was so clever,
got hooked and was sent away. I guess you know the answer!"

"Again, Barney, I've got to ask you to be more explicit."

"Then the answer is that all the while I've been working on an
understanding with Barlow. I guess that's explicit!"

"You mean," she said in her cool voice, "that you've been a stool-pigeon
for Barlow?"

"Sure!--though I don't like the word. That's the only safe way of
staying steady in the game--an understanding with the police. All there
is to it is now and then to tip the police off about some dub of a
crook: of course you've got to be smooth enough not to let anyone guess
your game."

"That doesn't seem to me such a strong talking point in your favor," she
said thoughtfully.

"But don't you get the idea? I'm so strong with Barlow that I can get
away with anything I want to. That means I can give you the protection
from the police you just spoke about. See?"

"Yes I see." Again she spoke thoughtfully. "But I told you I had to
be shown. You must have done some pretty big things to have got such a
standing with Barlow. For example?"

"I could write you a book!" He laughed in his excited pride. "You ask
for an example. I could hardly hold myself in awhile ago when you said
you'd practically swung the present deal alone, and that I'd done almost
nothing. Why, Maggie, I did just one smooth little thing without which
there couldn't have been any deal."

"What?"

"You'll admit that nothing would have been safe with Larry Brainard
determined to butt in on what you did?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm the little guy that fixed Larry Brainard so he wouldn't hurt
anyone!"

"You did that?" For the first time Maggie showed what seemed to be a
live interest. "How?"

"How? You'll say it was clever when you learn how. And you'll say that
I'm the man you want on that count of being able to put over a situation
so that no one will ever guess I'm the man who did it. You'll admit that
putting Larry Brainard out of business, so he'd stay out, was certainly
a stiff job--for though I don't like him, I admit that Larry is one wise
bird. One thing I did was to suggest to Barlow that he force Larry to
become a police stool. I knew Larry would refuse, and I figured out
everything else exactly as it has happened. I ask you, wasn't that
putting something clever over?"

"It certainly was clever!" admired Maggie.

"Wait! That's only half. To finish Larry off so that he wouldn't have a
chance I had to fi