FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>   >|  
d off sharp to the left, and running a little way along Old Compton Street came to a halt outside Parelli's, the well-known restaurant. As he began to slow down I picked up the speaking tube and instructed my man to go straight past on the other side of the street, an order which he promptly obeyed without changing his pace. I didn't make the mistake of looking round. I just sat still in my seat until we had covered another thirty yards or so, and then gave the signal to stop. The driver, who seemed to have entered thoroughly into the spirit of the affair, at once clambered out of his seat and came round as though to open the door. "Gent's standin' on the pavement payin' 'is fare, sir," he observed in a hoarse whisper. "Thought ye might like to know before ye gets out." "Thanks," I said; "I'll take the chance of lighting a cigarette." I was about to suit the action to the word, when with a sudden exclamation the man again interrupted me. "There's another gent just come up in a taxi, sir--proper toff too from 'is looks. 'E's shakin' 'ands with our bloke." "Is he an old man?" I asked quickly--"an old man with glasses?" "'E don't look very old, but 'e's got a glass right enough--leastways one o' them bow-winder things in 'is eye." He paused. "They've gone inside now, Guv'nor; they won't spot ye if you want to 'op it." He opened the door, and stepping out on to the pavement I handed him half a sovereign, which I was holding in readiness. He touched his cap. "Thank ye, sir. Thank ye very much." Then, fumbling in his pocket, he produced a rather dirty and crumpled card. "I don't rightly know what the game is, Guv'nor," he went on in a lowered tone, "but if you should 'appen to want to call on me for evidence any time, Martyn's Garridge, Walham Green, 'll always find me. Ye only need to ask for Dick 'Arris. They all knows me round there." I accepted the card, and having assured Mr. Harris that in the event of my needing his testimony I would certainly look him up, I lit my delayed cigarette and started to stroll back towards Parelli's. Whoever my original friend and his pal with the eyeglass might be, I was anxious to give them a few minutes' law before thrusting myself upon their society. I had known Parelli's well in the old days, and remembering the numerous looking-glasses which decorated its walls, I thought it probable that I should be able to find some obscure seat, from which I could obtain a view
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122  
123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Parelli

 

pavement

 

glasses

 
cigarette
 
lowered
 

running

 
rightly
 

crumpled

 

Walham

 

Garridge


evidence
 

Martyn

 

produced

 

fumbling

 

Compton

 
Street
 

opened

 

stepping

 

handed

 
touched

readiness

 
sovereign
 

holding

 

pocket

 

society

 

thrusting

 

anxious

 
minutes
 

remembering

 

numerous


obscure

 

obtain

 

probable

 

decorated

 

thought

 

eyeglass

 

assured

 

Harris

 

accepted

 

needing


testimony

 

Whoever

 

original

 

friend

 

stroll

 

started

 
delayed
 

inside

 

obeyed

 

observed