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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　recognized；　were　rather　BLASEES；　rather　too　obvious。　They　were　the　blown　rose。　But　Maggie　was　fresh；　and　once　she　was　properly　broken　in；　she　would　be　his　perfect　instrument。　Yes；　perfect！

Barney's　plans　soared　on。　Some　day；　when　it　fitted　in　just　right　with　his　plans；　he　was　going　to　marry　Maggie；　It　was　only　recently　that　he　had　seen　her　full　charms；　and　still　more　recently　that　he　had　determined　upon　marriage。　That　decision　had　materially　altered　certain　details　of　the　career　Barney　had　blue…printed　for　himself。　Barney　had　long　regarded　marriage　as　an　asset　for　himself；　a　valuable　resource　which　he　must　hold　in　reserve　and　not　liquidate；　or　capitalize；　until　his　own　market　was　at　its　peak。　He　knew　that　he　was　good…looking；　an　excellent　dancer；　that　he　had　the　metropolitan　finish。　He　had　calculated　that　sometime　some　rich　girl；　perhaps　from　the　West；　who　did　not　know　the　world　too　well；　would　fall　under　the　spell　of　his　charms；　and　he　would　marry　her　promptly　while　she　was　still　infatuated；　before　she　could　learn　too　much　about　him。　Such　had　been　Barney's　idea　of　marriage　for　himself；　which　is　very　similar　to　ideas　held　by　thousands　of　gentlemen；　young　and　otherwise；　in　this　broad　land　of　ours；　who　consider　themselves　neither　law…breakers　nor　adventurers。

But　that　was　all　changed　now。　Now　it　was　Maggie；　though　Maggie　in　pursuit　of　their　joint　advantage　might　possibly　first　have　to　go　through　the　marriage　ceremony　with　some　other　man。　Of　course；　a　very；　very　rich　man！　Barney　already　had　this　man　marked。　He　hoped；　though；　they　would　not　have　to　go　so　far　as　marriage。　However；　he　was　willing　to　wait　his　proper　turn。　As　he　had　told　Maggie；　you　could　not　put　over　a　big　thing　in　a　hurry。

As　for　Larry；　he'd　certainly　handled　that　business　in　swell　fashion！　He'd　certainly　put　a　crimp　in　what　had　been　developing　between　Larry　and　Maggie。　And　he'd　get　Larry　in　time；　too。　The　drag…net　was　too　large　and　close　of　mesh　for　Larry　to　hope　to　escape　it。　The　word　he'd　slipped　that　boob　Gavegan　had　sure　done　the　business！　And　the　indirect　way　he　had　tipped　off　the　police　about　Red　Hannigan　and　Jack　Rosenfeldt　and　had　then　made　his　pals　think　Larry　had　squealedthat　was　sure　playing　the　game；　too！　Jack　and　Red　would　get　off　easythere　was　nothing　on　them；　but　little　old　Barney　Palmer　had　certainly　used　his　bean　in　the　way　he　had　set　the　machinery　of　the　police　and　the　under…world　in　motion　against　Larry！

While　other　occupants　of　the　cafe；　particularly　the　women；　stole　looks　at　the　handsome；　flawlessly　dressed；　interesting…looking　Barney；　Barney　had　yet　another　of　those　concoctions　which　the　discreet　waiter　served　in　a　tea…cup。　He'd　done　a　great　little　job；　you　bet！　Not　another　man　in　New　York　could　have　done　better。　He　was　sure　going　to　put　Maggie　across！　And　in　doing　so；　he　was　going　to　do　what　was　right　by　yours　truly。

All　seemed　perfect　in　Barney's　world。　。　。　。

And　while　Barney　sat　exulting　over　triumphs　already　achieved　and　those　inevitably　to　be　achieved；　Maggie　lay　in　her　new　bed　dreaming　exultant　dreams　of　her　own：　heedless　of　the　regular　snoring　which　resounded　in　the　adjoining　roomfor　the　excellent　Miss　Grierson；　while　able　to　keep　her　every　act　in　perfect　form　while　in　the　conscious　state；　unfortunately　when　unconscious　had　no　more　control　of　the　goings…on　of　her　mortal　functions　than　the　lowliest　washwoman。　Maggie's　flights　of　fancy　circled　round　and　round　Larry。　She　stifled　any　excuses　or　insurgent　yearnings　for　him。　He'd　deserved　what　he　had　got。　Already；　contrary　to　his　predictions；　she　had　made　a　tremendous　advance　into　her　brilliant　future。　She　would　show　him！　Yes；　she　would　show　him！　Oh；　but　she　was　going　to　do　things！

But　while　she　dreamed　thus；　shaping　a　magnificent　destinyan　independent；　self…engineered　young　woman；　so　very；　very　confident　of　the　great　future　she　was　going　to　achieve　through　the　supremacy　of　her　own　will　and　her　own　abilitiesno　slightest　surmise　came　into　her　mind　that　Barney　Palmer　was　making　plans　by　which　her　will　was　to　count　as　naught　and　by　which　he　was　to　be　the　master　of　her　fate；　and　that　the　furtive；　yielding　Old　Jimmie　was　also　dreaming　a　patient　dream　in　which　she　was　to　be　a　mere　chess…piece　which　was　to　capture　a　long…cherished　game。

And　yet；　after　all；　Maggie's　dreams；　aside　from　the　peculiar　twist　life　had　given　them；　were　fundamentally　just　the　ordinary　dreams　of　youth：　of　willful　confident　youth；　to　whom　but　a　small　part　of　the　world　has　yet　been　opened；　who　in　fact　does　not　yet　half　know　its　own　nature。




CHAPTER　XV


No　prison　could　have　been　more　agreeablethat　is；　no　prison　from　which　Maggie　was　omittedthan　this　in　which　Larry　was　now　confined。　He　had　the　run　of　the　apartment；　Dick　Sherwood　outfitted　him　liberally　with　clothing　from　his　superabundance　of　the　best；　Judkins　and　the　other　servants　treated　him　as　the　member　of　the　family　which　they　had　been　informed　he　was；　the　lively　Dick；　with　his　puppy…like　friendliness；　asked　never　an　uncomfortable　question；　and　placed　Larry　almost　on　the　fo