children of the whirlwind-第43节

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Barney　remembered　something　Larry　had　said　half　an　hour　before；　which　he　had　considered　mere　boasting。　〃He　said　he　knew　I　had　some　game　on；　and　he　said　he　knew　who　the　sucker　was　I　was　planning　to　trim。〃

〃Did　he　say　who　the　sucker　was？〃

〃No。〃

〃If　Larry　Brainard　really　did　know；　then　who　would　he　be　having　in　mind？〃

Barney　hesitated；　but　he　perceived　that　this　was　a　question　which　had　to　be　answered。　〃Young　Dick　Sherwood；　of　the　swell　Sherwood　family　you　know。〃

Barlow　did　not　pursue　the　subject。　According　to　his　arrangement　with　Barney；　the　latter's　private　activities　were　none　of　his　business。

〃I'll　get　busy　with　the　drag…net；　we'll　land　Brainard　this　time；〃　said　Barlow。　And　then　with　a　grim　look　at　Barney：　〃But　Larry　Brainard's　not　what　I　got　you　up　here　to　talk　about；　Palmer。　I　wanted　to　talk　about　two　words　to　youand　say　'em　to　you　right　between　your　eyes。〃

〃Go　ahead；　Chief。〃

〃First；　you　ain't　been　worth　a　damn　to　me　for　several　months。　You've　given　me　no　value　received　for　me　keeping　my　men　off　of　you。　You　haven't　turned　up　a　single　thing。〃

〃Come；　now；　Chiefyou're　forgetting　about　Red　Hannigan　and　Jack　Rosenfeldt。〃

〃Chicken　feed！　They're　out　on　bail；　and　when　their　cases　come　up；　they'll　beat　them！　Besides；　you　didn't　give　me　that　tip　to　help　me；　you　gave　it　to　me　so　that　you　could　fix　things　to　put　Larry　Brainard　in　bad　with　all　his　old　friends。　You　did　that　to　help　yourself。　Shut　up！　Don't　try　to　deny　it。　I　know！〃

Barney　did　not　attempt　denial。　Barlow　went　on：

〃And　the　second　thing　I　want　to　tell　you；　and　tell　you　hard；　is　this：　You　gotta　turn　in　some　business！　The　easy　way　you've　been　going　makes　it　look　like　you've　forgot　I've　got　hold　of　you　where　the　hair's　long。　Young　man；　you'd　better　remember　that　I've　got　you　cold　for　that　Gregory　stock　businessyou　and　Old　Jimmie　Carlisle。　Got　all　the　papers　in　a　safety…deposit　vault；　and　got　three　witnesses　doing　stretches　in　Sing　Sing。　Keep　on　telling　yourself　all　that！　and　keep　on　telling　yourself　that；　if　you　don't　come　across；　some　day　soon　I'll　suddenly　discover　that　you're　the　guilty　party　in　that　Gregory　affair；　and　I'll　bring　down　those　witnesses　I've　got　cached　in　Sing　Sing。〃

Barney　moved　uneasily　in　his　chair。　He　knew　the　bargain　he　had　made；　and　did　not　like　to　dwell　upon　the　conditions　under　which　he　was　a　licensed　adventurer。

〃No　need　to　rag　me　like　this；　Chief；〃　he　protested。　〃Sure　I　remember　all　you've　said。　And　you're　not　going　to　have　cause　to　be　sore　much　longer。　There'll　be　plenty　doing。〃

〃See　that　there　is！　And　see　that　you　don't　pull　any　raw　work。　And　see　that　you　don't　let　your　foot　slip。　For　if　you　do；　you　know　what'll　happen　to　you。　Now　get　out！〃

Barney　got　out；　again　protesting　that　he　would　not　be　found　failing。　He　was　not　greatly　disturbed　by　what　Barlow　had　said。　Every　so　often　there　had　to　be　just　such　sessions；　and　every　so　often　Barlow　had　to　let　off　just　such　steam。

Barney's　errand　was　done。　The　police　of　the　city　were　on　Larry's　trail　and　his　share　in　the　matter　was　and　would　remain　unknown。　Thus　far　all　was　well。　He　had　no　doubt　of　Larry's　early　capture；　now　that　he　was　back　in　New　York；　and　now　that　the　whole　police　force　had　been　promptly　warned　and　were　hotly　after　him；　and　now　that　all　avenues　of　exit　would　instantly　be；　in　fact　by　this　time　were；　under　surveillance　and　closed　against　himand　now　that　every　refuge　of　the　criminal　world　was　only　a　trap　for　him。　No；　there　wasn't　a　doubt　of　Larry's　early　capture。　There　couldn't　be。　And　once　Larry　was　locked　up；　things　would　be　much　better。　Barlow　would　see　that　Larry　didn't　talk　undesirable　things；　or　at　least　that　such　talk　was　not　heard。　It　wasn't　exactly　pleasant　or　safe　having　Larry　at　large；　free　to　blurt　out　to　the　wrong　persons　those　things　about　Barney's　being　a　stool　and　a　squealer。

Greatly　comforted；　though　eager　for　news　of　the　chase；　Barney　started　on　his　evening's　routine　of　visiting　the　gayer　restaurants。　Business　is　business；　and　a　man　suffers　when　he　neglects　it。　True；　this　was　a　neat　proposition　which　he　had　in　hand；　but　that　would　soon　be　cleaned　up；　and　Businessman　Barney　desired　to　be　all　ready　to　move　forward　into　further　enterprises。



In　the　meanwhile　there　had　been　a　session　between　Maggie　and　the　Duchess。　At　about　the　time　Barney　had　whispered　his　unlipped　news　to　Gavegan；　Maggie；　breathless　with　her　frantic　haste　though　she　had　made　the　journey　in　a　taxicab；　entered　the　familiar　room　behind　the　pawnshop。

〃Good…evening；　Maggie。〃　The　voice　was　casual；　indifferent；　though　at　that　moment　there　was　no　person　that　the　Duchess；　pondering　her　problems；　more　wished　to　see。　〃Sit　down。　What's　the　matter？〃

〃The　police　know　Larry　is　in　New　York　and　are　after　him！〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

Rapidly　Maggie　told　of　the　happenings　in　her　sitting…room；　and　of　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie　starting　out　to　warn　Gavegan。　The　Duchess　heard　every　word；　but　most　of　her　faculties　were　concentrated　upon　a　reexamination　of　Maggie　and　upon　those　questions　which　had　been　troubling　her　all　evening　and　for　these　many　days。　Was　there　good　in　Maggie？　Was　she　justified　in　longer　suppressing　the　truth　of　Maggie's　parentage？

〃Why　are　you　telling　me　all　this？〃　the　Duchess　asked；　when　Maggie　had　finished　her　rapid　recital。

〃Why！　Isn't　it　plain？　I　want　you　to　get　warning　to　Larry　that　the　police　are　after　him！〃

〃Why　not　do　it　yourself？〃

〃I'm　going　out　where　he　is　to…morrow；　but　that　may　be　too　late。〃

Maggie　gave　her　other　reasons；　such　as　they　were。　The　old　woman's　eyes　never　left　Maggie's　flushed　face；　and　yet　never　showed　any　interest。

〃I　thought　you　were　tied　up　with　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie；〃　the　Duchess　commented。　〃Why　are　you　going　against　them　in　this；　and　trying　to　help　Larry？〃

〃What's　the　difference　why　I'm　doing　it；〃　Maggie　cried　with　feverish　impatience；　〃so　long　as　I'm　trying　to　help　him　out　of　this！〃

〃Don't　you　realize；〃　continued　the　calm　old　voice；　〃that　Larry　must　already　know；　as　a　matter　of　course；　that　the　police　and　all　the　old　crowd　are　after　him？〃

〃Perhaps　he　does；　and　perhaps　he　doesn't。　All　the　same；　he　should　know　for　certain！　The　big　point　is；　will　you　get　Larry　word？〃

A　moment　passed　and　the　Duchess　did　not　speak。　In　fact　this　time　she　had　not　heard　Maggie；　so　intent　was　she　in　trying　to　look　through　Maggie's　dark；　eager　eyes　to　the　very　core　of　Maggie's　being。

〃Will　you　get　Larry　word？〃　Maggie　repeated　impatiently。

The　Duchess　came　out　of　her　study。　There　was　a　sudden　thrill　within　her；　but　it　did　not　show　in　her　voice。

〃Yes。〃

〃At　once？〃

〃As　soon　as　telling　him　will　do　any　good。　And　now　you　better　hurry　back　to　your　hotel；　if　you　don't　want　Barney　and　Old　Jimmie　to　suspect　what　you've　been　up　to。　Though　why　you　still　want　to　hang　on　to　that　pair；　knowing　what　they　are；　is　more　than　I　can　guess。〃

She　stood　up。　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　she　said　as　Maggie　started　for　the　door。　Maggie　turned　back；　and　for　another　moment　the　Duchess　silently　peered　deep　into　Maggie's　eyes。　Then　she　said　shortly；　almost　sharply：　〃At　your　age　I　was　twice　as　pretty　as　you　areand　twice　as　clever　and　I　played　much　the　same　game。　Look　what　I　got　out　of　life！　。　。　。　Good…night。〃　And　abruptly　the　Duchess　wheeled　about　and　mounted　the　stairway。

Twenty　minutes　later　Maggie　was　back　at　the　Grantham；　her　absence　unobserved。　Though　palpitant　over　Larry's　fate；　she　had　the　satisfaction　of　having　achieved　with　Larry's　grandmother　what　she　had　set　forth　to　achieve。　She　did　not　know；　could　not　know；　that　what　she　had　accepted　as　her　achievement　was　inconsequential　compared　to　what　had　actually　been　achieved　by　her　spontaneous　appearance　before　the　troubled　Duchess。




CHAPTER　XXIX


As　the　Duchess　had　gazed　into　Maggie's　excited；　imploring　eyes；　it　had　been　borne　in　upon　her　carefully　judging　and　painfully　hesitant　mind　that　there　was　better　than　a　fifty　per　cent　chance　that　Larry　was　right　in　his　estimate　of　Maggie；　that　Maggie's　inclination　toward　criminal　adventure；　her　supreme　self…confidence；　all　her　bravado；　were　but　the　superficial　though　strong　tendencies　developed　by　her　unfortunate　environment；　that　within　that　cynical；　worldly　shell　there　were　the　vital　and　plastic　makings　of　a　real　woman。

And　so　the　long…troubled　Duchess；　who　to　her　acquaintances　had　always　seemed　as　unemotional　as　the　dust…coated；　moth…eaten　parrot　which　stood　in　mummified　aloofness　upon　her　safe；　had　made　a　momentous　decision　that　had　sent　through　her　old　veins　the　thrilling　sap　of　a　great　crisis；　a　great　suspense。　She　had　tried　to　guide　destiny。　She　was　now　through　with　such　endeavor。　She　had　no　right；　because　of　her　love　for　Larry；　to　withhold　longer　the　facts　of　Maggie's　parentage。　She　was　now　going　to　tell　the　truth；　and　let　events　work　out　as　they　would。

But　the　eventswhat　were　they　going　to　be？

For　a　moment　the　Duchess　had　been　impelled　to　tell　the　truth　straight　out　to　Maggie。　But　she　had　caught　herself　in　time。　This　whole　affair　was　Larry's　affair；　and　the　truth　belonged　to　him　to　be　used　as　he　saw　fit。　So　when　she　had　told　Maggie　that　she　would　get　word　to　Larry；　it　was　this　truth　which　she　had　had　in　mind；　and　only　in　a　very　minor　way　the　news　which　Maggie　had　brought。

This　was；　of　course；　such　a　truth　as　could　be　safely　com