◆ SpookStack

217. “Exactly! ‘Nell, you know that ouch and 1112 te22 you the rest," Shavings says, ignoring the jeopardy he courts telking about Doe in the presence of anyone. “after the accident you sent 5000.00 to cover hospital expanses and for plastic surgery. Then, you bought her another car. Then, it was decided, because of the accident they'd not care, but return hone. And they did! "All the time tho letters were being apparently sent from the saxe place, clthough I suppose you never sav ax envelope with the post-office mark on it. Learwhile, the judge had not cotter to iashingto>, . although he bessei Ruth to wait patieatly, assuring her that he would go there imnediatel. Right?” "Right you are!" Al asserts. "gi, hox could you be so big a foolf" Shavings boldly asks. "How come you didn't thirk to eck what the judcs's rane was? I asked hit once, for you see I typod those letters for him. Sveryone of then? I saw the pictures. They were made up in the Recora Office. &1, there is no Buth! There never was one cxcept in Doc's distorted. brain!" "YOU typed those letters. . .!" shouts Capone. “ell, i's @ dirty son-of-a-bitch! Sa), if anybody ever paid for doing me a rotten trick, that bird's gonna pay. I been like a father to him. Believed hin. Trusted him! ard he's played me the dirtiest trick I ever had played on me, It all seesed too real. . . tho letters and all. And he telling ve his brother-in-lax -- the guard,Clerk,--\ar bringing in the letters fran town. And I been forking out grands like they were pennies, figuring the Judge would have of out. ‘supposed to be m retired Supreme Court judce. . ." "Doc has no wife and no brother-in-law, Al," Shavings informs Capone. "So all his characters wore mythical!" Capone is lost in reverie.. . Slowly, wearily. . . he trudges forlornly desolate down the Boulevard of Shattered Dreams. . «his head bowed, his eyes dimmed with tears. Betrayed! he inaudibly mrsurs. Betrayed! Absently he pulls on his prison clothes. Thorpe, Shavings and Capone's bodyguards stand silently by. They gare pityingly at the wan who half an hour ago bubbled with joy and expectation. Dejection. Surrender. Desolation. All are apparent in the eyes of King Capone as