Part 61 (2/2)
”I wonder how long Luke is figuring on staying in town,” went on Judge Dolan, sticking like a stamp to his original subject.
”Nothing to me.”
”It might be. It might be. You never can tell about them things, Racey.”
Racey Dawson's eyes came down from the ceiling. He studied the Judge's face attentively. What was Dolan driving at? Racey had known the Judge for several years, and he was aware that the more indirect the Judge became in his discourse the more important the subject matter was likely to be.
”No,” said Racey, willing to bite, ”you never can tell.”
”We was talking one day about a feller making mistakes.” The tangent was merely apparent.
”Yep,” acquiesced Racey. ”We were saying Luke Tweezy made a good many.”
”Something like that, yeah. You run across any of Luke's mistakes yet, Racey?”
Racey shook his head. ”No.”
”Did you go to Marysville?”
”Why for Marysville?”
”Luke Tweezy lives in Marysville.”
”And you think there's somebody in Marysville would talk?”
Judge Dolan looked pained. ”I didn't say so,” he was quick to remark.
”I know you didn't, but--”
”I don't guess they's many folks in Marysville _know_ much about Luke--no, not many. Luke is careful and clever, d.a.m.n clever.
But they's other things besides folks which might have useful information.”
”Yeah?”
”Yeah. A gent, a lawyer anyway, keeps a lot of papers in his safe as a rule. Sometimes them papers make a heap interesting readin'.” The Judge paused and regarded Racey coolly.
”They might prove interesting reading, that's a fact,” drawled Racey.
”Now I ain't suggestin' anything,” pursued Judge Dolan. ”I couldn't on account of my oath. But it ain't so Gawd-awful far from Farewell to Marysville.”
”It ain't _too_ far.”
”I got a notion Luke Tweezy will find important business to keep him here in Farewell the next four or five days.”
”I wonder what kind of a safe Luke has got,” murmured Racey.
”Damfino,” said the Judge. ”You know anything about dynamite--how it's handled, huh?”
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