Part 44 (1/2)

”I don't know--it's the one you gave me while I was Officer 666.”

Gladwin tossed the cigar to the thief, who caught it deftly and inserted it between his lips. ”And here's some more of your possessions,” added the young man, drawing out the bribe money he had accepted while he masqueraded in the officer's uniform.

”Thanks,” said Wilson, as he caught the money, ”and here's your little yellow boy, though I wish that intellectual giant of a cop were here so I could hire his uniform for a bit.”

”You amaze me by your generosity,” murmured Gladwin as he pocketed the $500 bill.

”Oh,” said the other easily, while he again listened at the door. ”I'm not a regular crook--I'm in the picture business.”

”Still, if you kept that bill it might help you get better accommodations when you reach Sing Sing.”

”If I don't need it till then I won't need it for a long, long time.”

”You mean you think you're going to escape?”

Gladwin slid down from the table and leaned against it, making no effort to conceal the admiration he experienced for this man's superhuman aplomb.

”And with guards all around the house and policemen tearing thirty rooms apart upstairs and camping on the roof scuttle--yes, and more coming, maybe.”

”I venture to hope so,” chuckled the other. ”I admit it's close enough to be interesting.”

”Well, I'll say one thing for you,” the young millionaire said earnestly, ”you're the coolest chap I ever hope to meet. You're a marvel.”

”Built to order to work in story books, eh? Well, to be candid with you, McGinty, there are times when I'm not so cool as I look. I'm almost human.”

”Those cops will finish their work soon--then they'll come in here,”

Gladwin warned him.

”I'm listening for them,” said Wilson softly, putting his ear to the door again.

”Just because your pistol prevents me from calling them now, don't think”----

”This gun isn't stopping you,” came the short reply. ”If you wanted to call them you'd take a chance--I've found that out in the last hundred seconds or so.”

”Thank you for the compliment, but I”----

”Well, I'll prove it,” the thief intervened, and tossed the gun to Gladwin, who caught it as if it were something hot. ”Go ahead and call them.”

”How do you know I wouldn't call them?” the young man asked, examining the automatic and finding it empty.

”Don't be a child,” shrugged the other. ”You closed these doors, and you b.u.t.ted in about the 'Blue Boy' just as that Central Office owl produced his jewelry. Yes, and you stumbled against the chest and knew that I was in it.”

”But I say,” asked Gladwin, abruptly. ”How did you come to use my name?”

”It wasn't safe to use mine, and when I met Miss----that girl--your name was in my mind--I borrowed it.”

”That's the thing I can't forgive you for,” said Gladwin, regretfully--”to deceive her as you did. That was rotten.”