Children of the Whirlwind [42]
survey of her new home. The rooms were just ordinary hotel rooms, furnished with the dingy, wholesale pretentiousness of hotels of the second rate. But they were the essence of luxury compared to her one room at the Duchess's with its view of dreary back yards. These rooms thrilled her. They were her first material evidence that she was now actually launched upon her great adventure.
Maggie had dinner in her sitting-room with Old Jimmie and Miss Grierson--and of that dinner, mediocre and sloppy, and chilled by its transit of twelve stories from the kitchen, Miss Grierson, by way of an introductory lesson, made an august function, almost diagrammatic in its educational details. After the dinner, with Miss Grierson's slow and formal aid, which consisted mainly in passages impressively declaimed from her private book of decorum, Maggie spent two hours in unpacking her suitcase and trunk, and repacking her scanty wardrobe in drawers of the chiffonier and dressing-table; a task which Maggie, left to herself, could have completed in ten minutes.
Maggie was still at this task in her bedroom when she heard Barney enter her sitting-room. "He got away," she heard him say in a low voice to Old Jimmie.
She slipped quickly out of her bedroom and closed the door behind her. An undefined something had suddenly begun to throb within her.
"Who got away, Barney?" she demanded in a hushed tone.
Her look made Barney think rapidly. He was good at quick thinking, was Barney. He decided to tell the truth--or part of it.
"Larry Brainard."
"Got away from what?" she pursued.
"The police. They were after him on some charge. And some of his pals were after him, too. They were out to get him because he had squealed on Red Hannigan and Jack Rosenfeldt. Both parties were closing in on him at about the same time. But Larry got a tip somehow, and made his get-away."
"When did it happen?"
"Must have happened a little time after we all left the Duchess's."
"But--but, Barney--how did you learn it so soon?"
"Just ran into Officer Gavegan over on Broadway and he told me," lied Barney. He preferred not to tell her that he had been upon the scene with Little Mick and Lefty Ed; for the third figure which Larry had descried through the misty shadows had indeed been Barney Palmer. Also Barney preferred not to tell what further subtle share he had had in the causes for Larry's flight.
"Do you think he--he made a safe get-away?"
"Safe for a few hours. Gavegan told me they'd have him rounded up by noon to-morrow." Barney was more conscious of Maggie's interest than was Maggie herself, and again was desirous of destroying it or diverting it. "Generally I'm for the other fellow against the police. But this time I'm all for the coppers. I hope they land Larry--he's got it coming to him. Remember that he's a stool and a squealer."
And swiftly Barney switched the subject. "Let's be moving along, Jimmie."
He drew Maggie out into the hall, to make more certain that Miss Grierson would not overhear. "Well, Maggie," he exulted, "haven't I made good so far in my bargain to put you over?"
"Yes."
"Of course we're going slow at first. That's how you've got to handle big deals--careful. But you'll sure be a knock-out when that she- undertaker in there gets you rigged out in classy clothes. Then the curtain will go up on the real show--and it's going to be a big show-- and you'll be the hit of the piece!"
With that incitement to Maggie's imagination Barney left her; and Old Jimmie followed, furtively giving Maggie a brief, uncertain look.
CHAPTER XIV
A block away from the hotel Barney parted from Old Jimmie. For a space Barney thought of his partner. Barney had quick eyes which were quite capable of taking in two things at once; and while he had seen the excited glow his final speech had brought back into Maggie's face, he had also caught that swift look of uncertainty in the lean, cunning face of Old Jimmie: a look of one who is eager to go on, yet sees himself frustrated by his own eagerness. To Barney it was
Maggie had dinner in her sitting-room with Old Jimmie and Miss Grierson--and of that dinner, mediocre and sloppy, and chilled by its transit of twelve stories from the kitchen, Miss Grierson, by way of an introductory lesson, made an august function, almost diagrammatic in its educational details. After the dinner, with Miss Grierson's slow and formal aid, which consisted mainly in passages impressively declaimed from her private book of decorum, Maggie spent two hours in unpacking her suitcase and trunk, and repacking her scanty wardrobe in drawers of the chiffonier and dressing-table; a task which Maggie, left to herself, could have completed in ten minutes.
Maggie was still at this task in her bedroom when she heard Barney enter her sitting-room. "He got away," she heard him say in a low voice to Old Jimmie.
She slipped quickly out of her bedroom and closed the door behind her. An undefined something had suddenly begun to throb within her.
"Who got away, Barney?" she demanded in a hushed tone.
Her look made Barney think rapidly. He was good at quick thinking, was Barney. He decided to tell the truth--or part of it.
"Larry Brainard."
"Got away from what?" she pursued.
"The police. They were after him on some charge. And some of his pals were after him, too. They were out to get him because he had squealed on Red Hannigan and Jack Rosenfeldt. Both parties were closing in on him at about the same time. But Larry got a tip somehow, and made his get-away."
"When did it happen?"
"Must have happened a little time after we all left the Duchess's."
"But--but, Barney--how did you learn it so soon?"
"Just ran into Officer Gavegan over on Broadway and he told me," lied Barney. He preferred not to tell her that he had been upon the scene with Little Mick and Lefty Ed; for the third figure which Larry had descried through the misty shadows had indeed been Barney Palmer. Also Barney preferred not to tell what further subtle share he had had in the causes for Larry's flight.
"Do you think he--he made a safe get-away?"
"Safe for a few hours. Gavegan told me they'd have him rounded up by noon to-morrow." Barney was more conscious of Maggie's interest than was Maggie herself, and again was desirous of destroying it or diverting it. "Generally I'm for the other fellow against the police. But this time I'm all for the coppers. I hope they land Larry--he's got it coming to him. Remember that he's a stool and a squealer."
And swiftly Barney switched the subject. "Let's be moving along, Jimmie."
He drew Maggie out into the hall, to make more certain that Miss Grierson would not overhear. "Well, Maggie," he exulted, "haven't I made good so far in my bargain to put you over?"
"Yes."
"Of course we're going slow at first. That's how you've got to handle big deals--careful. But you'll sure be a knock-out when that she- undertaker in there gets you rigged out in classy clothes. Then the curtain will go up on the real show--and it's going to be a big show-- and you'll be the hit of the piece!"
With that incitement to Maggie's imagination Barney left her; and Old Jimmie followed, furtively giving Maggie a brief, uncertain look.
CHAPTER XIV
A block away from the hotel Barney parted from Old Jimmie. For a space Barney thought of his partner. Barney had quick eyes which were quite capable of taking in two things at once; and while he had seen the excited glow his final speech had brought back into Maggie's face, he had also caught that swift look of uncertainty in the lean, cunning face of Old Jimmie: a look of one who is eager to go on, yet sees himself frustrated by his own eagerness. To Barney it was