Traffic in Souls: A Novel of Crime and Its CureBall, Eustace Hale
General
Traffic in Souls: A Novel of Crime and Its Cure
Ball, Eustace Hale
Crime -- Fiction
He had drawn forth a brandy flask, and Burke quickly unscrewed the
cup-cap, to pour out a libation.
"Oh, no!" moaned Lorna, objecting weakly, but Burke forced it between
her teeth. The burning liquid roused her energies and, with Mary's
assistance, she was able to sit up in the rear of the auto.
"Take another, lady," volunteered the chauffeur. "It'll do you good."
"Never. I've tasted the last liquor that shall ever pass my lips,"
said Lorna. "Oh, Mary, what a horrible lesson I've learned!"
Her sister comforted her, and turned toward Burke pleadingly.
"Can I take her home, Bob? You know how anxious father is?"
Captain Sawyer had come to the side of the automobile. He nodded.
"Yes, Miss Barton, the chauffeur will take her right up to your house.
Give her some medical attention at once, and be ready to come back with
her to the station house as soon as I send for you. I'm going to get
the ringleader of this gang in my net before the day is through. So
your sister should be here if she is strong enough to press the first
complaint. I'll attend to the others, with the Federal Government and
those phonograph records back of me! Hurry up, now."
He turned to his sergeant.
"Put these prisoners in the other automobile and call out the men to
clear this mob away from the streets. Keep the house watched by one
man outside and one in the rear. We don't know what might be done to
destroy some of this evidence."
The automobile containing the two girls started on the glad homeward
journey at the Captain's signal. Bobbie waved his hat and the happy
tears coursed down his face.
"Well, Captain, I've got to face a serious investigation now," he said
to his superior as they went up the steps once more.
"What is it?" exclaimed Sawyer in surprise, "You'll be a medal of honor
man, my boy."
"I've killed a man."
"You have! Well, tell me about your end of the raid. All this has
happened so quickly that we must get the report ready right here on the
spot, in order to have it exact."
"This man Shepard, who seems to be the professional whipper of this
gang, as well as a procurer, fought me with a magazine revolver. I ran
him up to the roof, and I had to shoot him or be killed myself. That
means a trial, I know. You'll find his body back of the house, for he
fell off the roof at the end."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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