CHAPTER XIII
A LATE EVENING CALL
A young woman in an open-neck nightgown sat up in bed, a cascade ofblack hair fallen over her white shoulders. Eyes like jet beads werefastened on him. In them he read indignation struggling with fear.
"Say, what are you anyhow--a moll buzzer? If you're a porch-climberout for the props you've sure come to the wrong dump. I got nothin'but bum rocks."
This was Greek to Clay. He did not know that she had asked him if hewere a man who robs women, and that she had told him he could get nodiamonds there since hers were false.
The Arizonan guessed at once that he was not in the room mentioned inthe letter. He slipped his revolver back into its place between shirtand trousers.
"Is this house number 121?" he asked.
"No, it's 123. What of it?"
"It's the wrong house. I'm ce'tainly one chump."
The black eyes lit with sardonic mockery. The young woman knew alreadythat she had nothing to fear from this brown-faced man. His face wasnot that of a thug. It carried its own letter of recommendationwritten on it. Instinctively she felt that he had not come to rob. Alively curiosity began to move in her.
"Say, do I look like one of them born-every-minute kind?" she askedeasily. "Go ahead and spring that old one on me about how you gottanked at the club and come in at the window on account o' your wifehavin' a temper somethin' fierce."
"No, I--I was lookin' for some one else. I'm awful sorry I scared you.I'd eat dirt if it would do any good, but it won't. I'm just a plumbidiot. I reckon I'll be pushin' on my reins." He turned toward thewindow.
"Stop right there where you're at," she ordered sharply. "Take a stepto that window and I'll holler for a harness bull like a Bowery bridegettin' a wallopin' from friend husband. I gotta have an explanation.And who told you I was scared? Forget that stuff. Take it from Anniethat she ain't the kind that scares."
The girl sat up in bed, fingers laced around the knees beneath theblanket. There was an insouciance about her he did not understand.She did not impress him in the least as a wanton, but if he read thatpert little face aright she was a good deal less embarrassed than he.
"I came to see some one else, but I got in the wrong house," heexplained again lamely.
"That's twice I heard both them interestin' facts. Who is this goilyou was comin' through a window to see in the middle o' the night. Andwhat's that gat for if it ain't to croak some other guy? You oughttabe ashamed of yourself for not pullin' a better wheeze than that on me."
Clay blushed. In spite of the slangy impudence that dropped from thepretty red lips the girl was slim and looked virginal.
"You're 'way off. I wasn't callin' on her to--" He stuck hopelessly.
"Whadya know about that?" she came back with obvious sarcasm. "Yousoitainly give me a pain. I'll say you weren't callin' to arrange noSunday School picnic. Listen. Look at that wall a minute, will you?"
When he turned again at her order she was sitting on the side of thebed wrapped in a kimono, her feet in bedroom slippers. He saw now thatshe was a slender-limbed slip of a girl. The lean forearm, whichshowed bare to the elbow when she raised it to draw the kimono closerround her, told Clay that she was none too well nourished.
"I'll listen now to your fairy tale, Mr. Gumshoe Guy, but I wantta wiseyou that I'm hep to men. Doncha try to string me," she advised.
Clay did not. It had occurred to him that she might give himinformation of value. There was something friendly and kindly aboutthe humorous little mouth which parroted worldly wisdom so sagely andthe jargon of criminals so readily. He told her the story of KittyMason. He could see by the girl's eyes that she had jumped to theconclusion that he was in love with Kitty. He did not attempt todisturb that conviction. It might enlist her sympathy.
"Honest, Annie, I believe this guy's on the level," the young womansaid aloud as though to herself. "If he ain't, he's sure a swellmouthpiece. He don't look to me like no flat-worker--not with that mugof his. But you never can tell."
"I'm not, Miss. My story's true." Eyes clear as the Arizona sky in aface brown as the Arizona desert looked straight at her.
Annie Millikan had never seen a man like this before, so clean andstraight and good to look at. From childhood she had been brought upon the fringe of that underworld the atmosphere of which is miasmic.She was impressed in spite of herself.
"Say, why don't you go into the movies and be one of these here screenideals? You'd knock 'em dead," she advised flippantly, crossing herbare ankles.
Clay laughed. He liked the insolent little twist to her mouth. Shemade one strong appeal to him. This bit of a girl, so slim that hecould break her in his hands, was game to the core. He recognized itas a quality of kinship.
"This is my busy night. When I've got more time I'll think of it.Right now--"
She took the subject out of his mouth. "Listen, how do you know thegirl ain't a badger-worker?"
"You'll have to set 'em up on the other alley, Miss," the Westernersaid. "I don't get yore meanin'."
"Couldn't she 'a' made this date to shake you down? Blackmail stuff."
"No chance. She's not that kind."
"Mebbe you're right. I meet so many hop-nuts and dips and con guys andgun-molls that I get to thinkin' there's no decent folks left," shesaid with a touch of weariness.
"Why don't you pull yore picket-pin and travel to a new range?" heasked. "They're no kind of people for you to be knowin'. Get out toGod's country where men are white and poor folks get half a chance."
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "Little old New York is my beat.It's the biggest puddle in the world and I'll do my kickin' here."Abruptly she switched the talk back to his affairs. "You wantta goslow when you tackle Jerry Durand. I can tell you one thing. He's inthis business up to the neck. I seen his shadow Gorilla Dave comin'outa the house next door twice to-day."
"Seen anything of the girl?"
"Nope. But she may be there. Honest, you're up against a tough game.There's no use rappin' to the bulls. They'd tip Jerry off and the girlwouldn't be there when they pulled the house."
"Then I must work this alone."
"Why don't you lay down on it?" she asked, her frank eyes searchinghis. "You soitainly will if you've got good sense."
"I'm goin' through."
Her black eyes warmed. "Say, I'll bet you're some guy when you getstarted. Hop to it and I hope you get Jerry good."
"I don't want Jerry. He's too tough for me. Once I had so much of himI took sick and went to the hospital. It's the girl I want."
"Say, listen! I got a hunch mebbe it's a bum steer, but you can't besure till you try it. Why don't you get in through the roof instead o'the window?"
"Can I get in that way?"
"Surest thing you know--if the trapdoor ain't latched. Say, stickaround outside my room half a sec, will you?"
The cattleman waited in the darkness of the passage. If his enemieswere trying to ambush him in the house next door the girl's plan mightsave him. He would have a chance at least to get them unexpectedly inthe rear.
It could have been scarcely more than two minutes later that the youngwoman joined him.
Her small hand slipped into his to guide him. They padded softly alongthe corridor till they came to a flight of stairs running up. The girlled the way, taking the treads without noise in her stockinged feet.Clay followed with the utmost caution.
Again her hand found his in the darkness of the landing. She took himtoward the rear to a ladder which ended at a dormer half-door leadingto the roof. Clay fumbled with his fingers, found a hook, unfastenedit, and pushed open the trap. He looked up into a starlit night and amoment later stepped out upon the roof. Presently the slim figure ofthe girl stood beside him.
They moved across to a low wall, climbed it and came to the dormer doorof the next house. Clay knelt and lifted it an inch or two veryslowly. He lowered it again and rose.
&nbs
p; "I'm a heap obliged to you, Miss," he said in a low voice. "You're agame little gentleman."
She nodded. "My name is Annie Millikan."
"Mine is Clay Lindsay. I want to come and thank you proper some day."
"I take tickets at Heath's Palace of Wonders two blocks down," shewhispered.
"You'll sure sell me a ticket one of these days," Clay promised.
"Look out for yourself. Don't let 'em get you. Give 'em a chance, andthat gang would croak you sure."
"I'll be around to buy that ticket. Good-night, Miss Annie. Don't youworry about me."
"You will be careful, won't you?"
"I never threw down on myself yet."
The girl's flippancy broke out again. "Say, lemme know when theweddin' is and I'll send you a salad bowl," she flashed at him saucilyas he turned to go.
Clay was already busy with the door.