All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

A THIEVES’ COMEDY. fences. Rollins disappears. What’s the answer? “Tl tell you. That poor little gink was too wise an’ you got on to him. You were great pals—you an’ him— but he never doped it out that you were stringin’ him, gettin’ ready to do him up. You met Gregarack last week and fixed it for last night and agreed to lead Rollins down to his finish. I guess he had a hunch there was some- thing liable to happen to him and he caine to me for protection. Now, do you know where you stand?” He leaned a little farther over, and his eyes did their best to frighten me. “You mean that I am in danger of being hanged for murder?” He sat back in his chair again and regarded me. “ Some nerve,” he concluded finally, and added in an easy tone: “ Grega- rack should be here in an hour.” “You mean—” I stopped and shut my teeth on the rest. ‘Huh! That worries you.” I made no answer. Everything round about me was quiet as the grave, so much so that I had a suspicion that ‘the room was sound-proof. Parks moved a little in his chair and drummed upon the desk again. ce rN sive yourself a chance,” he ad- vised suddenly in an almost friendly tone. ‘ You won't stand any when the crash comes, if you don’t get in ahead of the bunch. ‘They'll be fallin’ over themselves tryin’ to get to the district attorney. “This ain’t London. A slick article like you can play merry-go-round wit’ Scotland Yard, because they ain’t got nothin’ on you. They got to get evi- dence—loads of it—afore they can put you away. “Here it’s different. If we don’t like a guy’s looks—that’s enough. If he makes a hit with us—that’s enough, too, the other way. I'm givin’ you a chance before the Gregarack comes. After that you’re dished. How about ite? 795 IT almost told him he was an ass, but checked the impulse in time, and, re- membering that he was viewing me from the “ hotel and steamship crook ” angle, did not think his remarks so idiotic. ; “Sorry, but I can’t take advantage of your offer, because I have nothing to telly” Parks’s eyebrows fell with ominous. suddenness. His face became black as thunder; for half a minute I was cal- culating which would be the better blow—an uppercut or a straight right. I thought he was going to hurl him- self at me in sheer bad temper. But he didn’t. The door opened just then and— “Oh —hello, Parks! On the job bright and early, eh? Here’s a gentle- man who wants to see you.” I turned my head and saw a man in the uniform of a police-captain, holding the door open for Campbell. CHAPTER XXVI-. THE DENIAL, Hx closed the door behind him and, for a moment or two, stood with his back to it—a modern Hercules, garbed as a gentleman, smiling contentedly upon our amazement. Parks's lips worked convulsively, and I thought he was going to demand Campbell’s expulsion; instead, he rose slowly, staring as one who sees a ghost! I looked from one to the other in astonishment, wondering how on earth Campbell, managed to keep his face straight. The uniformed individual, whom I took to be the captain of the precinct, went to the chair Parks had occupied, and said, as he sat down: “Mr. Campbell has an order from Judge Farquhar to parole his friend, Mr. Mason, in his custody. I guess that goes.” ““This gentleman is Mr. Mason,” Campbell declared, Somine ver fo me, COMNICOOOKS. GON