Part 16 (1/2)

”Begging!” said Michael aghast. His eyes were on his plate and he was trying to control his voice, but something of his horror crept into his tones. Sam felt it and hastened on apologetically--

”Er ef you want to go it one better, keep on yer good cloes an' have the asthma bad. I know a feller what'll teach you how, an' sell you the whistles to put in yer mouth. You've no notion how it works. You just go around in the subbubs tellin' thet you've only been out of the 'orspittal two days an' you walked all this way to get work an' couldn't get it, an'

you want five cents to get back--see? Why, I know a feller--course he's been at it fer years an' he has his regular beats--folks don't seem to remember--and be can work the ground over 'bout once in six months er so, and he's made's high's thirty-eight dollars in a day at asthma work.”

Sam paused triumphant to see what effect the statement had on his friend, but Michael's face was toward his coffee cup.

”Seems sort of small business for a man!” he said at last, his voice steady with control. ”Don't believe I'd be good at that? Haven't you got something that's real _work_?”

Sam's eyes narrowed.

”Ef I thought you was up to it,” he murmured. ”You'd be great with that angel face o' yourn. n.o.body'd ever suspect you. You could wear them clo'es too. But it's work all right, an' mighty resky. Ef I thought you was up to it--” He continued to look keenly at Michael, and Michael, with innate instinct felt his heart beat in discouraged thumps. What new deviltry was Sam about to propose?

”You used to be game all right!” murmured Sam interrogatively. ”You never used to scare easy--”

”Wal, I'll tell you,” in answer to Michael's questioning eyes which searched his little sharp wizened face--Michael was wondering if there was anything in that face to redeem it from utter repulsiveness.

”You see it's a reg'ler business, an' you hev to learn, but I'd give you pinters, all you'd need to know, I'm pretty slick myself. There's tools to open things, an' you hev to be ready to 'xplain how you come thur an' jolly up a parlor maid per'aps. It's easy to hev made a mistake in the house, er be a gas man er a plumber wot the boss sent up to look at the pipes. But night work's best pay after you get onto things. Thur's houses where you ken lay your han's on things goin' into the thousands an' lots ov um easy to get rid of without anybody findin' out. There's Buck he used to be great at it. He taught all the gang. The day he lit out he bagged a bit o' gla.s.s wuth tree tousand dollars, 'sides a whole handful of fivers an' tens wot he found lyin' on a dressin' table pretty as you please. Buck he were a slick one at it. He'd be pleased to know you'd took up the work--”

Sam paused and eyed Michael with the first friendly gleam he had shown in his eyes, and Michael, with his heart in a tumult of varied emotions, and the quick color flooding brow and cheek, tried to hold himself in check. He must not speak too hastily. Perhaps he had not understood Sam's meaning.

”Where is Buck?” Michael looked Sam straight in the eye. The small pupils seemed to contract and shut out even his gaze.

”They ain't never got a trace of Buck,” he said evasively.

”But don't you know?” There was something in Michael's look that demanded an answer.

”I might an' I might not,” responded Sam sullenly.

Michael was still for several seconds watching Sam; each trying to understand the other.

”Do you think he will come hack where I can see him?” he asked at length.

”He might, an' he might not. 't depends. Ef you was in th' bizness he might. It's hard to say. 't depends.”

Michael watched Sam again thoughtfully.

”Tell me more about the business,” he said at last, his lips compressed, his brows drawn down into a frown of intensity.

”Thur ain't much, more t'tell,” said Sam, still sullen. ”I ain't sure you're up to it?”

”What do you mean by that?”

”Ain't sure you got de sand. You might turn faint and snitch.” Sam leaned forward and spoke in low rapid sentences. ”Wen we'd got a big haul, 'sposen you'd got into de house an' done de pinchin', and we got the stuff safe hid, an' you got tuk up? Would you snitch? Er would you take your pill like a man? That's what I'd want to be sure. Mikky would a' stood by the gang, but you--you've had a edicashun! They might go soft at college. I ain't much use fer edicated persons myself. But I'll give you a show ef you promise stiff not to snitch. We've got a big game on to-night up on Madison Avenue, an' we're a man short. Dere's dough in it if we make it go all right. Rich man. Girl goin' out to a party to-night. She's goin' to wear some dimons wurth a penny. Hed it in de paper. Brung 'em home from de bank this mornin'. One o' de gang watched de feller come out o' de bank. It's all straight so fur. It's a pretty big haul to let you in de first try, an'

you'll hev to run all de risks; but ef you show you're game we'll make it a bargain.”

Michael held himself tensely and fought the desire to choke the fellow before him; tried to remember that he was the same Sam who had once divided a crust with him, and whom he had come to help; reflected that he might have been as bad himself if he had never been taken from the terrible environment of the slums and shown a better way; knew that if he for one fraction of a second showed his horror at the evil plot, or made any attempt to stop it all hope of reaching Sam, or Buck, or any of the others was at an end; and with it all hope of finding any stray links of his own past history. Besides, though honor was strong in him and he would never ”snitch” on his companions, it would certainly be better to find out as much as possible about the scheme. There might be other ways besides ”snitching” of stopping such things. Then suddenly his heart almost stopped beating, Madison Avenue! Sam had said Madison Avenue, and a girl! What if it were Starr's jewels they were planning to take. He knew very little about such matters save what he had read. It did not occur to him that Starr was not yet ”out” in society; that she would be too young to wear costly jewels and have her costume put in the paper. He only knew that his heart was throbbing again painfully, and that the fellow before him seemed too vile to live longer on the same earth with Starr, little, beautiful, exquisite Starr.

He was quite still when Sam had finished; his face was white with emotion and his eyes were blazing blue flames when he raised them to look at Sam.

Then he became aware that his answer was awaited.