Within the Law [58]
either go to Chicago, or you'll go up the river."
Mary answered in a voice charged with cynicism.
"If you can convict me. Pray, notice that little word 'if'."
The District Attorney interposed very suavely.
"I did once, remember."
"But you can't do it again," Mary declared, with an assurance that excited the astonishment of the police official.
"How do you know he can't?" he blustered.
Mary laughed in a cadence of genial merriment.
"Because," she replied gaily, "if he could, he would have had me in prison some time ago."
Burke winced, but he made shift to conceal his realization of the truth she had stated to him.
"Huh!" he exclaimed gruffly. "I've seen them go up pretty easy."
Mary met the assertion with a serenity that was baffling.
"The poor ones," she vouchsafed; "not those that have money. I have money, plenty of money--now."
"Money you stole!" the Inspector returned, brutally.
"Oh, dear, no!" Mary cried, with a fine show of virtuous indignation.
"What about the thirty thousand dollars you got on that partnership swindle?" Burke asked, sneering. "I s'pose you didn't steal that!"
"Certainly not," was the ready reply. "The man advertised for a partner in a business sure to bring big and safe returns. I answered. The business proposed was to buy a tract of land, and subdivide it. The deeds to the land were all forged, and the supposed seller was his confederate, with whom he was to divide the money. We formed a partnership, with a capital of sixty thousand dollars. We paid the money into the bank, and then at once I drew it out. You see, he wanted to get my money illegally, but instead I managed to get his legally. For it was legal for me to draw that money--wasn't it, Mr. Demarest?"
The District Attorney by an effort retained his severe expression of righteous disapprobation, but he admitted the truth of her contention.
"Unfortunately, yes," he said gravely. "A partner has the right to draw out any, or all, of the partnership funds."
"And I was a partner," Mary said contentedly. "You, see, Inspector, you wrong me--you do, really! I'm not a swindler; I'm a financier."
Burke sneered scornfully.
"Well," he roared, "you'll never pull another one on me. You can gamble on that!"
Mary permitted herself to laugh mockingly in the face of the badgered official.
"Thank you for telling me," she said, graciously. "And let me say, incidentally, that Miss Lynch at the present moment is painlessly extracting ten thousand dollars from General Hastings in a perfectly legal manner, Inspector Burke."
"Well, anyhow," Burke shouted, "you may stay inside the law, but you've got to get outside the city." He tried to employ an elephantine bantering tone. "On the level, now, do you think you could get away with that young Gilder scheme you've been planning?"
Mary appeared puzzled.
"What young Gilder scheme?" she asked, her brows drawn in bewilderment.
"Oh, I'm wise--I'm wise!" the Inspector cried roughly. "The answer is, once for all, leave town this afternoon, or you'll be in the Tombs in the morning."
Abruptly, a change came over the woman. Hitherto, she had been cynical, sarcastic, laughing, careless, impudent. Now, of a sudden, she was all seriousness, and she spoke with a gravity that, despite their volition, impressed both the men before her.
"It can't be done, Inspector," she said, sedately.
The declaration, simple as it was, aroused the official to new indignation.
"Who says it can't?" he vociferated, overflowing with anger at this flouting of the authority he represented.
Mary opened a drawer of the desk, and took out the document obtained that morning from Harris, and held it forth.
"This," she replied, succinctly.
"What's this?" Burke stormed. But he took the paper.
Demarest looked over the Inspector's shoulder, and his eyes grew larger as he read. When he was at an end of the reading, he regarded the passive woman at the desk with a new respect.
"What's this?" Burke repeated helplessly. It was not
Mary answered in a voice charged with cynicism.
"If you can convict me. Pray, notice that little word 'if'."
The District Attorney interposed very suavely.
"I did once, remember."
"But you can't do it again," Mary declared, with an assurance that excited the astonishment of the police official.
"How do you know he can't?" he blustered.
Mary laughed in a cadence of genial merriment.
"Because," she replied gaily, "if he could, he would have had me in prison some time ago."
Burke winced, but he made shift to conceal his realization of the truth she had stated to him.
"Huh!" he exclaimed gruffly. "I've seen them go up pretty easy."
Mary met the assertion with a serenity that was baffling.
"The poor ones," she vouchsafed; "not those that have money. I have money, plenty of money--now."
"Money you stole!" the Inspector returned, brutally.
"Oh, dear, no!" Mary cried, with a fine show of virtuous indignation.
"What about the thirty thousand dollars you got on that partnership swindle?" Burke asked, sneering. "I s'pose you didn't steal that!"
"Certainly not," was the ready reply. "The man advertised for a partner in a business sure to bring big and safe returns. I answered. The business proposed was to buy a tract of land, and subdivide it. The deeds to the land were all forged, and the supposed seller was his confederate, with whom he was to divide the money. We formed a partnership, with a capital of sixty thousand dollars. We paid the money into the bank, and then at once I drew it out. You see, he wanted to get my money illegally, but instead I managed to get his legally. For it was legal for me to draw that money--wasn't it, Mr. Demarest?"
The District Attorney by an effort retained his severe expression of righteous disapprobation, but he admitted the truth of her contention.
"Unfortunately, yes," he said gravely. "A partner has the right to draw out any, or all, of the partnership funds."
"And I was a partner," Mary said contentedly. "You, see, Inspector, you wrong me--you do, really! I'm not a swindler; I'm a financier."
Burke sneered scornfully.
"Well," he roared, "you'll never pull another one on me. You can gamble on that!"
Mary permitted herself to laugh mockingly in the face of the badgered official.
"Thank you for telling me," she said, graciously. "And let me say, incidentally, that Miss Lynch at the present moment is painlessly extracting ten thousand dollars from General Hastings in a perfectly legal manner, Inspector Burke."
"Well, anyhow," Burke shouted, "you may stay inside the law, but you've got to get outside the city." He tried to employ an elephantine bantering tone. "On the level, now, do you think you could get away with that young Gilder scheme you've been planning?"
Mary appeared puzzled.
"What young Gilder scheme?" she asked, her brows drawn in bewilderment.
"Oh, I'm wise--I'm wise!" the Inspector cried roughly. "The answer is, once for all, leave town this afternoon, or you'll be in the Tombs in the morning."
Abruptly, a change came over the woman. Hitherto, she had been cynical, sarcastic, laughing, careless, impudent. Now, of a sudden, she was all seriousness, and she spoke with a gravity that, despite their volition, impressed both the men before her.
"It can't be done, Inspector," she said, sedately.
The declaration, simple as it was, aroused the official to new indignation.
"Who says it can't?" he vociferated, overflowing with anger at this flouting of the authority he represented.
Mary opened a drawer of the desk, and took out the document obtained that morning from Harris, and held it forth.
"This," she replied, succinctly.
"What's this?" Burke stormed. But he took the paper.
Demarest looked over the Inspector's shoulder, and his eyes grew larger as he read. When he was at an end of the reading, he regarded the passive woman at the desk with a new respect.
"What's this?" Burke repeated helplessly. It was not