Part 16 (1/2)
”I envy you, my boy. I am not making fun of you,” said the captain, with keen understanding.
”Thank you, Cap,” said Bob quietly. ”You guessed right both times.
It's my first sweetheart.”
He b.u.t.toned his coat and started for the door.
”You'd better step around to Doc MacFarland's on your rounds this evening and let him look you over. It won't take but a minute, and I don't expect him around the station. You're not on peg-post to-night, so you can do it.”
”All right, Cap.”
Burke saluted and left the station, falling into line with the other men who were marching out on relief.
A half hour later he dropped into the office of the police surgeon, and was greeted warmly by the old gentleman.
MacFarland was smoking his pipe in comfort after the cares and worries of a busy day.
”Any more trouble with the gangsters, Burke?” he asked.
Bob, after a little hesitation decided to tell him about the adventure of the night before.
”I want your advice, Doc, for you understand these things. Do you suppose there's any danger of Lorna's going out with those fellows again? You don't suppose that they were actually going to entice her into some house, do you?”
MacFarland stroked his gray whiskers.
”Well, my boy, that is not what we Scotchmen would call a vera canny thought! You speak foolishly. Why, don't you know that is organized teamwork just as fine as they make it? Those two fellows, Baxter, I think you said, and Craig, are typical 'cadets.' They are the pretty boys who make the acquaintance of the girls, and open the way for temptation, which is generally attended to by other men of stronger caliber. This fellow Shepard is undoubtedly one of the head men of their gang. If Jimmie the Monk is mixed up in it that is the connecting link between these fellows and the East Side. And it's back to the East Side that the trail nearly always leads, for over in the East Side of New York is the feudal fastness of the politician who tells the public to be d.a.m.ned, and is rewarded with a fortune for his pains. The politician protects the gangster; the gangster protects the procurer, and both of them vote early and often for the politician.”
Bob sighed.
”Isn't there some way that this young girl can be warned about the dangers she is running into? It's terrible to think of a thing like this threatening any girl of good family, or any other family for that matter.”
”You must simply warn her sister and have her watch the younger girl like a hawk.”
MacFarland cleaned out his pipe with a scalpel knife, and put in another charge of tobacco.
He puffed a blue cloud before Bob had replied.
”I wish there were some way I could get co-operation on this. I'm going to hunt these fellows down, Doc. But it seems to me that the authorities in this city should help along.”
”They are helping along. The District Attorney has sent up gangster after gangster; but it's like a quicksand, Burke--new rascals seem to slide in as fast as you shovel out the old ones.”
”I have the advantage now that they don't know who is looking after Lorna,” said Bobbie. ”But it was a hard job getting them off my track.”
”That was good detective work--as good as I've heard of,” said the doctor. ”You just keep shy now. Don't get into more gun fights and fist sc.r.a.ps for a few days, and you'll get something on them again.
You know your catching them last night was just part of a general law about crime. The criminal always gives himself away in some little, careless manner that hardly looks worth while worrying about. Those two fellows never dreamed of your following them--they let the name of the restaurant slip out, and probably forgot about it the next minute.
And Jimmie the Monk has given you a clue to work on, to find out the connection. Keep up your work--but keep a bullet-proof skin for a while.”
Bob started toward the door. A new idea came to him.