children of the whirlwind-第19节

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　a　safer　way；　than　any　dozen　men！　And　I　tell　you；　Maggie；　I'll　make　you　a　star！〃

〃Barney！　。　。　。　But　you　haven't　told　me　just　what　I'm　to　do。〃

〃The　first　thing　will　be　just　a　try…out；　it'll　help　finish　your　education。　I've　got　it　doped　out；　but　I'll　not　tell　you　till　later。　The　main　idea　is　not　to　use　you　in　just　one　game；　Maggie；　but　to　finish　you　off　so　you'll　fit　into　dozens　of　gamesbe　good　year　after　year。　A　big　actress　who　can　step　right　into　any　big　part　that　comes　her　way。　That's　what　pays！　I　tell　you；　Maggie；　there's　no　other　such　good；　steady　proposition　on　earth　as　the　right　kind　of　woman。　And　that's　what　you're　going　to　be！〃

Maggie　had　heard　much　this　same　talk　often　before。　Then　it　had　been　vague；　and　had　dealt　with　an　indefinite　future。　Now　she　was　too　dazzled　by　this　picture　of　near　events　which　the　eager　Barney　was　drawing　to　be　able　to　make　any　comment。

〃I'll　be　right　behind　you　in　everything；　and　so　will　Jimmie；〃　Barney　continued　in　his　exciting　manner〃but　you'll　be　the　party　out　in　front　who　really　puts　the　proposition　over。　And　we'll　keep　to　things　where　the　police　can't　touch　us。　Get　a　man　with　coin　and　position　tangled　up　right　in　a　deal　with　a　woman；　and　he'll　never　let　out　a　peep　and　he'll　come　across　with　oodles　of　money。　Hundreds　of　ways　of　working　that。　A　strong　point　about　you；　Maggie；　is　you　have　no　police　record。　Neither　have　I；　though　the　police　suspect　mebut；　as　I　said；　I'll　keep　off　the　stage　as　much　as　I　can。　I　tell　you；　Maggie；　we're　going　to　put　over　some　great　stuff！　Great；　I　tell　you！〃

Maggie　felt　no　repugnance　to　what　had　been　said　and　implied　by　Barney。　How　could　she；　when　since　her　memory　began　she　had　lived　among　people　who　talked　just　these　same　things？　To　Maggie　they　seemed　the　natural　order。　At　that　moment　she　was　more　concerned　by　a　fascinating　necessity　which　Barney's　flamboyant　enterprise　entailed。

〃But　to　do　anything　like　that；　won't　I　need　clothes？〃

〃You'll　need　'em；　and　you'll　have　'em！　You're　going　to　have　one　of　the　swellest　outfits　that　ever　happened。　You'll　make　Paris　ashamed　of　itself！〃

〃No　use　blowing　the　whole　roll　on　Maggie's　clothes；〃　put　in　Old　Jimmie；　speaking　for　the　first　time。

Barney　turned　on　him　caustically；　almost　savagely。　〃You're　a　hell　of　a　father；　you　arecounting　the　pennies　on　his　own　daughter！　I　told　you　this　was　no　piker's　game；　and　you　agreed　to　itso　cut　out　the　idea　you're　in　any　nickel…in…the…slot　business！〃

Old　Jimmie　felt　physical　pain　at　the　thought　of　parting　from　money　on　such　a　scale。　His　earlier　plans　concerning　Maggie　had　never　contemplated　any　such　extravagance。　But　he　was　silenced　by　the　dominant　force　behind　Barney's　sarcasm。

〃Miss　Griersonshe's　your　companionknows　what's　what　about　clothes；〃　continued　Barney　to　Maggie。　〃Here's　the　dope　as　I've　handed　it　to　her。　You're　an　orphan　from　the　West；　with　some　dough；　who's　come　to　New　York　as　my　ward　and　Jimmie's　and　we　want　you　to　learn　a　few　things。　To　her　and　to　any　new　people　we　meet　I'm　your　cousin　and　Jimmie　is　your　uncle。　You've　got　that　all　straight？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Maggie。

〃You're　to　use　another　name。　I've　picked　out　Margaret　Cameron　for　you。　We　can　call　you　Maggie　and　it　won't　be　a　slip…upsee？　If　any　of　the　coppers　who　know　you　should　tumble　on　to　you；　just　tell　'em　you　dropped　your　own　name　so's　to　get　clear　of　your　old　life。　They　can't　do　anything　to　you。　And　tell　'em　you　inherited　a　little　coin；　that's　why　you're　living　so　swell。　They　can't　do　anything　about　that　either。　。　。　。　Here's　where　we　get　out。　Got　a　sitting…room；　two　bedrooms　and　a　bath　hired　for　you　here。　But　we'll　soon　move　you　into　a　classier　hotel。〃

The　taxi　had　stopped　in　front　of　one　of　the　unpretentious；　respectable　hotels　in　the　Thirties；　just　off　Fifth　Avenue；　and　Maggie　followed　the　two　men　in。　This　hotel　did；　indeed；　in　its　people；　its　furnishings；　its　atmosphere；　seem　sober　and　commonplace　after　the　Ritzmore；　but　at　the　Ritzmore　she　had　been　merely　a　cigarette…girl；　a　paid　onlooker　at　the　gayety　of　others。　Here　she　was　a　real　guesthere　her　great　life　was　beginning！　Maggie's　heart　beat　wildly。

Up　in　her　sitting…room　Barney　introduced　her　to　Miss　Grierson；　then　departed　with　a　significant　look　at　Old　Jimmie；　saying　he　would　return　presently　and　leaving　Old　Jimmie　behind。　Old　Jimmie　withdrew　into　a　corner；　turned　to　the　racing　part　of　the　Evening　Telegram；　which；　with　the　corresponding　section　of　the　Morning　Telegraph；　was　his　sole　reading；　and　left　Maggie　to　the　society　of　Miss　Grierson。

Maggie　studied　this　strange　new　being；　her　hired　〃companion；〃　with　furtive　keenness；　and　after　a　few　minutes；　though　she　was　shyly　obedient　in　the　manner　of　an　untutored　orphan　from　the　West；　she　had　no　fear　of　the　other。　Miss　Grierson　was　a　large；　flat…backed　woman　who　was　on　the　descending　slope　of　middle　age。　She　was　really　a　〃gentlewoman；〃　in　the　self…pitying　and　self…praising　sense　in　which　those　who　advertise　themselves　as　such　use　that　word。　She　was　all　the　social　forms；　all　the　proprieties。　She　was　deferentially　autocratic；　her　voice　was　monotonously　dignified　and　cultured；　and　she　was　tired；　which　she　had　a　right　to　be；　for　she　had　been　in　this　business　of　being　a　gentlewomanly　hired　aunt　to　raw　young　girls　for　over　a　quarter　of　a　Century。

To　the　tired　but　practical　eye　of　Miss　Grierson；　here　was　certainly　a　young　woman　who　needed　a　lot　of　working　over　to　make　into　a　lady。　And　though　weary　and　unthrillable　as　an　old　horse；　Miss　Grierson　was　conscientious；　and　she　was　going　to　do　her　best。

Maggie　made　a　swift　survey　of　her　new　home。　The　rooms　were　just　ordinary　hotel　rooms；　furnished　with　the　dingy；　wholesale　pretentiousness　of　hotels　of　the　second　rate。　But　they　were　the　essence　of　luxury　compared　to　her　one　room　at　the　Duchess's　with　its　view　of　dreary　back　yards。　These　rooms　thrilled　her。　They　were　her　first　material　evidence　that　she　was　now　actually　launched　upon　her　great　adventure。

Maggie　had　dinner　in　her　sitting…room　with　Old　Jimmie　and　Miss　Griersonand　of　that　dinner；　mediocre　and　sloppy；　and　chilled　by　its　transit　of　twelve　stories　from　the　kitchen；　Miss　Grierson；　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　ca