children of the whirlwind-第25部分

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by　way　of　an　introductory　lesson；　made　an　august　function；　almost　diagrammatic　in　its　educational　details。　After　the　dinner；　with　Miss　Grierson's　slow　and　formal　aid；　which　consisted　mainly　in　passages　impressively　declaimed　from　her　private　book　of　decorum；　Maggie　spent　two　hours　in　unpacking　her　suitcase　and　trunk；　and　repacking　her　scanty　wardrobe　in　drawers　of　the　chiffonier　and　dressing…table；　a　task　which　Maggie；　left　to　herself；　could　have　completed　in　ten　minutes。

Maggie　was　still　at　this　task　in　her　bedroom　when　she　heard　Barney　enter　her　sitting…room。　〃He　got　away；〃　she　heard　him　say　in　a　low　voice　to　Old　Jimmie。

She　slipped　quickly　out　of　her　bedroom　and　closed　the　door　behind　her。　An　undefined　something　had　suddenly　begun　to　throb　within　her。

〃Who　got　away；　Barney？〃　she　demanded　in　a　hushed　tone。

Her　look　made　Barney　think　rapidly。　He　was　good　at　quick　thinking；　was　Barney。　He　decided　to　tell　the　truthor　part　of　it。

〃Larry　Brainard。〃

〃Got　away　from　what？〃　she　pursued。

〃The　police。　They　were　after　him　on　some　charge。　And　some　of　his　pals　were　after　him；　too。　They　were　out　to　get　him　because　he　had　squealed　on　Red　Hannigan　and　Jack　Rosenfeldt。　Both　parties　were　closing　in　on　him　at　about　the　same　time。　But　Larry　got　a　tip　somehow；　and　made　his　get…away。〃

〃When　did　it　happen？〃

〃Must　have　happened　a　little　time　after　we　all　left　the　Duchess's。〃

〃Butbut；　Barneyhow　did　you　learn　it　so　soon？〃

〃Just　ran　into　Officer　Gavegan　over　on　Broadway　and　he　told　me；〃　lied　Barney。　He　preferred　not　to　tell　her　that　he　had　been　upon　the　scene　with　Little　Mick　and　Lefty　Ed；　for　the　third　figure　which　Larry　had　descried　through　the　misty　shadows　had　indeed　been　Barney　Palmer。　Also　Barney　preferred　not　to　tell　what　further　subtle　share　he　had　had　in　the　causes　for　Larry's　flight。

〃Do　you　think　hehe　made　a　safe　get…away？〃

〃Safe　for　a　few　hours。　Gavegan　told　me　they'd　have　him　rounded　up　by　noon　to…morrow。〃　Barney　was　more　conscious　of　Maggie's　interest　than　was　Maggie　herself；　and　again　was　desirous　of　destroying　it　or　diverting　it。　〃Generally　I'm　for　the　other　fellow　against　the　police。　But　this　time　I'm　all　for　the　coppers。　I　hope　they　land　Larryhe's　got　it　coming　to　him。　Remember　that　he's　a　stool　and　a　squealer。〃

And　swiftly　Barney　switched　the　subject。　〃Let's　be　moving　along；　Jimmie。〃

He　drew　Maggie　out　into　the　hall；　to　make　more　certain　that　Miss　Grierson　would　not　overhear。　〃Well；　Maggie；〃　he　exulted；　〃haven't　I　made　good　so　far　in　my　bargain　to　put　you　over？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Of　course　we're　going　slow　at　first。　That's　how　you've　got　to　handle　big　dealscareful。　But　you'll　sure　be　a　knock…out　when　that　she…　undertaker　in　there　gets　you　rigged　out　in　classy　clothes。　Then　the　curtain　will　go　up　on　the　real　showand　it's　going　to　be　a　big　show　and　you'll　be　the　hit　of　the　piece！〃

With　that　incitement　to　Maggie's　imagination　Barney　left　her；　and　Old　Jimmie　followed；　furtively　giving　Maggie　a　brief；　uncertain　look。




CHAPTER　XIV


A　block　away　from　the　hotel　Barney　parted　from　Old　Jimmie。　For　a　space　Barney　thought　of　his　partner。　Barney　had　quick　eyes　which　were　quite　capable　of　taking　in　two　things　at　once；　and　while　he　had　seen　the　excited　glow　his　final　speech　had　brought　back　into　Maggie's　face；　he　had　also　caught　that　swift　look　of　uncertainty　in　the　lean；　cunning　face　of　Old　Jimmie：　a　look　of　one　who　is　eager　to　go　on；　yet　sees　himself　frustrated　by　his　own　eagerness。　To　Barney　it　was　a　puzzling；　suspicious　look。

As　Barney　made　his　way　toward　a　harbor　of　refreshment　he　wondered　about　Old　Jimmienot　in　the　manner　Larry　had　wondered　about　a　father　bringing　his　daughter　up　into　crooked　waysbut　he　wondered　what　kind　of　a　man　beneath　his　shrewd；　yielding；　placating　manner　Old　Jimmie　really　was；　how　far　he　was　to　be　trusted；　whether　he　was　in　this　game　on　the　level　or　whether　he　was　playing　some　very　secret　hand　of　his　own。　Though　he　had　known　and　worked　with　Old　Jimmie　for　years；　Barney　had　never　been　admitted　to　the　inner　chambers　of　the　older　man's　character。　He　sensed　that　there　were　hidden　rooms　and　twisting　passages；　and　of　this　much　he　was　certain；　that　Old　Jimmie　was　sly　and　saturnine。

Well；　he　would　be　on　guard　that　Old　Jimmie　didn't　put　anything　over　on　your　obliging　servant；　Barney　Palmer！

This　was　the　era　of　legal　prohibition；　but　thus　far　Barney　had　not　been　severely　discommoded　by　the　action　of　the　representatives　of　America's　free　institutions　in　Washington；　for　Barney　knew　his　New　York。　In　an　ex…saloon　on　Sixth　Avenue；　which　nominally　sold　only　the　soft　drinks　permitted　by　the　wise　men　of　the　Capital；　Barney　leaned　at　his　ease　upon　the　bar　and　remarked：　〃Give　me　some　of　the　real　stuff；　Tim；　and　forget　that　eye…dropper　the　boss　bought　you　last　week。〃　Barney　had　a　drink　of　the　real　stuff；　and　then　another　drink；　in　the　measuring　of　neither　of　which　had　an　eye…dropper　been　involved。

After　that；　much　heartened；　he　put　two　dollars　upon　the　bar　and　went　his　way。　His　course　took　the　dapper　Barney　into　three　of　the　gayest　restaurants　in　the　Times　Square　section；　and　in　these　Barney　paused　long　enough　to　speak　to　a　few　after…theater　supper…parties。　For　this　was　the　hour　when　Barney　paid　his　social　calls；　he　was　very　strict　with　himself　upon　this　point。　Barney　was　really　by　way　of　being　a　rising　figure　in　this　particular　circle　of　New　York　society　composed　of　people　who　had　or　believed　they　had　an　interest　in　the　theater；　of　expensively　gowned　women　the　foreground　of　whose　lives　was　most　attractive；　but　whose　background　was　perhaps　wisely　kept　out　of　the　picture；　and　of　moneyed　young　men　who　gloried　in　the　idea　that　they　were　living　the　life。　These　social　calls　from　gay　table　to　gay　table；　at　all　of　which　Barney　was　welcomefor　here　Barney　showed　only　his　most　attractive　surfaces；　his　most　brilliant　facetswere　in　truth　a　very　important　part　of　Barney's　business。

A　little　later；　alone　at　a　corner　table　in　a　quieter　restaurant；　Barney　was　eating　his　supper　and　making　an　inventory　of　his　prospects。　He　was　in　a　very　exultant　mood。　The　whiskey　he　had　drunk　had　given　broad　wings　to　his　self…satisfaction；　and　what　he　was　now　sipping　from　his　tea…cupit　was　not　tea；　for　Barney　was　on　the　proper　terms　with　his　waiter　herethis　draught　from　his　tea…cup　tipped　these　broad　wings　at　a　yet　more　soaring　angle。

Yes；　he　had　certainly　put　it　over　so　far。　And　Maggie　would　certainly　prove　a　winner。　Those　fair　women　he　had　chatted　with　as　he　had　moved　from　table　to　table；　why；　they'd　be　less　than　dirt　compared　to　Maggie　when　Maggie　was　rigged　out　and　readied　up　and　the　stage　was　set。　And　it　had　been　he；　Barney　Palmer；　who　had　been　the　first　to　discover　Maggie's　latent　possibilities！

He　had　an　eye　beyond　mere　surfaces；　had　Barney。　He　had　used　women　in　the　past　in　putting　over　many　of　his　more　private　transactions　（and　had　done　so　partly　for　the　reason　that　using　women　so　was　eminently　〃safe〃this　despite　his　violent　outburst　of　sneering　disdain　at　Larry　when　the　latter　had　spoken　of　safety）：　some　of　them　professional　sharpers；　some　unscrupulous　actresses　of　the　lower　flightsuch　women　as　he　had　just　chatted　with　in　the　restaurants　where　he　had　made　his　brief　visits。　But　such；　he　now　reco