Children of the Whirlwind

fee. But it measured up to Hunt's boast: the chef of the Ritz, limited to so simple a menu, co

o draw Larry out. "Barney Palmer and Old Jimmie were here this afternoon, wanting to see you. They've

s business will have to wait until Barney, Jimmie, and I

adventurer piqued him greatly; but he switched to other subjects, and during the rest of the meal did most of the talking. The Duchess was silent, and seemingly was

she was colorful, vital, high-strung. Before he had gone away he had regarded her with something akin to the negligent affect

was back!-the brilliant, daring Larry. She was aware that she had been successful

s washed, Larry gave voice to this new urg

ay, Maggie, to

" she repli

lothes; but he caught her arm and said, "Come on." They descended the next flight and came into the back room behind the pawnshop, which the Duchess used as a combination of sitting-room, office, and storeroo

not walk," he said.

ly. Under the yellow gaslight her face gleamed

think of me?" she demand

ie! I left you a schoolgirl; yo

spirit possessed her and demanded expression in action. She freed her l

ie, I've f

me

er the scanty floor space. But af

builders for such work. If you've got to dance,

rig

provocative, alluring. It was not a remarkable performance in any professionally technical sens

ished and stood before him glowing and p

rus of a ca

're doing now, wo

s no place for me." She drew nearer. "O

o

head impishly-"I've

o school

ow I'm going to school

stared at her bewildered. "W

the night I went to a masquerade ball with Mr. Hunt, and he and Barney saw me in these clothes. They had never seen me really dressed up before; Barney said it was an eye-opener. They s

lady!" exclaim

st in a milliner shop; then as dresser to a model in the shop of a swell modiste; always watching how the ladies behave. Now I'm at the Ritzmore, and I carry a tray of cigarettes around the tables at lunch and at tea-time and

gie!" he

thes of my own-and be a lady-and get away from this dingy, stuffy, dead old place! I can't sta

ed, not yet quit

and father have let me help in a lot of things-nothing really big yet, of course. They think I'm going

med up," he re

t you like

nly gripped her

o it!" he exclaime

t?" she cri

there's no

nk I can't p

d I'm not goin

y-w

rsh and dominant with decision. She had heard him spoken of as "Laughing Larry"; and also as "Terrible La

n't think she was equal to working with him! Her young figure stiffened in angered pride, and her mind was gathering hot phrases to fling at him when th

the old man, crossing.

y." And Larry shook hands wi

ou were back till I bumped into Gavegan on Broadway. He told me, and so Barney and I b

ence. "Think it exactly wis

, La

hinking you've come to see me for some pur

come to visit his own daughter as o

ought of that before, Jimmie. So that's why you've always boarded Maggie around in shady joints: so

mmie blandly-perhaps too bla

She still could not understand his queer behavior when she had announced her intention of working with him.

pened among Larry's friends during his absence. During this gossip the Duchess entered from the stairway, and without word to any one shuffled across to

ho had been impatient duri

d to be and get down to cases. Jimmie, will yo

Stock-selling game; going to unload the whole thing on one sucker, and we've got the sucker picked out. Besides you and Barney and me, there's Red Han

re going to take me i

as good as Mae Gorh

you; you're all that's lacking-the brainy guy to sit behind the scenes and manage the thing. You've handled the bunch for a long time, and they want you t

te, rose and leaned against the Duchess's safe on which stood the green

demanded

It's a great compliment. But I've had time to do a little planning myself u

ul disgust. "Jimmie, I told you we

out a better game, he'll take us into it. B

re money in it. And

d glared out of Barney's greenish eyes. "I always kn

What is the new game, La

men steadfastly. He see

e. "Is it something you do

," Larry replied in his level tone. "As I said, I've thought it all out

othing he might have said could have been more unexpected, more stupefying. The D

the two men and

say!" grated

ne crazy?" cri

him. "Going to go straigh

fifty or a hundred thousand on a big deal. We've got to split it several ways, perhaps pay a big piece to the police for protection, perhaps pay a lot of lawyers, and then perhaps get sent away for a year or several years, during which we don't tak

real size of it!" snarled Barney

eful, Barney," Larry wa

ie, "that you're going to drop us after us

mmie. But we've parted definitely." Then Lar

Never!" sn

y inquired, his eyes on

too old a bird to start something new.

were hard, and had a cutting edge. "You've got a sweet idea of what's stra

on Barney. "You're not really left in such a

e by the change, you bet! The bunch always thought you were an ace-and I always kne

ashing fist. Barney had been hard to hold in leash in the old days; now that all ties of partnership were broken, he saw in those small gleaming eyes a defianc

on't you mix in and try any preaching on Maggie." He half turned his head jea

an oddly dissimilar pair: Barney in the smartest clothes that an over-smart Broadway tailor coul

d, "don't you listen

st as I ple

g to come our wa

cour

ry. "You hear that? Y

temper was rising. He looked over

is same even voice, "anyth

thr

new commander-in-chief out of here,

at?" snarl

dered, in a voice s

e opening to strike back, but as the fist flashed by he seized the wrist, and in the same instant he seized the other wrist. The next

g to walk out, or sh

nt through gritted teeth: "I'll w

w you'll try to get me behind my back

d Old Jimmie, his gray face an expressi

corner, a dingy, forgotten part of the dingy background-no