Adventure, June 1911 — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

292 new line of endeavor had been even _ greater than that he had achieved as a cotillion leader. He was a thorn in the side of the police of two continents —an irritating thorn which not only refused to be removed but which gave notice every time it was going to rob the social body of a bit of its precious cuticle. Instead of eschewing the light, Larry seemed to take a malicious delight in turn- ing his tricks under the sun of public no- tice. He invariably warned his victims, a detail which in no wise interfered with his getting what he went after. Many people laid this down to an inordinate vanity and predicted his speedy capture. Larry claimed it was the one straight rule in a crooked game. At first the public howled while the police raved, To the country at large it was a tremendous joke on the thick-headed min- ions of the law. Larry slipped through all the traps set for him like a greased pig at a country picnic. There was one more thing which should have made Larry an easy capture. For every operation that netted him a clear . ten thousand dollars he changed his name. These---ghases were alluring allitergtions. haa wn S| The Byrd diamonds had-disappeared from their resting-place in the vault by the aid of Adair Atkinson. The Commercial Se- curity Company had been filched under the name of Barnaby Blackstone. Denny had assisted one Culberson Crothers in the matter of a few old paintings. According to Larry, it was a short cut to bookkeep- ing. He had only to count how many letters his name was from “A,” multiply it by ten and he had the number of thou- sands he possessed. Anything over the _ ten-thousand limit and the results of his smaller operations went for cigarettes and tips. By counting from ‘‘A” to “‘L” you get the figure twelve. It is thus easy to see that Larry was on velvet to the extent of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The public, being able to solve this simple problem, arrived at the same conclusion. Their howls of laughter changed to roars of rage and like a thunderstorm on a high peak the conflict raged about the Chief of Police. No wonder, then, the grimy little sneak thief appeared to him in the guise of an angel. Adventure - LARRY was again in need of assist- ful man, preferred that his helper should be as feeble an instrument as pos- sible. To this end he turned to the Rat, on whose unquestioned obedience he was depending. In the Holland House every afternoon a very rich and very stingy old man could always be found. His name doesn’t mat- ter—we will call him the millionaire. In a way he, too, was nature-twisted. His money had been made by sly schemes, broken promises, betrayed friendships. His skating on the ice of the law had been wrong but not illegal. A writ had no ter- rors for him, but something else had. His conscience made him fearful of others, so it was that the remark of a casual stranger would send him back into his shell like a frightened mud-turtle. He had only one failing. There reposed always in his pocket, like an amulet, a ance and, being by nature a master- thick leather wallet, and rumor had it that © this never contained a less amount than the sum necessary for Larry to choose an- other alias. oe : How the plan was to be worked the Rat had not been told. Dressed as a chauffeur, on the drop of a handkerchief he was to inform-Mr, Lackmore that the car was wait- ing. The two, millionaire. and burglar, would leave the hotel, arm in arm; they would be driven far out in the country. Here, on some pretext, he was to leave them. For this the Rat was to receive two hundred dollars. But this was the fly in the ointment. The money hinged on the contingency of the plan’s being successful. Denny had some improvements to offer. Instead of taking the direct route to the country he would circle around by the police station. It was then a simple matter for him to toot his horn and jam on the brakes. The rest of the performance inter- ested him little. 7 Out in the sunlight, with the crisp rustle of bills in his pocket, the Rat sighed almost happily. What danger could there be? For once he was with the law, not against it. Its forces were at his back to help. Even Billy McShane lost something of his fearful aspect. The Chief had assured him that Larry .would get at least twenty-five years, and jwhat might not happen in twenty-five Summers and Winters? He had long had his eye on a little to- Go JOO AMG SoCO)