e made his way swiftly through the darkness to a tumble-down building
not far from Baxter street. The front door was unlocked. He opened it,
and feeling his way up--for there were no lights--knocked in a
peculiar way at a door just at the head of the stairs. His knock was
evidently heard, for shuffling steps were heard within, a bolt was
drawn, and Marlowe confronted a little old man, of feeble frame and
deeply furrowed face, who scanned the face of his visitor by the light
of a candle which he held above his head.

"Why, it's Marlowe!" he said.

"Hush, Jacob! don't mention my name! I'm in trouble."

"What's in the wind now?"

"Shut the door and I'll tell you."

I may as well say that the conversation which ensued was interlarded
with expressions common to the lawless class which Marlowe
represented, but I prefer to translate them into common speech. The
room which they entered seemed full of odds and ends of wearing
apparel, and might have been taken for a pawnbroker's shop, or
second-hand clothing store. Or it might have been taken for a
dressing-room to a theatre, but that the articles displayed had long
since seen their best days, with few exceptions.

"What have you been up to?" asked Jacob, varying the form of his
question.

"Jack Morgan and I tried to break into a house on Madison avenue
to-night."

"Couldn't you get in?"

"Yes; but the police were in waiting for us. They nabbed Jack, but I
got away. They followed me to Jack's room, but I got out of the
window. They're on my track now."

"They didn't see you come in here?" asked the old man, alarmed.

"No, I have given them the slip. But they'll have me unless you help
me."

"My son, I'll do what I can. What is your plan?"

"To disguise myself so that my own mother wouldn't know me. See what
you can do for me."

My reader will now understand the character of the old man's business.
Thieves, and others who had rendered themselves amenable to the law,
came to him for disguises, paying heavily for the use of what articles
he supplied them. In many cases he was obliged to give them credit,
but the old adage, "There is honor among thieves," was exemplified
here, for he seldom failed, sooner or later, to receive full payment.
It might be, and probably was, from motives of policy that his
customers were so honorable; for if unfaithful to their agreements
they could hardly expect to be accommodated a second time, and this
was a serious consideration.