I was going to
tell Barney Palmer and Old Jimmie that Dick had just telephoned he
wasn't coming, because one of the two had just sold him a tip for ten
thousand dollars that this was a crooked game. I thought this would
have started a quarrel between the two; they are suspicious of each
other, anyhow. Each would have accused the other, and in their quarrel
they would have been likely to have let out a lot of truth that would
have completely given each other away."
"Not a bad plan at all," commented Joe Ellison. He tried to peer deep
into his daughter for a moment, his inflamed face relaxing neither in
its harshness nor its doubt of her. "But since you are the clever
crook I actually know you to be from your work on Dick Sherwood, and
since Jimmie Carlisle says he has trained you to be a crook, I believe
that everything you've told me is just something you've cleverly
invented on the spur of the moment--just so many lies."
"But--but--"
She broke off before the harsh, accusing doubt of his pale face. For a
fraction of a moment no one spoke. Then the telephone bell began to
ring.
"Dick!" breathed Maggie, and started for the telephone.
"Stay right where you are!" her father ordered. "I'll answer that
telephone myself, and see whether you're lying to me about Dick
Sherwood! .
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