children of the whirlwind-第40节

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he　threats；　more　than　fulfilled；　which　had　followed。

〃Going　to　give　me　a　little　private　quiz　first；　Casey；〃　he　asked；　〃and　then　call　in　Gavegan　and　lead　me　down　to　Barlow？〃

〃Not　unless　Gavegan　or　some　one　else　saw　and　recognized　you；　which　I　know　they　didn't　since　I　was　watching　for　that　very　thing。　And　not　unless　you　yourself　feel　hungry　for　a　visit　to　Headquarters。〃

〃If　I　feel　hungry；　it's　an　appetite　I'm　willing　to　make　wait。〃

〃You　know　I　don't　want　to　pinch　you。　My　part　in　this　has　been　a　dirty　job　that　was　just　pushed　my　way。　You　know　that　I　know　you've　been　framed　and　double…crossed；　and　that　I　won't　run　you　in　unless　I　can't　get　out　of　it。〃

〃Thanks；　Casey。　You're　too　white　to　have　to　run　with　people　like　Barlow　and　Gavegan。　But　if　it　wasn't　to　pinch　me；　why　did　you　stop　me　out　there　in　the　street？〃

〃Been　hoping　I　might　some　day　run　into　you　on　the　quiet。　There　are　some　things　I've　learnednever　mind　howthat　I　wanted　to　slip　you　for　your　own　good。〃

〃Go　to　it；　Casey。〃

〃First；　I've　got　a　hunch　that　it　was　Barney　Palmer　who　tipped　off　the　police　about　Red　Hannigan　and　Jack　Rosenfeldt；　and　then　spread　it　among　all　the　crooks　that　you　were　the　stool　and　squealer。〃

〃Yes；　I'd　guessed　that　much。〃

〃Second；　I've　got　a　hunch　that　it　really　was　from　Barney　Palmer　that　Barlow　got　his　idea　of　making　you　become　a　stool…pigeon。　Barney　is　a　smooth　one　all　right；　and　he　figured　what　would　happen。　He　knew　you　would　refuse；　and　he　knew　Barlow　would　uncork　hell　beneath　you。　Barney　certainly　called　every　turn。〃

〃Whatwhat〃　stammered　Larry。　〃Why；　then　Barney　must　be〃　He　paused；　utterly　astounded　by　the　newness　of　the　possibility　that　had　just　risen　in　his　mind。

〃You've　got　it；　Larry；〃　Casey　went　on。　〃Barney　is　a　police　stool。　Has　been　one　for　years。　Works　directly　for　Barlow。　We're　not　supposed　to　know　anything　about　it。　He's　turned　up　a　lot　of　big　ones。　That's　why　it's　safe　for　Barney　to　pull　off　anything　he　likes。〃

〃Barney　a　police　stool！〃　Larry　repeated　in　the　stupor　of　his　amazement。

〃Guess　that's　all　the　news　I　wanted　to　hand　you；　Larry；　so　I'll　be　on　my　way。　Here's　wishing　you　luckand　for　God's　sake；　don't　let　yourself　be　pinched　by　us。　So…long。〃　And　with　that　Casey　slipped　out　of　the　hallway。

For　a　moment　Larry　stood　moveless　where　Casey　had　left　him。　Then　fierce　purpose；　and　a　cautious　recklessness；　surged　up　and　took　mastery　of　him。　It　had　required　what　Casey　had　told　him　to　end　his　irksome　waiting　and　wavering。　No　longer　could　he　remain　in　his　hiding…　place；　safe　himself；　trying　to　save　Maggie　by　slow；　indirect　endeavor。　The　time　had　now　come　for　very　different　methods。　The　time　had　come　to　step　forth　into　the　open；　taking；　of　course；　no　unnecessary　risk；　and　to　have　it　out　face　to　face　with　his　enemies；　who　were　also　Maggie's　real　enemies；　though　she　counted　them　her　friendsto　save　Maggie　against　her　own　will；　if　he　could　save　her　in　no　other　way。

And　having　so　decided；　Larry　walked　quickly　out　of　the　hallway　into　the　street。




CHAPTER　XXVII


On　the　sidewalk　Larry　glanced　swiftly　around　him。　Half　a　block　down　the　street　on　the　front　of　a　drug…store　was　a　blue　telephone　flag。　A　minute　later　he　was　inside　a　telephone　booth　in　the　drug…store；　asking　first　for　the　Hotel　Grantham；　and　then　asking　the　Grantham　operator　to　be　connected　with　Miss　Maggie　Cameron。

There　was　a　long　wait。　While　he　listened　for　Maggie's　voice　he　blazed　with　terrible　fury　against　Barney　Paler。　For　Maggie　to　be　connected　with　a　straight　crook；　that　idea　had　been　bad　enough。　But　for　her　to　be　under　the　influence　of　the　worst　crook　of　all；　a　stool；　a　cunning　traitor　to　his　own　friendsthat　was　more　than　could　possibly　be　stood！　In　his　rage　in　Maggie's　behalf　he　forgot　for　the　moment　the　many　evils　Barney　had　done　to　himself。　He　thought　of　wild；　incoherent；　vaguely　tremendous　plans。　First　he　would　get　Maggie　away　from　Barney　and　Old　Jimmiesomehow。　Then　he　would　square　accounts　with　those　twoagain　by　an　undefined　somehow。

Presently　the　tired；　impersonal　voice　of　the　Grantham　operator　remarked　against　his　ear…drum：　〃Miss　Cameron　don't　answer。〃

〃Have　her　paged；　please；〃　he　requested。

Larry；　of　course；　could　not　know　that　his　telephone　call　was　the　very　one　which　had　rung　in　Maggie's　room　while　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie　were　with　her；　and　which　Barney　had　harshly　forbidden　her　to　answer。　Therefore　he　could　not　know　that　any　attempt　to　get　Maggie　by　telephone　just　then　was　futile。

When　he　came　out　of　the　booth；　the　impersonal　voice　having　informed　him　that　Miss　Cameron　was　not　in；　it　was　with　the　intention　of　calling　Maggie　up　between　eight　and　nine　when　she　probably　would　have　returned　from　dinner　where　he　judged　her　now　to　be。　He　knew　that　Dick　Sherwood　had　no　engagement　with　her；　for　Dick　was　to　be　out　at　Cedar　Crest　that　evening；　so　he　judged　it　almost　certain　Maggie　would　be　at　home　and　alone　later　on。

Having　nothing　else　to　do　for　an　hour　and　a　half；　he　thought　of　a　note　he　had　received　from　the　Duchess　in　that　morning's　mail　asking　him　to　come　down　to　see　her　when　he　was　next　in　town。　Thirty　minutes　later　he　was　in　the　familiar　room　behind　the　pawnshop。　The　Duchess　asked　him　if　he　had　eaten；　and　on　his　reply　that　he　had　not　and　did　not　care　to；　instead　of　proceeding　to　the　business　of　her　letter　she　mumbled　something　and　went　into　the　pawnshop。

She　left　Larry　for　the　very　simple　reason　that　now　that　she　had　him　here　she　was　uncertain　what　she　should　say；　and　how　far　she　should　go。　Unknown　to　either；　one　thread　of　the　drama　of　Larry　and　Maggie　was　being　spun　in　the　brain　and　heart　of　the　Duchess；　and　being　spun　with　pain　to　her；　and　in　very　great　doubt。　True；　she　had　definitely　decided；　for　Larry's　welfare；　that　the　facts　about　Maggie's　parentage　should　never　be　known　from　herand　since　the　only　other　person　who　could　tell　the　truth　was　Jimmie　Carlisle；　and　his　interests　were　all　apparently　in　favor　of　silence；　then　it　followed　that　the　truth　would　never　be　known　from　any　one。　But　having　so　decided；　and　decided　definitely　and　finally；　the　Duchess　had　proceeded　to　wonder　if　she　had　decided　wisely。

Day　and　night　this　had　been　the　main　subject　of　her　thought。　Could　she　be　wrong　in　her　estimate　of　Maggie's　character；　and　what　she　might　turn　out　to　be？　Could　she　be　wrong　in　her　belief　that；　given　enough　time；　Larry　would　outgrow　his　infatuation　for　Maggie？　And　since　she　was　in　such　doubt　about　these　two　points；　had　she　any　right；　and　was　it　for　the　best；　to　suppress　a　fact　that　might　so　gravely　influence　both　matters？　She　did　not　know。　What　she　wanted　was　whatever　was　best　for　Larryand　so　in　her　doubt　she　had　determined　to　talk　again　to　Larry；　hoping　that　the　interview　might　in　some　way　replace　her　uncertainty　with　stability　of　purpose。

Presently　she　returned　to　the　inner　room；　and　in　her　direct　way　and　using　the　fewest　possible　words；　which　had　created　for　her　her　reputation　of　a　woman　who　never　spoke　and　who　was　packed　with　strange　secrets；　she　asked　Larry　what　he　had　done　concerning　Maggie。　He　told　her　of　the　plan　he　had　evolved；　of　Maggie's　visit　to　Cedar　Crest；　of　his　ignorance　of　Maggie's　reactions。　To　all　this　his　grandmother　made　response　neither　by　word　nor　by　change　of　expression。　He　then　went　on　to　tell　her　of　what　he　had　just　learned　from　Casey　of　Barney's　maneuvering　his　misfortunes。

The　old　head　nodded。　〃Yes；　Barney's　just　that　sort；〃　she　said　in　her　flat　monotone。

And　then　she　came　to　the　purpose　of　her　sending　for　him。　〃How　do　you　feel　about　Maggie　now？〃

〃The　same　as　before。〃

〃You　love　her？〃

〃Yesand　always　will；〃　he　said　firmly。

She　was　silent　once　more。　Then；　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　next？〃

〃Break　things　up　between　her　and　Barney　and　her　father。　Get　her　away　from　them。〃

She　asked　no　further　questions。　Larry　was　as　settled　as　a　man　could　be。　But　was　Maggie　worth　while？that　was　the　great　question　still　unanswered。

〃Just　what　did　you　want　me　for；　grandmother？〃　he　asked　her　finally。

〃Something　which　I　thought　might　have　developed；　but　which　hasn't。〃

And　so　she　let　him　go　away　without　telling　him。　And　wishing　to　shape　things　for　the　best　for　him；　she　was　troubled　by　the　same　doubts　as　before。

His　visit　with　his　grandmother　had　had　no　meaning　to　Larry；　since　he　had　no　guess　of　the　struggle　going　on　within　that　ancient；　inscrutable　figure。　The　visit　had　for　him　merely　served　to　fill　in　a　nervous；　useless　hour。　His　rage　against　Barney　had　all　the　while　possessed　him　too　thoroughly　for　him　to　give　more　than　the　mere　surface　of　his　mind　to　what　had　passed　between　his　grandmother　and　himself。　And　when　he　had　left　her；　his　rage　at　Barney's　treachery　and　his　impetuous　desire　to　snatch　Maggie　away　from　her　present　influences；　so　stormed　within　him　that　his　usually　cautious　judgment　was　blown　away　and　recklessness　swept　like　a　gale　into　control　of　him。

When　he　called　up　the　Grantham　a　second　time；　at　nine　o'clock；　Maggie's　voice　came　to　him：

〃Hello。　Who　this；　please？〃

〃Mr。　Brandon。〃

He　heard　a　stilted　〃Oh！〃　at　the　other　end　of　the　line　〃I'm　coming　right　up　to　see　you；〃　he　said。

〃II　don't　think　you〃

〃I'll　be　there　in　then　minutes；〃　Larry　interrupted　the　startled　voice　and　hung　up。

He　counted　that　Maggie；　after　his　sparing　her　at　Cedar　Crest；　would