Page:That Royle Girl (Balmer).pdf/149

 back fast enough when you come out; but you'll not want to go back. You'll not want to!"

"So Weigal thinks I ain't comin' back," Ket whispered, not hearing her. "That's Weigal for you. And I made that bird! He had a back yard beer-garden when I begun to play for him. I built that ball-room for that bird and the dirty pup pulls down my name when I get into trouble and lights up Henny's—Henny's."

"Ket!" pleaded Joan Daisy.

"Cut that stuff," commanded Ket. "It makes me sick." He stepped from the screen; a moment later a lock clicked, steel clanged and Joan Daisy knew that he had returned to the bull-pen.

A few paces away, along the screen, Cribben's Sadie was still chattering to her man. Other women were there, peering through the holes and talking. Joan Daisy dropped back to give another her place and a guard escorted her to the elevator.

It was a few minutes before this abrupt termination of Joan Daisy's visit with Ket that Calvin Clarke left his office in the Criminal Courts building and turned the corner toward the jail, where he encountered a plain-clothes man, attached to the state's attorney's office, who was one of the officers detailed to the collection of additional evidence for the prosecution of Ketlar.

Calvin of course did not speak to the man who, upon recognizing Mr. Clarke, carelessly sauntered by and without turning his head gave the information, "She's inside."

Although he continued past the jail, Calvin completely forgot the errand which had been his excuse for going on foot in that direction and, although he succeeded in recollecting it after he had reached the second block, he went no further, but turned back and, as he reapproached the jail, he pretended to search in the leather portfolio, which