Barlow took my tip. My
foot may have slipped on the original job, but my bean certainly did
act quick, and you've got to admit I turned an apparent failure into
something bigger than success would have been. And that's certainly
traveling!"
"It certainly is!"
"And now, Maggie "--Barney pressed her eagerly--"I've shown you I'm
just the sort you said a man had to be for you to tie up with him.
I've shown you I can guarantee you police protection. And I've shown
you I'm able to put over clever situations without any one ever
guessing I'm the party who put 'em over. I fit all your
specifications! How about our settling right now to join up some
place--Toronto's the best bet--say three days after we make our get-
away after to-night's clean-up? Let's be quick about this, Maggie--
before Old Jimmie comes in. He's due any minute now!"
"Isn't that him at the door now?" breathed Maggie.
Both waited intently for a moment. But though she pretended so,
Maggie's interest was not upon the outer door. Her attention was
fixed, as it had been with sickening fear this last minute, upon that
half-inch crack in the closet door behind Barney. Why had she, in her
dismayed urgence, allowed Larry to possess himself of that closet
key?--when her plan had been to keep Hannigan as well as Barlow
forcibly behind the scenes until she had acted out her play? She now
hoped almost against hope that Hannigan would not burst forth and ruin
what was yet to come.
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