Part 28 (1/2)

”What!” Phelan exploded, jumping to his feet and turning white as his boiled s.h.i.+rt.

”Yes, nabbed him for breaking the speed limit,” Gladwin nodded, leaning back against a table and lighting a cigarette.

”Fer, fer, fer breakin' the speed limit; fer, fer--yez made an arrest?”

”Exactly! He was going so slow he deserved to be arrested, and what's more, he was making love to a pretty girl without shame. I got in and told him to drive me to the station.”

Phelan threw up his hands with a groan.

”An' did yez take him to the station?”

”How could I?” chuckled Gladwin. ”I didn't know where it was--that is, your station--so I told him most any would do. We rode about a bit and as he didn't seem anxious to be locked up, I compromised for fifty dollars. It was really quite simple, Phelan, and if I'd only had more time I might have got back that five hundred.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”GIVE ME ME UNIFORM AN' LET ME GIT OUT OF HERE.”]

”You've lost me me job--that's what you've done!” moaned Phelan, while his brain reeled with pictures of police headquarters, trial rooms and ruthless commissioners. ”Come, give me me uniform,” he cried, with a sudden accession of pa.s.sion.

”What's that?” asked the young man, quickly, his grin vanis.h.i.+ng.

”Me uniform!” rasped Phelan, with a rush toward the young man. ”Give me me uniform an' let me git out of here.”

Gladwin dodged around the table, protesting:

”No, no--not yet. The burglar--that is, my friend--will be here any moment.”

”Your friend?” Phelan stopped, again a prey to bewilderment.

”Yes, yes--I explained all that before. The one I'm playing the joke on. You don't suppose I'm going to take it off now, do you?”

”Yez can bet your life, yez are,” roared Phelan, with another savage rush round the table. ”I've had enough of this, an' too much!”

”Now, just a minute,” pleaded Gladwin. ”I a.s.sure you everything is all right, and I'm not going to leave the house again. If anything happens so you need your uniform I'll be right here where you can get it. I'm not going to leave the house. Tell me, where's Barnes?”

”Who?” said Phelan, more calmly, and pausing in his pursuit.

”My friend--the one I left here.”

”I dunno--there was a ring at the bell here a while ago and in come a wild woman and”----

”Great Scott! I hope my friend wasn't scared off! If that fellow was to meet her here at 10.30--why, it's after that now!”

”Here! Phelan, quick--help me put these covers on the chairs and things. Over there in the corner, back of the chest. He mustn't know that anybody's been here. Hurry, man; hurry! we haven't a second to spare.”

Phelan submitted to the breathless commands as if he were hypnotized, puffing and blowing like a porpoise as he struggled to slip the linen covers over the chairs. Gladwin worked at top speed, too; and just as he was covering the great chest he gave a start and held up his hand.

”s.h.!.+” he whispered. ”There's a motor stopping outside. You go down into the kitchen and be ready to come up if you hear me whistle.”

”But ye'll promise yez won't leave the house with them clothes,”