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第47章

children of the whirlwind-第47章

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〃I've called your bluff; Barney;〃 Larry said sharply。 〃Put that gun away; or I'll take it from you!〃

Barney's glare wavered。 The pistol sank from its position。 With a lightning…swift motion Larry wrenched it from Barney's hand。

〃Guess I'd better have it; after all;〃 he said; slipping it into a pocket。 〃Keep you out of temptation。〃

And then in a subdued voice that was steely with menace: 〃I'm too busy to attend to you now; Barneybut; by God; I'm going to square things with you for the dirt you've done me; and I'm going to show you up for a stool and a squealer!〃 He wheeled on Old Jimmie。 〃And the only reason I'll be easy with you; Jimmie Carlisle; is because you are Maggie's fatherthough you're the rottenest thing as a father God ever let breathe!〃

Old Jimmie shrank slightly before Larry's glower; and his little eyes gleamed with the fear of a rat that is cornered。 But he said nothing。

Larry turned his back upon the two men。 〃We're through with this bunch; Maggie。 Put on a hat and a wrap; and let's go。 We can send for your things。〃

〃No you don't; Maggie;〃 snarled Barney; before Maggie could speak。

Old Jimmie made his first positive motion since entering the room。 He shifted quickly to Maggie's side and seized her arm。

〃You're my daughter; and you stay with me!〃 he ordered。 〃I brought you up; and you do exactly what I tell you to! You're not going with Larryhe's lying about Barney。 You stay with me!〃

〃Come on; let's go; Maggie;〃 repeated Larry。

〃You stay with me!〃 repeated Jimmie。

Thus ordered and appealed to; Maggie was areel with contradicting thoughts and impulses while the three men awaited her action。 In fact she had no clear thought at all。 She never knew later what determined her course at this bewildered moment: perhaps it was partly a continuance of her doubt of Larry; perhaps partly once more sheer momentum; perhaps her instinctive feeling that her place was with the man she believed to be her father。

〃Yes; I'll stay with you;〃 she said to Old Jimmie。

〃That's the signal for you to be on your way; Larry Brainard!〃 Barney snapped at him triumphantly。

Larry realized; all of a sudden; that his coming here was no more than a splendid gesture to which his anger had excited him。 Indeed there was nothing for him but to be on his way。

〃I've told you the truth; Maggie; and you'll be sorry that you have not leftif not sorry soon; then sorry a little later。〃

He turned to Barney with a last shot; he could not leave the gloating Barney Palmer his unalloyed triumph。 〃I told you I had the straight dope on you; Barney。 Here's some more of it。 I know exactly what your game is; and I know exactly who your sucker is。 We'll see if you put it overyou squealer! Good…night; all。〃

With that Larry walked out。 Old Jimmie regarded his partner with suspicion。

〃How about that; Barneyyou being a stool and a squealer?〃 he demanded。

〃I tell you it's all a liea damned lie!〃 cried Barney with feverish emphasis。

〃I hope it is!〃 breathed Old Jimmie。

This was a subject Barney wanted to get away from。 〃Maggie;〃 he demanded; 〃is what Larry Brainard said about how he came here the truth?his seeing you on the street and then following you here?〃

〃How do I know where he first saw me?〃

〃But is to…night the first time you've seen him?〃

〃It is。〃

〃Sure you haven't been seeing him?〃 demanded Barney's quick jealousy。

〃I have not。〃

〃Did he tell you where he came from?where he hangs out?〃

〃No。〃

Old Jimmie interrupted this cross…examination。

〃You're wasting good time asking these questions。 Barney; do you realize the cold fact that it's not a good thing for you; nor for us; for Larry Brainard to be back in New York; floating around as he pleases?〃

〃I should say not!〃 Barney saw he was facing a sudden crisis; and in the need for quick action he spoke without thought of Maggie。 〃We've got to look after him at once!〃

〃Tell the bunch he's back; and let them take care of him?〃 suggested Old Jimmie。

Barney considered rapidly。 If Larry knew of his arrangement with the police; then perhaps his secret was beginning to leak through to others。 He decided that for the present it would be wiser to keep from these old friends and allies。

〃Not the bunchthe police!〃 he said inspiredly。 〃They're after him; anyhow; and are sore。 All we've got to do is slip them wordthey'll do the rest!〃 And then with the sharper emphasis of an immediate plan: 〃We don't want to lose a minute。 I know where Gavegan hangs out at this time of night。 Come on!〃

With a bare 〃Good…night〃 to Maggie the two men hurried forth on their pressing mission。 Left to herself; Maggie sank into a chair and wildly considered the many elements of this new situation。 Presently two thoughts emerged to dominance: Whether Larry was right or wrong; he had risked coming out of his safety for her sakeperhaps had risked all he had won for her sake。 And now the police were to be set after him; with that Gavegan heading the pack。

Perhaps the further thinking Maggie did did not result in cool; mature wisdomfor her thoughts were the operations of a panicky mind。 Somehow she had to get warning to Larry of this imminent police hunt! Without doubt Larry would return to Cedar Crest sometime that night。 Word should be sent to him there。 A letter was too uncertain in such a crisis。 Of course she had an invitation to go to Cedar Crest the following afternoon; and she might warn him thenbut that might be too late。 She dared not telephone or telegraphfor that might somehow direct dangerous attention to the exact spot where Larry was hidden。 Also she had an instinct; operating unconsciously long before she had any thought of what she was eventually to do; not to let Barney or Old Jimmie find out; or even guess; that she had warned Larrynot yet。

There seemed nothing that she herself could do。 Then she thought of the Duchess。 That was the way out! The Duchess would know some way in which to get Larry word。

Five minutes later; in her plainest suit and hat; Maggie in a taxicab was rolling down toward the Duchess'sfrom where; only a few months back; she had started forth upon her great career。




CHAPTER XXVIII


Old Jimmie did not like meeting the police any oftener than a meeting was forced upon him; and so he slipped away and allowed Barney Palmer to undertake alone the business of settling Larry。 Barney found Gavegan exactly where he had counted: lingering over his late dinner in the cafe of a famous Broadway restauranta favorite with some of the detectives and higher officials of the Police Departmentin which cafe; in happier days now deeply mourned; Gavegan had had all the exhilaration he wanted to drink at the standing invitation of the proprietor; and where even yet on occasion a bit of the old exhilaration was brought to Gavegan's table in a cup or served him in a room above to which he had had whispered instructions to retire。 The proprietor had in the old days liked to stand well with the police; and though his bar was now devoted to legal drinksor at least obliging Federal officers reported it to behe still liked to stand well with the police。

Gavegan was at a table with a minor producer of musical shows; to whom Barney had been of occasional service in securing the predominant essential of such musicnamely; shapely young women。 Barney nodded to Gavegan; chatted for a few minutes with his musical…comedy friend; during which he gave Gavegan a signal; then crossed to the once… crowded bar; now sunk to isolation and the lowly estate of soft drinks; and ordered a ginger ale。 Not until then did he notice Barlow; chief of the Detective Bureau; at a corner table。 Barney gave no sign of recognition; and Barlow; after a casual glance at him; returned to his food。

Barney; in solitude at one end of the bar; slowly sipped with a sort of indignation against his kickless purchase。 Presently Gavegan was beside him; having most convincing ill…luck in his attempts to light his cigar from a box of splintering safety matches which stood at that end of the bar。

〃Well; what is it?〃 Gavegan whispered out of that corner of his mouth which was not occupied by his cigar。 He did not look at Barney。

〃Any clue to Larry Brainard yet?〃 Barney w

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