nish him off not only with the cops, but also with
his pals. So I tipped off Barlow to the game Red Hannigan and Jack
Rosenfeldt were pulling and--"

"Then Larry Brainard really didn't do that?"

"No; I did it! Listen--there's some more to it. I spread the word, so
that it seemed to be a leak from the Police Department, that it was
Larry who had squealed on Red Hannigan and Jack Rosenfeldt. Did his old
pals start out to get Larry? Well, now, did they! If I do say it myself,
that was smooth work!"

"It was wonderful!" agreed Maggie.

"And there's still more, Maggie! You remember that charge of stick-up
and attempted murder of a Chicago guy that the police are trying to land
Larry on? I put that over! I'm the party that was messed up in that. I
was trying to put over a neat little job all on my own; but something
went wrong just as I thought I was cleaning out the sucker, and I had to
be rough with that Chicago guy in order to make a get-away from him. I
beat it straight to Barlow, and said that right here was the chance to
fasten something on Larry. Barlow took my tip. My foot may have slipped
on the original job, but my bean certainly did act quick, and you've got
to admit I turned an apparent failure into something bigger than success
would have been. And that's certainly traveling!"

"It certainly is!"

"And now, Maggie "--Barney pressed her eagerly--"I've shown you I'm just
the sort you said a man had to be for you to tie up with him. I've shown
you I can guarantee you police protection. And I've shown you I'm able
to put over clever situations without any one ever guessing I'm the
party who put 'em over. I fit all your specifications! How about our
settling right now to join up some place--Toronto's the best bet--say
three days after we make our get-away after to-night's clean-up? Let's
be quick about this, Maggie--before Old Jimmie comes in. He's due any
minute now!"

"Isn't that him at the door now?" breathed Maggie.

Both waited intently for a moment. But though she pretended so, Maggie's
interest was not upon the outer door. Her attention was fixed, as it had
been with sickening fear this last minute, upon that half-inch crack
in the closet door behind Barney. Why had she, in her dismayed urgence,
allowed Larry to possess himself of that closet key?--when her plan had
been to keep Hannigan as well as Barlow forcibly behind the scenes
until she had acted out her play? She now hoped almost against hope th