So come across, Brainard! I've got your every move covered!"
"I've already come across, Chief," replied Larry, trying to keep his
temper in the face of the other's bullying manner. "I told Barney and
Old Jimmie that I was through with the old game, and through with them
as pals at the old game--that's all there was to that meeting. I'm
going to that business institute for the same reason that every other
person goes there--to learn. That's all there is to the whole
business, Chief: I'm going to go straight."
Chief Barlow, hunched forward, his undershot jaw clenched on a cigar
stub, regarded Larry steadily with his beady, autocratic eyes. Barlow
was trained to penetrate to the inside of men's minds, and he
recognized that Larry was in earnest.
"You mean you think you are going to go straight," Barlow remarked
slowly and meaningly.
"I know I am going to go straight," Larry returned evenly, meeting
squarely the gaze of the Chief of Detectives.
"Do you realize, young man," Barlow continued in the same measured,
significant tone, "that whether you go straight, and how you go
straight, depends pretty much on me?"
"Mind making that a little clearer, Chief?"
"I'll show you part of my hand--just remember that I'm holding back my
high cards. I don't believe you're going to go straight, so we'll
start with the proposition that you're not going to run straight and
work on from there.
Pages:
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99