust her?
How could you trust a person after
you had grabbed her and ordered her
about? Yet she had been sure that
he did tyjst her.
(To Be Continoed Monday.)
AT TME
HZ QUEST
or
ATTORNEY
NIBLICK
ciUOGE
bLOE
ADJOURNED
COURT
UNTIL
MONDAY
meu -x got a hundred bucks
TbWARO SPARK piugs emtm
FEE IN fHe T-BONE STAKES
All I NEED NOW IS FIFTy
MORE AND VNATCH j~ . >
(my SMOKE s'~n.
—--/ VOo KNOW ME. I
) / Barney • ,F *
; lHAD SOME SuOAR
/ V lo LOAN You
V^FiMV- .X
The Criminal Bv Briggs
" NOVJ SEE HERE VoONQ MAN — I TmInK YOU KNOW WHERE THAT.
GOLF BALL IS - VoU EXPECT To RETURN HBRF LATER AND SEIZe «T.
AS Your own... You Belong To that^despic aole. class op citizens
vjho commercialize The Lost Ball and You STooP To base methods
To Gain Your nefarious end--‘but l SHALL HAVE YOU BLACKLISTED in
EVERY COUNTRY CLUB FROM THE ATLANTIC Tb TNG PACIFIC AND I SMALL,
„EAVB NO stone unturned To BRING YoU SCOUnDRELSTo THE
Bar op Justice !"
..tt&sd
THE NEBBS BETWEEN ROUNDS. Directed for The Omaha Bee by Sol Hess
(Voo'SE NOT Ow\ /Uwo'vSTWE DON't'nOO WORST
THE dURV ft^O0\ WVTNESb 'TOO Go AQOONO TOWN
TEbTvKONT IVE HAVEN’T HEARD All ARE WAITING LAUGHING- \E THE ^
HEARD UP TO THE EVIDENCE - VCR AND WHAT huROSS SEE THAT l«L
DATE IET WAS SET ST vil AND DON'T l& HE GOING TO look; on MOORE ACE
ON THE ciOR-T / GET SO DEFECTED TESTIFY joTHAT thEV ^GHT SENO
I'DDEDDL / THAT GOOD NEWS/MEAN SO
AGAINST / MIGHT KILL TOU / W^uCHTONlE ^
Vnwselt- >
I
rr- T;— 'Van ^
m R>?°.
L^rESsj-KT|AR \ HE LOOKED S
TO NlAKE. TwO TRAIN VaUTH aS MATURE AS ST AGE'S Q.ASS
TR-iPS FOR A EVERM TMinG lT mDED OUT ^HERE HiS MA
\ LIGHT LUNCH DOT MIS / DiDN'T CCNE«
1 HANDS ' / ^00K M<S MAT OFF IT LOOKED
----1 ^ CiKlE A SON PlOvnER
* O
z^\ $
=¥*fcs *-A ,-x ATi^rTl
Barney Google and Spark Plug BARNEY’D FEEL SAFER IN JAIL. Drawn for The Omaha Bee by B.Ily DeBeck
X wish x Knew \ Uuhy Don-t^1
WHERE X COULD Woy pull.
J)i6 up Some EASvl yhat
money - That ^(do Bocki
150°-? entry You Got in
tee should ae ( "The bank
PAID INTO The. ) AM0 MAKE A
JOCKEY CLO0 J®ET ^
vThe firetoc /^vmgWou re
V. The week J LueKV -Them
V_y ail Ycor worries
\ 66 CNER.^
Hello . MP.iooite -
Ybo ae Jvvr in time
The BAmk clones im j
v^Tmo mkmutes
^TT'w
Ploo 8ERR'ES
X GOT HERS
| T IMANT
\ To DRAW
BRINGING UP FATHER „ ,Rp*1*"T*o»l SEE JIGGS AND MAGG,E in full Drawn for The Omaha Bee by McManus
*-'*'■** 1 ** * t *I-aSX U. S. Patent OIHca PAGE OF COLORS IN THE SUNDAY BEE (Copyright 1924) *
DiD tOO Ever,
HEAR THIt> ONE! ABOUT
the traveling nan
TROn ON a
JERRY ON THE JOB VITAL STATISTICS REQUESTED Drawn for The °maha Bee by Hoban
___ (Copyright 1924 t
ABIE THE AGENT Drawn for The Omaha Bee by Hershfield
In Right VII Right.
' I
*
Tt>OES HE KMOU?; / UE OUQHY To - \
\YOO lOEU.’ Zj X'UG BBENi l KrtVO - \
^-- .~<y ' i K)CSt> YD Y<IM
1 ) \ MORE YHAKSTQO
\. 'umes*.: y
--
