Part 58 (1/2)
”Geoff!” cried the boy breathlessly. ”Say--what d' you mean?”
”I mean the time has come for you to choose between M'Ginnis and me. If I am to be your friend, M'Ginnis must be your enemy from now on--wait!
If you want my friends.h.i.+p, no more secrets; tell me just how M'Ginnis got you into his power--how he got you to break into my house.”
Spike glanced up through his tears, glanced down, choked upon a sob, and burst into breathless narrative.
”There was me an' Bud an' a guy they call Heine--we'd been to a rube boxin' match up th' river. An' as we come along, Heine says: 'If I was in th' second-story-lay there's millionaire Ravenslee's wigwam waitin'
t' be cracked,' an' he pointed out your swell place among th' trees in th' moonlight. Then Bud says: 'You ain't got th' nerve, Heine. Why, th'
Kid's got more nerve than you,' he says, pattin' my shoulder. An' Heine laughs an' says I'm only a kid. An' Geoff, I'd got two or three drinks into me an' th' end was I agreed t' just show 'em as I had nerve enough t' get in through a winder an' cop something--anything I could get. So Bud hands me his 'lectric torch, an' we skin over th' fence an' up to th' house--an' Heine has th' winder open in a jiffy, an' me--bein'
half-soused an' foolish--hikes inter th' room, an' you cops me on th'
jump an'--an' that's all!”
”And M'Ginnis has threatened to send you up for it now and then, eh?”
”Only for a joke. Bud ain't like me; he'd never split on a pal--Bud wouldn't gimme away--”
”Anyway, Spike, it's him or me. Which will you have for a friend?”
”Oh, Geoff, I--I guess I'd follow you t' Kingdom Come if you'd let me.
I do want t' live straight an' clean--honest t' G.o.d I do, Geoff, an' if you'll only forgive--”
Spike's outstretched, pleading hands were caught and held, and he was lifted to his feet.
”My Arthur-Spike, art going to the office this morning?”
”Sure I am; my eye ain't--ain't s' bad, after all, is it? Anyway, I feel more like what a man should feel like now, an'--Gee! look at me doin'
the sissy tear-spoutin' act! Oh, h.e.l.l--lemme go an' wash me face. 'N'
say, if--if any o' them--I mean those dolly office boys has anything t'
say, I'll punch th' sawdust out o' them!”
CHAPTER XXVI
WHICH MAKES FURTHER MENTION OF A RING
Ravenslee, strolling in leisurely fas.h.i.+on along Tenth Avenue, became aware of a slender, pallid youth whose old-young face was familiar; a cigarette dangled from his pale, thin lips, and his slender hands were hidden in the pockets of his smartly tailored coat. On went Ravenslee, pausing now and then to glance idly into some shop window until, chancing to slip his fingers into a waistcoat pocket, he paused all at once and, drawing thence a ring wrought into the semblance of two clasped hands, drew it upon his finger. Now as he glanced at the ring, his eye gleamed and, smiling as one who has a sudden bright idea, he set off faster than before, striding on light and purposeful feet. But, as he turned a corner, he noticed that the pallid youth was still close behind, wherefore he halted before a shop window where, among other articles of diet, were cans of tomatoes neatly piled into a pyramid. At these he stared, waiting, and presently found the pallid youth at his elbow, who also stared upon the tomato pyramid with half-closed eyes and with smouldering cigarette pendent from thin-lipped mouth. And after they had stared awhile in silence, cheek by jowl, Ravenslee spoke in his pleasant, lazy voice:
”Judging by the labels these tomatoes are everything tomatoes possibly could be.”
”'S right!” murmured the pale one imperturbably.
”Fond of tomatoes?” enquired Ravenslee.
”Aw!” answered his neighbour, ”quit foolin'--talk sense!”
”Certainly! Why do you follow me, Soapy?”