the efficiency expert-第11章

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at　he　gohe　must　go。〃

The　girl　looked　up　quickly　at　the　speaker；　whose　tones　seemed　unnecessarily　vehement。

〃I　don't　quite　understand；〃　she　said；　〃why　you　should　take　the　matter　so　to　heart。　Father　is　the　best　judge　of　his　own　condition；　and；　while　he　may　need　a　rest；　I　cannot　see　that　he　is　in　any　immediate　danger。〃　〃Oh；　well；〃　replied　Bince　irritably；　〃I　just　wanted　him　to　get　away　for　his　own　sake。　Of　course；　it　don't　mean　anything　to　me。〃

〃What's　the　matter　with　you　tonight；　anyway；　Harold？〃　she　asked　a　half　an　hour　later。　〃You're　as　cross　and　disagreeable　as　you　can　be。〃

〃No；　I'm　not；〃　he　said。　　〃There　is　nothing　the　matter　with　me　at　all。〃

But　his　denial　failed　to　convince　her；　and　as；　unusually　early；　a　few　minutes　later　he　left；　she　realized　that　she　had　spent　a　most　unpleasant　evening。

Bince　went　directly　to　his　club；　where　he　found　four　other　men　who　were　evidently　awaiting　him。

〃Want　to　sit　in　a　little　game　to…night；　Harold？〃　asked　one　of　them。

〃Oh；　hell；〃　replied　Bince；　〃you　fellows　have　been　sitting　here　all　evening　waiting　for　me。　You　know　I　want　to。　My　luck's　got　to　change　some　time。〃

〃Sure　thing　it　has；〃　agreed　another　of　the　men。　　〃You　certainly　have　been　playing　in　rotten　luck；　but　when　it　does　changeoh；　baby！〃

As　the　five　men　entered　one　of　the　cardrooms　several　of　the　inevitable　spectators　drew　away　from　the　other　games　and　approached　their　table；　for　it　was　a　matter　of　club　gossip　that　these　five　played　for　the　largest　stakes　of　any　coterie　among　the　habitues　of　the　card…room。

It　was　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　before　Bince　disgustedly　threw　his　cards　upon　the　table　and　rose。　There　was　a　nasty　expression　on　his　face　and　in　his　mind　a　thing　which　he　did　not　dare　voicethe　final　crystallization　of　a　suspicion　that　he　had　long　harbored；　that　his　companions　had　been　for　months　deliberately　fleecing　him。　Tonight　he　had　lost　five　thousand　dollars；　nor　was　there　a　man　at　the　table　who　did　not　hold　his　I。　0。　U's。　for　similar　amounts。

〃I'm　through；　absolutely　through；〃　he　said。　　〃I'll　be　damned　if　I　ever　touch　another　card。〃

His　companions　only　smiled　wearily；　for　they　knew　that　to…morrow　night　he　would　be　back　at　the　table。

〃How　much　of　old　man　Compton's　money　did　you　get　tonight？〃　asked　one　of　the　four　after　Bince　had　left　the　room。

〃About　two　thousand　dollars；〃　was　the　reply；　〃which　added　to　what　I　already　hold；　puts　Mr。　Compton　in　my　debt　some　seven　or　eight　thousand　dollars。〃

Whereupon　they　all　laughed。

〃I　suppose；〃　remarked　anther；　〃that　it's　a　damn　shame；　but　if　we　don't　get　it　some　one　else　will。〃

〃Is　he　paying　anything　at　all？〃　asked　another。

〃Oh；　yes；　he　comes　across　with　something　now　and　then；　but　we'll　probably　have　to　carry　the　bulk　of　it　until　after　the　wedding。〃

〃Well；　I　can't　carry　it　forever；〃　said　the　first　speaker。　　〃I'm　not　playing　here　for　my　health；〃　and；　rising；　he　too　left　the　room。　Going　directly　to　the　buffet；　he　found　Bince；　as　he　was　quite　sure　that　he　would。

〃Look　here；　old　man；〃　he　said；　〃I　hate　to　seem　insistent；　but；　on　the　level；　I've　got　to　have　some　money。〃

〃I've　told　you　two　or　three　times；〃'　replied　Bince；　〃that　I'd　let　you　have　it　as　soon　as　I　could　get　it。　I　can't　get　you　any　now。〃

〃If　you　haven't　got　it；　Mason　Compton　has；〃　retorted　the　creditor；　〃and　if　you　don't　come　across　I'll　go　to　him　and　get　it。〃

Bince　paled。

〃You　wouldn't　do　that；　Harry？〃　he　almost　whimpered。　　〃For　God's　sake；　don't　do　that；　and　I'll　try　and　see　what　I　can　do　for　you。〃

〃Well；〃　replied　the　other；　〃I　don't　want　to　be　nasty；　but　I　need　some　money　badly。〃

〃Give　me　a　little　longer；〃　begged　Bince；　〃and　I'll　see　what　I　can　do。〃

Jimmy　Torrance　sat　a　long　time　in　thought　after　the　Lizard　left。　　〃God！〃　he　muttered。　〃I　wonder　what　dad　would　say　if　he　knew　that　I　had　come　to　a　point　where　I　had　even　momentarily　considered　going　into　partnership　with　a　safe…blower；　and　that　for　the　next　two　weeks　I　shall　be　compelled　to　subsist　upon　the　charity　of　a　criminal？

〃I'm　sure　glad　that　I　have　a　college　education。　　It　has　helped　me　materially　to　win　to　my　present　exalted　standing　in　society。　Oh；　well　I　might　be　worse　off；　I　suppose。　At　least　I　don't　have　to　worry　about　the　income　tax。

〃It　is　now　October；　and　since　the　first　of　the　year　I　have　earned　forty　dollars　exactly。　I　have　also　received　a　bequest　of　twenty　dollars；　which　of　course　is　exempt。　I　venture　to　say　that　there　is　not　another　able…bodied　adult　male　in　the　United　States　the　making　of　whose　income…tax　schedule　would　be　simpler　than　mine。〃

With　which　philosophic　trend　of　thought；　and　the　knowledge　that　he　could　eat　for　at　least　two　weeks　longer；　the　erstwhile　star　amateur　first　baseman　sought　the　doubtful　comfort　of　his　narrow；　lumpy　bed。

It　was　in　the　neighborhood　of　two　o'clock　the　next　morning　that　he　was　awakened　by　a　gentle　tapping　upon　the　panels　of　his　door。

〃Who　is　it？〃　he　asked。　　〃What　do　you　want？〃

〃It's　me　bo；〃　came　the　whispered　reply　in　the　unmistakable　tones　of　the　Lizard。

Jimmy　arose；　lighted　the　gas；　and　opened　the　door。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　whispered。

〃Are　the　police　on　your　trail？〃　〃No；〃　replied　the　Lizard；　grinning。　〃I　just　dropped　in　to　tell　you　that　I　grabbed　a　job　for　you。〃

〃Fine！〃　exclaimed　Jimmy。　〃You're　a　regular　fellow　all　right。〃

〃But　you　might　not　like　the　job；〃　suggested　the　Lizard。

〃As　long　as　I　can　earn　an　honest　dollar；〃　cried　Jimmy；　striking　a　dramatic　pose；　〃I　care　not　what　it　may　be。〃

The　Lizard's　grin　broadened。

〃I　ain't　so　sure　about　that；〃　he　said。　　〃I　know　your　kind。　　You're　a　regular　gent。　There　is　some　honest　jobs　that　you　would　just　as　soon　have　as　the　smallpox；　and　maybe　this　is　one　of　them。〃

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Jimmy。　　〃Don't　keep　me　guessing　any　longer。〃

〃You　know　Feinheimer's　Cabaret。〃

〃The　basement　joint　on　Wells　Street？〃　asked　Jimmy。　　〃Sure　I　know　it。〃

〃Well　that's　where　I　got　you　a　job；〃　said　the　Lizard。

〃What　doing？〃　asked　Jimmy。

〃Waiter；〃　was　the　reply。

〃It　isn't　any　worse　than　standing　behind　a　counter；　selling　stockings　to　women；〃　said　Jimmy。

〃It　ain't　such　a　bad　job；〃　admitted　the　Lizard　〃if　a　guy　ain't　too　swelled　up。　Some　of　'em　make　a　pretty　good　thing　out　of　it；　what　with　their　tips　and　short　changingOh；　there　are　lots　of　little　ways　to　get　yours　at　Feinheimer's。〃

〃I　see；　〃said　Jimmy；　〃but　don't　he　pay　any　wages？〃

〃Oh；　sure；〃　replied　the　Lizard；　〃you　get　the　union　scale。〃

〃When　do　I　go　to　work？〃

〃Go　around　and　see　him　to…morrow　morning。　　He　will　put　you　right　to　work。〃

And　so　the　following　evening　the　patrons　of　Feinheimer's　Cabaret　saw　a　new　face　among　the　untidy　servitors　of　the　establishmenta　new　face　and　a　new　figure；　both　of　which　looked　out　of　place　in　the　atmosphere　of　the　basement　resort。

Feinheimer's　Cabaret　held　a　unique　place　among　the　restaurants　of　the　city。　Its　patrons　were　from　all　classes　of　society。　At　noon　its　many　tables　were　largely　filled　by　staid　and　respectable　business　men；　but　at　night　a　certain　element　of　the　underworld　claimed　it　as　their　own；　and　there　was　always　a　sprinkling　of　people　of　the　stage；　artists；　literary　men　and　politicians。　It　was；　as　a　certain　wit　described　it；　a　social　goulash；　for　in　addition　to　its　regular　habitues　there　were　those　few　who　came　occasionally　from　the　upper　stratum　of　society　in　the　belief　that　they　were　doing　something　devilish。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　slumming　parties　which　began　and　ended　at　Feinheimer's　were　of　no　uncommon　occurrence；　and　as　the　place　was　more　than　usually　orderly　it　was　with　the　greatest　safety　that　society　made　excursions　into　the　underworld　of　crime　and　vice　through　its　medium。




CHAPTER　X。

AT　FEINHEIMER'S。

Feinheimer　liked　Jimmy's　appearance。　　He　was　big　and　strong；　and　the　fact　that　Feinheimer　always　retained　one　or　two　powerful　men　upon　his　payroll　accounted　in　a　large　measure　for　the　orderliness　of　his　place。　Occasionally　one　might　start　something　at　Feinheimer's；　but　no　one　was　ever　known　to　finish　what　he　started。

And　so　Jimmy　found　himself　waiting　upon　table　at　a　place　that　was　both　reputable　and　disreputable；　serving　business　men　at　noon　and　criminals　and　the　women　of　the　underworld　at　night。　In　the　weeks　that　he　was　there　he　came　to　know　man