Adventure, February 1917 — page 198: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

196 back in the crowd. He glanced at the prisoner again. - . “It’s a mistake, officer,” that young man said smoothly. ‘This ‘gentleman is ex- cited and doesn’t realize what he says. I am a bookkeeper and a reputable citizen.” He paused for just one emphatic instant. “Of course, he’s just a citizen and he can make a charge without it mattering, but if I were you I would be careful.” The lieutenant, a massive man ‘with a cold gray eye, loomed large in Larry’s imagination. Certainly he did not want to make a mistake. He did not know what the lieutenant would say, but he knew that it would be short, sharp, and plenty. Yet he spoke with the voice of confident authority— “Where d’you work?” The fat man, in growing doubt, waited for the answer. “Why, nowhere just yet,” the young man explained. “I’m down here now looking for a situation, Vm a = in town, from Denver.” From the card-case he extracted a card: “Edward A. Gay, Accountant, Denver, Colora Of a sudden Larry was acutely conscious than an older officer might have conducted this investigation in the privacy of the station. But he had more at stake, and he could not forget that lieutenant. Then there were the other officers, and already they were quick to laugh. The prisoner seemed so sure of himself that the fat victim was almost ready to apologize, and Larry’s suspicion seemed less justified. Then a chance curiosity- seeker kicked a pair of triangular-nosed cutting pliers out of the dust of the gutter. Larry recalled that sweeping gesture of the suspect’s arm when he first saw the officer. And under his hand he felt the slim young man twitch when he saw the pliers, the chain-nipping tool of the pickpocket’s trade. “You come along,” he said erufily, taking his chance. ‘‘We’ll just leave this to the lieutenant.” : OFFICER McQUADE went toward the station by the shortest route. The fat man, already late for an appointment, gave his name, his address, and his promise to appear, and went about his business. Adventure Back in the dispersing crowd the gray man watched the officer and the prisoner turn down the cross street for the station, three blocks off. But now there was no satisfaction in the gray man’s eyes. Gray Billy Henshaw knew that his partner, Slim Terrell, had realized that Larry McQuade was a green officer, he knew that the slim young mamhad a ready wit and tongue, and, listening to the plausible story Slim sup- plied, he had hoped earnestly that the officer would see fit to accept it and let the prisoner go. But the chance discovery of the discarded pliers had spoiled that. And now, Gray Billy knew, Slim Terrell was on his way to the station, carrying in his pocket a watch that had been lifted without trouble twenty minutes before. A funning newsboy, forcing himself between the pair, had prevented the passing of the watch to Gray Billy at the moment, and thereafter the other had kept it. Now Terrell could not dispose of it, and upon his ‘arrival at the station it would serve as a complaining witness, for surely that theft had been reported by now. Slim might escape the charge of picking the fat man’s pocket, since the hundred and forty dollars was in Henshaw’s pocket now, but he would have to answer for the watch. That is, unless he could be saved. Gray Billy thought swiftly, and hurried down Liberty Street. Larry McQuade’s route took him through a district where there was almost no travel. It was a street of warehouses, mostly, with here and there an old, battered residence, empty, or at best indiscriminately inhabited, while it waited the sale of the lot upon which it stood. It was-a blank and silent avenue, where the pedestrian passed along a decrepit side- walk, sometimes over rusty gratings open- ing from damp and musty cellars. At least, Larry thought, if he was mistaken in his man, that man might well remember that he had not exposed him to the public gaze any more than was necessary. McQuade did not anticipate any trouble, _ but he held on to his charge, alert to meet trouble if it came. He wanted to do his duty just as the experienced officer he en- vied would have done it. Larry strove to find justification, if he had made a blunder, in his first chance to earn his salary. Sostriving, he remembered a bulletin of a few days before. Officers MICLOOOKS (C (CO) (C@)