or that. And
he had certainly been here with her not less than an hour and a half.
It must be after eleven, then. One o'clock! And before that must come
Makoff and Spider Jack! The night that half an hour ago had seemed so
sterile, was crowding a program of events upon him now--too fast!

"Nothin' doin'!" he said thoughtfully. "Youse are in wrong dere, Slimmy.
One o'clock don't go! Say, take it from me, I've watched dat guy
too many nights fer Mag. 'Tain't often he leaves de club before one
o'clock--an' he ain't never in bed before two."

"All right," agreed the Magpie, after a moment's reflection. "Youse
ought to know. Make it three o'clock." He pulled a cigar from his
pocket, lighted it, and, leaning back in his chair, stuck his feet up
on the table. "If youse don't mind, Mag, I'll stick around a while," he
decided calmly. "Mabbe de less I'm seen to-night de better--an' I guess
dere won't be nobody lookin' fer me here."

Larry the Bat coughed suddenly, and rose up a little heavily from his
chair. He had not counted on that! If the Magpie was settling down for
a prolonged stay, it devolved upon him, Jimmie Dale, to get away, and
at once--and without exciting the Magpie's suspicions. He coughed again,
looked nervously from the Tocsin to the Magpie--stammered--swallowed
hard--and coughed once more.

"Well, wot's bitin' youse?" inquired the Magpie ironically.

"Nothin'," said Larry the Bat--and hesitated. "Nothin', only--" He
hesitated again; and then, the words in a rush:

"Say, Slimmy, couldn't youse come across wid a piece of dat century
now?"

"Wot fer?" demanded the Magpie, a little aggressively.

Larry the Bat cleared his throat with a desperate effort.

"Youse knows," he admitted sheepishly. "Just gimme de price of one,
Slimmy--just one."

"Coke!" exploded the Magpie. "An' get soaked to de eyes--not by a damn
sight!"

"No! Honest to Gawd, no, Slimmy--just one!" pleaded Larry the Bat.

"Nix!" said the Magpie shortly.

Larry the Bat thrust out a hand before the Magpie's eyes that shook
tremulously.

"I got to have it!" he declared, with sudden fierceness. "I GOT to--see!
Look at me! I ain't goin' to be no good to-night if I don't. I tell
youse, I got to! I ain't goin' to t'row youse down, Slimmy--honest, I
ain't! Just one--an' it'll set me up. If I don't get none I'll be on de
rocks before mornin'! Dat's straight, Slimmy--ask Mag, she knows."

"Aw, let him go get it!" broke in the Tocsin wearily. "