第27章 WITHIN THE LAW(4)

"But you must understand this," Mary went on, with an authoritative note in her voice."Whatever may be between young Gilder and me is to be strictly my own affair.It has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of you, or with our schemes for money-making.And, what is more, Agnes, I don't want to talk about it.But----""Yes?" queried Aggie, encouragingly, as the other paused.She hopefully awaited further confidences.

"But I do want to know," Mary continued with some severity, "what you meant by talking in the public street yesterday with a common pickpocket."Aggie's childlike face changed swiftly its expression from a sly eagerness to sullenness.

"You know perfectly well, Mary Turner," she cried indignantly, "that I only said a few words in passin' to my brother Jim.And he ain't no common pickpocket.Hully Gee! He's the best dip in the business.""But you must not be seen speaking with him," Mary directed, with a certain air of command now become habitual to her among the members of her clique."My cousin, Miss Agnes Lynch, must be very careful as to her associates."The volatile Agnes was restored to good humor by some subtle quality in the utterance, and a family pride asserted itself.

"He just stopped me to say it's been the best year he ever had,"she explained, with ostentatious vanity.

Mary appeared sceptical.

"How can that be," she demanded, "when the dead line now is John Street?""The dead line!" Aggie scoffed.A peal of laughter rang merrily from her curving lips.

"Why, Jim takes lunch every day in the Wall Street Delmonico's.

Yes," she went on with increasing animation, "and only yesterday he went down to Police Headquarters, just for a little excitement, 'cause Jim does sure hate a dull life.Say, he told me they've got a mat at the door with 'Welcome' on it--in letters three feet high.Now, what--do--you--think--of that!" Aggie teetered joyously, the while she inhaled a shockingly large mouthful of smoke."And, oh, yes!" she continued happily, "Jim, he lifted a leather from a bull who was standing in the hallway there at Headquarters! Jim sure does love excitement."Mary lifted her dark eyebrows in half-amused inquiry.

"It's no use, Agnes," she declared, though without entire sincerity; "I can't quite keep up with your thieves' argot--your slang, you know.Just what did this brother of yours do?""Why, he copped the copper's kale," Aggie translated, glibly.

Mary threw out her hands in a gesture of dismay.

Thereupon, the adventuress instantly assumed a most ladylike and mincing air which ill assorted with the cigarette that she held between her lips.

"He gently removed a leathern wallet," she said sedately, "containing a large sum of money from the coat pocket of a member of the detective force." The elegance of utterance was inimitably done.But in the next instant, the ordinary vulgarity of enunciation was in full play again."Oh, Gee!" she cried gaily."He says Inspector Burke's got a gold watch that weighs a ton, an' all set with diamon's!--which was give to 'im by--admirin' friends!...We didn't contribute.""Given to him," Mary corrected, with a tolerant smile.

Aggie sniffed once again.

"What difference does it make?" she demanded, scornfully."He's got it, ain't he?" And then she added with avaricious intensity:

"Just as soon as I get time, I'm goin' after that watch--believe me!"Mary shook her head in denial.

"No, you are not," she said, calmly."You are under my orders now.And as long as you are working with us, you will break no laws.""But I can't see----" Aggie began to argue with the petulance of a spoiled child.

Mary's voice came with a certainty of conviction born of fact.

"When you were working alone," she said gravely, did you have a home like this?""No," was the answer, spoken a little rebelliously.

"Or such clothes? Most of all, did you have safety from the police?""No," Aggie admitted, somewhat more responsively."But, just the same, I can't see----"Mary began putting on her gloves, and at the same time strove to give this remarkable young woman some insight into her own point of view, though she knew the task to be one well-nigh impossible.

"Agnes," she said, didactically, "the richest men in this country have made their fortunes, not because of the law, but in spite of the law.They made up their minds what they wanted to do, and then they engaged lawyers clever enough to show them how they could do it, and still keep within the law.Any one with brains can get rich in this country if he will engage the right lawyer.

Well, I have the brains--and Harris is showing me the law--the wonderful twisted law that was made for the rich! Since we keep inside the law, we are safe."Aggie, without much apprehension of the exact situation, was moved to a dimpled mirth over the essential humor of the method indicated.

"Gee, that's funny," she cried happily."You an' me an' Joe Garson handin' it to 'em, an' the bulls can't touch us! Next thing you know, Harris will be havin' us incorporated as the American Legal Crime Society.""I shouldn't be in the least surprised," Mary assented, as she finished buttoning her gloves.She smiled, but there was a hint of grimness in the bending of her lips.That grimness remained, as she glanced at the clock, then went toward the door of the room, speaking over her shoulder.

"And, now I must be off to a most important engagement with Mr.

Dick Gilder."