din' dem papers--an' I ain't over it yet. Dat's wot I want to
know for, an' youse seem afraid to open up!"

Shluker sank back again in his chair with an air of relief.

"Oh!" he ejaculated. "Well, that's all right, then. You were beginning
to give me a scare, too. I ain't playin' the clam, and I dunno where he
is; but I can tell you there's nothing to worry you any more about the
rest of it. He was after the White Moll last night, and it didn't come
off. They pulled one on him instead, and fastened him to the fire escape
the way the papers said. Skeeny and the Cricket, who were in on the play
with him, didn't have time to get him loose before the bulls got there.
So Danglar told them to beat it, and he handed the cops the story that
was in the papers. He got away with it, all right, and they let go him
to-day; but he phoned a little while ago that they were still stickin'
around kind of close to him, and that I was to pass the word that the
lid was to go down tight for the next few days, and--"

Shluker stopped abruptly as the telephone rang, and reached for the
instrument.

Rhoda Gray fumbled unnecessarily with her shawl, as the other answered
the call. Failure! A curious bitterness came to her. Her plan then, for
to-night it least, was a failure. Shluker did not know where Danglar
was. She was quite convinced of that. Shluker was--She glanced suddenly
at the wizened little old man. From an ordinary tone, Shluker' s voice
had risen sharply in protest about something. She listened now:

"No, no; it does not matter what it is!

"What?...No! I tell you, no! Nothing! Not to-night! Those are the
orders....No, I don't know! Nan is here now....Eh?....You'll pay for
it if you do!" Shluker was snarling threateningly now. "What?....Well,
then, wait! I'll come over....No, you can bet I won't be long! You wait!
Understand?"

He banged the receiver on the hook, and got up from his chair hurriedly.

"Fools!" he muttered savagely. "No, I won't be long gettin' there!" He
grabbed Rhoda Gray's arm. "Yes, and you come, too! You will help me put
a little sense into their heads, if it is possible--eh? The fools!"

The man was violently excited. He half pulled Rhoda Gray down the length
of the shop to the front door. Puzzled, bewildered, a little uneasy, she
watched him lock the door, and then followed him across the courtyard,
while he continued to mutter constantly to himself.

"Wot's de matter?" she asked him twice.

But it w