All Story Magazine, December 1913 — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

A. THIEVES’ -COMEDY, care? Better think it over. possible. Good-by.” The receiver went up impatiently and his brows came together. “Ts that girl pretty?” I asked. “Yes—rather. Why?” Quite 1m- “And she wants to go out to- night? ”’ “To her sister's. How did you guess that?” ‘“ Has she gone to her sister's often of late?” “Quite a lot. Why the catechism? ” “ Because I am afraid her sister is— Ralph Van Huysen.” I suppose I saw in his face what he had seen in mine many times—amaze- ment of the blankest order. But there was something else: an intermjngling of fear and anger—mostly the latter. His eyes became like steel, pitiless and hard. “Say what ye mean, man!”’ He snapped it at me with a trace of Scotch and as if [ were to blame for the whole thing. And I told him of the occasion on which I had rung up the Rollins apart- ment. It made him rise and take to pacing the floor with the impatience of a caged lion. Suddenly he swung upon me and exploded : : ‘There you have an example of the everlasting conceit of which we are all more or less guilty. This girl saw Nessie Borrowman throw her life away on a worthless cur, closed her eyes, and cursed her murderer at her bedside. Yet she let’s herself be fooled in the same way by a whelp of the same breed.” I nodded. * Seems like it, doesn’t it?” “ And the worst of the business is that we cannot afford to interfere or antagonize her just at present.” Campbell rang for his man, who had the face of a Greek god and the accent of a cockney. *“ Pack one of my suit-cases at once and go to the Grand Central Station, and take a ticket for anywhere except 803 Boston. When you go out, carry the bag so that my initials will be plainly seen. Stay away three or four days. You understand? ” * Yes, sir,’ without emotion. “When you get down-stairs you needn't hurry about it. A trolley will da SS SI “Tell Vail to get out the car. and drive to the Van Huysens’, and wait for me there. Let me know when you are ready to go.” j PU 6S; Sltce The valet departed, and I looked to- ward Campbell for an explanation, “Just a minute,” he said absently, and went to the telephone again and, getting the connection he wanted, called very quietly: “ Hello! still asleep ? Crowley? Yes. Is he That doesn’t matter. Let him whine. But if he makes too much noise gag him. <Any one hanging about outside? Well, I fancy they are there, just the same. Good-by.” As he rose I was impelled to ask: “ How the deuce do you keep com- mand of these people?” ‘ Organization—good pay—safety —fear of what rebellion means—the power of money—and these.” He held out his great hands clenched, and there was no denying the brute in- fluence of them. “T never preach the twaddle of up- lifting the masses,” he continued. “Let Fifth Avenue and_ Berkeley Square stay where they are. They would be out of place in Hell’s Kitchen or Whitechapel, and would, maybe, only make them worse than they are. “Tt's only the unfortunates who cannot help themselves out of perpetual poverty and sickness and tears that I bother with. The others are living the lives the Lord gave them—and if they're no’ very bonny, it canna’ be laid to your door or mine. “As for my crew, they know that Ihave money. They've seen its power and sheltered themselves behind its capabilities. The machinery of the law comilicloooks.com