FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161  
162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   >>   >|  
e reward of heroism from a grateful nabob, and we didn't get any help that way. All we knew was that Deemer came East with the jewels, presumably to cash in on them, and it looked as though Deemer were pretty clever; that he wore the money-belt for a stall, and that he had the sparklers safe somewhere else all the time. And I guess we all got to figuring it that way, because the fact that nothing was said about any theft was strictly along the lines the police were working anyway, and a was a toss-up that they hadn't found the stuff among his effects. Get me?" Get him! This wasn't real, was it, this room here; those two figures sitting there under that shaded lamp? Something cold, an icy grip, seemed to seize at her heart, as in a surge there swept upon her the full appreciation of her peril through these confidences to which she was listening. A word, in act, some slightest thing, might so easily betray her; and then--Her fingers under the shawl and inside the wide pocket of her greasy skirt, clutched at her revolver. Thank God for that! It would at least be merciful! She nodded her head mechanically. "But the police didn't find the jewels--because they weren't there to be found. Somebody got in ahead of us. Pinched 'em, understand, may be only a few hours before you got in your last play, and, from the way you say Deemer acted, before he was wise to the fact that he'd been robbed." Rhoda Gray let her chair come sharply down to the floor. She must play her role of "Bertha" now as she never had before. Here was a question that she could not only ask with safety, but one that was obviously expected. "Who was it?" she demanded breathlessly. "She's coming to life!" murmured Danglar, through a haze of cigarette smoke. "I thought you'd wake up after a while, Bertha. This is the big night, old girl, as you'll find out before we're through." "Who was it?" she repeated with well-simulated impatience. "I guess she'll listen to me now," said Danglar, with a little chuckle. "Don't over-tax yourself any more, Matty. I'll tell you, Bertha; and it will perhaps make you feel better to know it took the slickest dip New York ever knew to beat you to the tape. It was Angel Jack, alias the Gimp." "How do you know?" Rhoda Gray demanded. "Because," said Danglar, and lighted another cigarette, "he died yesterday afternoon up in Sing Sing." She could afford to show her frank bewilderment. Her brows knitted into furrows,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161  
162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Danglar
 

Bertha

 

Deemer

 

demanded

 

police

 
cigarette
 
jewels
 

murmured

 
breathlessly
 

coming


expected

 

sharply

 
robbed
 

thought

 
question
 

safety

 
chuckle
 
slickest
 

Because

 

lighted


bewilderment

 

knitted

 

furrows

 

yesterday

 

afternoon

 

afford

 

repeated

 

impatience

 

simulated

 

listen


working

 
strictly
 

figuring

 

figures

 

sitting

 
effects
 

reward

 
heroism
 

grateful

 
sparklers

looked
 

pretty

 
clever
 
shaded
 

greasy

 

clutched

 
revolver
 

pocket

 
betray
 

fingers