Part 1 (2/2)

”Reward?”

For answer he dragged a crimson carnation from the b.u.t.tonhole of a tall man who stood at his side.

”What in h.e.l.l--” began the victim, but Harrigan smiled and the other drew slowly back through the crowd.

”Now send them away.”

She looked at him an instant longer with a light coming slowly up behind her eyes. Then she leaned out and waved to the chuckling semicircle.

”Run away for a while,” she said; ”I want to talk to my brother.”

She patted the thick red hair to emphasize the relations.h.i.+p, and the little crowd departed, laughing uproariously. Harrigan slipped the carnation into the jetty hair. His hand lingered a moment against the soft ma.s.ses, and she drew it down, grown suddenly serious.

”There are three policemen in the shadow of that cottage over there.

They're watching you.”

”Ah-h!”

The sound was so soft that it was almost a sigh, but she s.h.i.+vered perceptibly.

”What have you been doing?”

He answered regretfully: ”Nothing.”

”They're coming this way. The man who had the carnation is with them.

You better beat it.”

”Nope. I like it here.”

She shook her head, but the flame was blowing high now in her eyes. A hand fell on Harrigan's shoulder.

”Hey!” said the sergeant in a loud voice.

Harrigan turned slowly and the sergeant's hand fell away. The man of the carnation was far in the background.

”Well?”

”That flower. You can't get away with little tricks like that. You better be starting on. Move along.”

Harrigan glanced slowly from face to face. The three policemen drew closer together as if for mutual protection.

”Please--honey!” urged the whisper of the girl.

The hand of Harrigan resting on the window sill had gathered to a hard-bunched fist, white at the knuckles, but he nodded across the open s.p.a.ce between the cottages.

”If you're looking for work,” he said, ”seems as though you'd find a handful over there.”

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