the voice of the city-第32章

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〃I'm　disposed　of；　of　course；〃　said　Woods；　at

length。　　〃But　I　advise　you　to　keep　under　cover　for　a

spell。　　The　newspapers　may　take　up　this　Norcross

affair。　　There　has　been　an　epidemic　of　burglaries　and

manslaughter　in　town　this　summer。〃



The　word　sent　Kernan　into　a　high　glow　of　sullen

and　vindictive　rage。



〃To　hell　with　the　newspapers；〃　he　growled。

〃What　do　they　spell　but　brag　and　blow　and　boodle　in

box…car　letters？　　Suppose　they　do　take　up　a　case

what　does　it　amount　to？　　The　police　are　easy　enough

to　fool；　but　what　do　the　newspapers　do？　　They　send

a　lot　of　pin…head　reporters　around　to　the　scene；　and

they　make　for　the　nearest　saloon　and　have　beer　while

they　take　photos　of　the　bartender's　oldest　daughter

in　evening　dress；　to　print　as　the　fiancee　of　the　young

man　in　the　tenth　story；　who　thought　he　heard　a　noise

below　on　the　night　of　the　murder。　　That's　about　as

near　as　the　newspapers　ever　come　to　running　down

Mr。　Burglar。〃



〃Well；　I　don't　know；〃　said　Woods；　reflecting。

〃Some　of　the　papers　have　done　good　work　in　that

line。　　There's　the　Morning　Mars；　for　instance。　　It

warmed　up　two　or　three　trails；　and　got　the　man　after

the　police　had　let　'em　get　cold。〃



〃I'll　show　you；〃　said　Tiernan；　rising；　and　expand…

ing　his　chest。　　〃I'll　show　you　what　I　think　of　news…

papers　in　general；　and　your　Morning　Mars　in　par…

ticular。〃



Three　feet　from　their　table　was　the　telephone

booth。　　Kernan　went　inside　and　sat　at　the　instrument；

leaving　the　door　open。　　He　found　a　number　in　the

book；　took　down　the　receiver　and　made　his　demand

upon　Central。　　Woods　sat　still；　looking　at　the　sneer…

ing；　cold；　vigilant　face　waiting　close　to　the　trans…

mitter；　and　listened　to　the　words　that　came　from　the

thin；　truculent　lips　curved　into　a　contemptuous　smile。



〃That　the　Morning　Mars？　　。　　。　　。　　I　want　to

speak　to　the　managing　editor　　。　　。　　。　　Why；　tell

him　it's　some　one　who　wants　to　talk　to　him　about　the

Norcross　murder。



〃You　the　editor？　　。　　。　　。　　All　right。　　。　　。　　。　　I

am　the　man　who　killed　old　Norcross　　。　　。　　。　　Wait！

Hold　the　wire；　I'm　not　the　usual　crank　　。　　。　　。　　oh；

there　isn't　the　slightest　danger。　　I've　just　been　dis…

cussing　it　with　a　detective　friend　of　mine。　　I　killed

the　old　man　at　2：30　A。　M。　two　weeks　ago　to…

morrow。　　。　　。　　。　　Have　a　drink　with　you？　Now；

hadn't　you　better　leave　that　kind　of　talk　to　your

funny　man？　　Can't　you　tell　whether　a　man's　guying

you　or　whether　you're　being　offered　the　biggest　scoop

your　dull　dishrag　of　a　paper　ever　had？　　。　　。　　。　　

Well；　that's　so；　it's　a　bobtail　scoop　　but　you　can

hardly　expect　me　to　'phone　in　my　name　and　address。



。　　。　　。　　Why？　Oh；　because　I　beard　you　make　a

specialty　of　solving　mysterious　crimes　that　stump　the

police。　　。　　。　　。　　No；　that's　not　all。　　I　want　to　tell

you　that　your　rotten；　lying；　penny　sheet　is　of　no　more

use　in　tracking　an　intelligent　murderer　or　highway…

man　than　a　blind　poodle　would　be。　　。　　。　　。　　What？

。　　。　　。　　Oh；　no；　this　isn't　a　rival　newspaper　office；

you're　getting　it　straight。　　I　did　the　Norcross　job；

and　I've　got　the　jewels　in　my　suit　case　at　　'the

name　of　the　hotel　could　not　be　learned'　　you　recog…

nize　that　phrase；　don't　you？　　I　thought　so。　　You've

used　it　often　enough。　　Kind　of　rattles　you；　doesn't

it；　to　have　the　mysterious　villain　call　up　your　great；

big；　all…powerful　organ　of　right　and　justice　and　good

government　and　tell　you　what　a　helpless　old　gas…bag

you　are？　　。　　。　　。　　Cut　that　out；　you're　not　that　big

a　fool　　no；　you　don't　think　I'm　a　fraud。　　I　can　tell

it　by　your　voice。　　。　　。　　。　　Now；　listen；　and　I'll　give

you　a　pointer　that　will　prove　it　to　you。　　Of　course

you've　had　this　murder　case　worked　over　by　your　staff

of　bright　young　blockheads。　　Half　of　the　second　but…

ton　on　old　Mrs。　Norcross's　nightgown　is　broken　off。

I　saw　it　when　I　took　the　garnet　ring　off　her　finger。

I　thought　it　was　a　ruby。　　。　　。　　。　　　Stop　that！　　it

won't　work。〃



Kernan　turned　to　Woods　with　a　diabolic　smile。



〃I've　got　him　going。　　He　believes　me　now。　　He

didn't　quite　cover　the　transmitter　with　his　hand　when

he　told　somebody　to　call　up　Central　on　another　'phone

and　get　our　number。　　I'll　give　him　just　one　more　dig；

and　then　we'll　make　a　'get…away。'



〃Hello！　　。　　。　　。　　Yes。　　I'm　here　yet。　You

didn't　think　　I'd　run　from　such　a　little　subsidized；　turn…

coat　rag　of　a　newspaper；　did　you？　　。　　。　　。　　Have

me　inside　of　forty…eight　hours？　　Say；　will　you　quit

being　funny？　　Now；　you　let　grown　men　alone　and　at…

tend　to　your　business　of　hunting　up　divorce　cases

and　street…car　accidents　and　printing　the　filth　and

scandal　that　you　make　your　living　by。　　Good…by；　old

boy　　sorry　I　haven't　time　to　call　on　you。　　I'd　feel

perfectly　safe　in　your　sanctum　asinorum。　　Tra…la！〃



〃He's　as　mad　as　a　cat　that's　lost　a　mouse；〃　　said

Kernan；　hanging　up　the　receiver　and　coming　out。



〃And　now；　Barney；　my　boy；　we'll　go　to　a　show　and

enjoy　ourselves　until　a　reasonable　bedtime。　　Four

hours'　sleep　for　me；　and　then　the　west…bound。〃



The　two　dined　in　a　Broadway　restaurant。　　Kernan

was　pleased　with　himself。　　He　spent　money　like　a

prince　of　fiction。　　And　then　a　weird　and　gorgeous

musical　comedy　engaged　their　attention。　　Afterward

there　was　a　late　supper　in　a　grillroom；　with

champagne；　and　Kernan　at　the　height　of　his　com…

placency。



Half…past　three　in　the　morning　found　them　in　a

corner　of　an　all…night　cafe；　Kernan　still　boasting　in

a　vapid　and　rambling　way；　Woods　thinking　moodily

over　the　end　that　had　come　to　his　usefulness　as　an

upholder　of　the　law。



But；　as　he　pondered；　his　eye　brightened　with　a

speculative　light。



〃I　wonder　if　it's　possible；〃　be　said　to　himself；　〃I

won…der　if　it's　pos…si…ble！



And　then　outside　the　cafe　the　comparative　stillness

of　the　early　morning　was　punctured　by　faint；　uncer…

tain　cries　that　seemed　mere　fireflies　of　sound；　some

growing　louder；　some　fainter；　waxing　and　waning

amid　the　rumble　of　milk　wagons　and　infrequent　cars。

Shrill　cries　they　were　when　near　　well…known　cries

that　conveyed　many　meanings　to　the　ears　of　those　of

the　slumbering　millions　of　the　great　city　who　waked

to　hear　them。　　Cries　that　bore　upon　their　significant；

small　volume　the　weight　of　a　world's　woe　and　laugh…

ter　and　delight　and　stress。　　To　some；　cowering　be…

neath　the　protection　of　a　night's　ephemeral　cover；

they　brought　news　of　the　hideous；　bright　day；　to

others；　wrapped　in　happy　sleep；　they　announced　a

morning　that　would　dawn　blacker　than　sable　night。

To　many　of　the　rich　they　brought　a　besom　to　sweep

away　what　had　been　theirs　while　the　stars　shone；　to

the　poor　they　brought　　another　day。



All　over　the　city　the　cries　were　starting　up；　keen

and　sonorous；　heralding　the　chances　that　the　slip…

ping　of　one　cogwheel　in　the　machinery　of　time　had

made；　apportioning　to　the　sleepers　while　they　lay

at　the　mercy　of　fate；　the　vengeance；　profit；　grief；

reward　and　doom　that　the　new　figure　in　the　calen…

dar　had　brought　them。　　Shrill　and　yet　plaintive

were　the　cries；　as　if　the　young　voices　grieved　that　so

much　evil　and　so　little　good　was　in　their　irresponsible

hands。　　Thus　echoed　in　the　streets　of　the　helpless

city　the　transmission　of　the　latest　decrees　of　the　gods；

the　cries　of　the　newsboys　　the　Clarion　Call　of　the

Press。



Woods　flipped　a　dime　to　the　waiter；　and　said：

〃Get　me　a　Morning　Mars。〃



When　the　paper　came　he　glanced　at　its　first　page；

and　then　tore　a　leaf　out　of　his　memorandum　book

and　began　to　write　on　it　with　the　little　old　pencil。



〃What's　the　news？〃'　yawned　Kernan。



Woods　flipped　over　to　him　the　piece　of　writing：



〃The　New　York　Morning　Mars：



〃Please　pay　to　the　order　of　John　Kernan　the　one　thousand

dollars　reward　coming　to　me　for　his　arrest　and　conviction。



〃BARNARD　WOODS。〃





〃I　kind　of　thought　they　would　do　that；〃　said

Woods；　〃when　you　were　jollying　them　so　hard。　　Now；

Johnny；　you'll　come　to　the　police　station　with　me。〃