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;Better telephone me just before you come。 Something may have happened to change our plans。;
;All rightI'll telephone。 Just keep your nerve。;
With that he hurried out。 At about the time he left察Larry was leaving Cedar Crest in handcuffs beside the burly and triumphant Gavegan察and believing that the power he had sought to exercise was now effectually at an end。 He was out of it。 In his despondency it was not granted him to see that the greatest thing which he could do was already done察that he had set in motion all the machinery of what had taken place and what was about to take place察that all the figures in the action of the further drama of that night were to act as they were to do primarily because of promptings which came from him。
CHAPTER XXXIII
Dick's departure left Maggie to think alone upon an intricate and possibly dangerous interplay of characters in which she had cast herself for the chief role察which might prove a sacrificial role for her。 She quickly perceived that Dick's plan察clever as it might be察would bring about察in the dubious event of its success察only one of the several happenings which had to come to pass if she were to clear her slate before her disappearance。
Dick's plan was good察but it would only get rid of Barney and Old Jimmie。 It would only rid Larry of such danger as they represented察it would only be revenge upon them for the evil they had done。 And察after all察revenge helped a man forward but very little。 There would still remain察even in the event of the success of Dick's plan察the constant danger to Larry from the police hunt察instigated by Chief Barlow's vindictive determination to send Larry back to prison for his refusal to be a stool´pigeon察and the constant danger from his one´time friends who were hunting him down with deadly hatred as a squealer。
Somehow察if she were to set things right for Larry察she had to maneuver that night's happenings in such a way as to eliminate forever Barlow's persecutions察and eliminate forever the danger to Larry from his friends' and their hirelings' desire for vengeance upon a supposed traitor。
Maggie thought rapidly察elaborating on Dick's plan。 But what Maggie did was not so much the result of sober thought as of the inspiration of a desperate察hardly pressed young woman察but then察after all察what we call inspiration is only thought geared to an incredibly high speed。 First of all察she got rid of that slow´witted察awesome supernumerary察Miss Grierson察who might completely upset the delicate action of the stage by a dignified entrance at the wrong moment and with the wrong cue。 Next she called up Chief Barlow at Police Headquarters。 Fortunately for her Barlow was still in察for an acrimonious dispute察then in progress and taking much space in the public prints察between him and the District Attorney's office was keeping him late at his desk despite the most autocratic and pleasant of all demands察those of his dinner hour。 To him Maggie gave a false name察and told him that she had most important information to communicate at once察to which he growled back that she could give it if she came down at once。
Next she called up Barney察who had been waiting near a telephone in expectation of news of the result of her second visit to the home of Dick Sherwood。 To Barney she said that she had the greatest possible newsnews which would require immediate actionand that he should be at her suite at nine o'clock prepared to play his part at once in the big proposition that had just developed察and that he should get word to Old Jimmie to follow him in a few minutes。
Within fifteen minutes a taxicab had whirled her down to Police Headquarters and she was in the office where three months earlier Larry had been grilled after his refusal of the license to steal and cheat on the condition that he become a police stool。 Barlow察who was alone in the room察looked up with a scowl from a secret report he had secured of the activities of detectives in the District Attorney's office。 Although Maggie was pretty and stylishly dressed察Barlow did not rise nor did he remove the big cigar he had been viciously gnawing。 It is the tradition of the Police Department察the most thoroughly respected article of its religion察that a woman who is seen in Police Headquarters cannot by any possibility be a lady。
;Well察what's on your chest拭─he grunted察not even asking her to be seated。
It was suddenly Maggie's impulsesprung perhaps out of unconscious memory of what Larry had sufferedto inflict upon herself the uttermost humiliation。 So she said
;I've come here to offer myself as a stool´pigeon。;
;What's that拭─Barlow exclaimed察startled。 It was not often that a swell ladywho of course couldn't be a swell he did not know who Maggie wasvoluntarily walked into his office with such a proposition。
;I can give you some real information about a big game that's being worked up。 In fact察I can arrange for you to be present when the game is pulled off察and you can make the arrests。;
;Who are the people拭─he asked brusquely。
Maggie knew it would be fatal to mention Barney or Old Jimmie察if that story about Barlow's protection contained any truth。 Again inspiration察or incredibly swift thinking察came to her aid察and with sure touch she twanged one of Barlow's rawest and most responsive nerves。
;Larry Brainard is behind it all。 He's been doing a lot of things on the quiet these last few months。 Here is where you can get his whole crowd。;
;Larry Brainard
Maggie did not yet know what had befallen Larry察and Gavegan had neglected to telephone his Chief of the arrest。 Even had Gavegan done so察the large and vague manner in which Maggie had stated the situation would have stirred Barlow's curiosity。
;All right。 I'll put a couple of my good men on the case。 Where shall I send 'em拭
;A couple of your good men won't do。 I want only one of your good men´ ´and that man is yourself。;
;Me ─growled Barlow。 ;What kind of floor´walker d'you think I am拭I'm too busy
;Too busy to take personal charge察and get personal credit察for one of the biggest cases that ever went through this office拭
Maggie had sought only to excite his vanity。 But unknowingly she had also appealed to something else in him此his very deep concern in the hostile activities of the District Attorney's office。 If this girl told the truth察then here might be his chance to display such devotion to duty as to turn up some such sensational case as would make this investigation from the District Attorney's office seem to the public an unholy persecution and make the chagrined District Attorney察who was very sensitive to public opinion察think it wiser to drop the whole matter。
;How do I know you're not trying to string meor get me out of the way of something biggeror hand me the double´cross拭
;I shall be there all the time察and if you don't like the way the thing develops you can arrest me。 I suppose you've got some kind of law察with a stiff punishment attached察about conspiracy against an officer。;
;Wellgive me all the dope察and tell me where I'm to come察─he yielded ungraciously。
;I've told you all I am going to tell。 All the important 'dope' you'll get first´hand by being present when the thing happens。 The place to come is the Hotel Granthamroom eleven´forty´twoat eight´thirty sharp。;
To this Barlow grudgingly agreed。 He might have exulted inwardly察but he would have shown no outer graciousness if a committee of citizens had handed him a reward of a million dollars and an engrossed testimonial to his unprecedented services。 Barlow did not know how to thank any one。
Five minutes after she left Headquarters Maggie was in the back room of the Duchess's pawnshop察which her rapid planning had fixed upon as the next station at which she should stop。 She did not waste a moment in coming to the point with the Duchess。
;Red Hannigan is really the most important of Larry's old friends who are out to get him察isn't he拭 ─she asked。
;Yesin a way。 I mean among those who honestly think Larry has turned stool and squealer。 He trusted Larry more than any one elseand now he hates Larry more than any one else。 Rather natural察since he was two months in the Tombs before he could get bailbecause he thinks Larry squealed on him。;
;How's he stand with his crowd拭
;No one higher。 They'd all take his word for anything。;
;Can you find him at once拭─Maggie pursued breathlessly。
That was a trifling question to ask the Duchess察since all the news of her shadowy world came to her ears in some swift obscure manner。
;Yes。 If it is necessary。;
;It's terribly necessary If I can't get him察the whole thing may fail
;What thing拭─demanded the Duchess。
;It might all sound impossibly foolish ─cried the excited察desperate Maggie。 ;You might tell me soand discourage meand I simply must go ahead I feel rather likelike a juggler who's trying for the first time to keep a lot of new things going in the air all at once。 But I think there's a chance that I may succeed I'll tell you just one thing。 It all has to do with Larry。 I think I may help Larry。;
;I'll get Red Hannigan察─the Duchess said briefly。 ;What do you want with him拭
;Have him come to the Hotel Grantha