CHAPTER VII. WITHIN THE LAW.
In the time that followed, Mary lived in the flat which Aggie Lynchoccupied along with her brother, Jim, a pickpocket much esteemed amonghis fellow craftsmen. The period wrought transformations of radical andbewildering sort in both the appearance and the character of the girl.Joe Garson, the forger, had long been acquainted with Aggie and herbrother, though he considered them far beneath him in the social scale,since their criminal work was not of that high kind on which he pridedhimself. But, as he cast about for some woman to whom he might take thehapless girl he had rescued, his thoughts fell on Aggie, and forthwithhis determination was made, since he knew that she was respectable,viewed according to his own peculiar lights. He was relieved rather thanotherwise to learn that there was already an acquaintance between thetwo women, and the fact that his charge had served time in prison didnot influence him one jot against her. On the contrary, it increased insome measure his respect for her as one of his own kind. By the time hehad learned as well of her innocence, he had grown so interestedthat even her folly, as he was inclined to deem it, did not cause anywavering in his regard.
Now, at last, Mary Turner let herself drift. It seemed to her that shehad abandoned herself to fate in that hour when she threw herself intothe river. Afterward, without any volition on her part, she had beenrestored to life, and set within an environment new and strange to her,in which soon, to her surprise, she discovered a vivid pleasure. So,she fought no more, but left destiny to work its will unhampered byher futile strivings. For the first time in her life, thanks to thehospitality of Aggie Lynch, secretly reinforced from the funds of JoeGarson, Mary found herself living in luxurious idleness, while her everywish could be gratified by the merest mention of it. She was fed on thedaintiest of fare, for Aggie was a sybarite in all sensuous pleasuresthat were apart from sex. She was clothed with the most delicaterichness for the first time as to those more mysterious garments whichwomen love, and she soon had a variety of frocks as charming as hergraceful form demanded. In addition, there were as many of books andmagazines as she could wish. Her mind, long starved like her body,seized avidly on the nourishment thus afforded. In this interest, Aggiehad no share--was perhaps a little envious over Mary's absorption inprinted pages. But for her consolation were the matters of food anddress, and of countless junketings. In such directions, Aggie was theleader, an eager, joyous one always. She took a vast pride in her guest,with the unmistakable air of elegance, and she dared to dream of greattriumphs to come, though as yet she carefully avoided any suggestion toMary of wrong-doing.
In the end, the suggestion came from Mary Turner herself, to the greatsurprise of Aggie, and, truth to tell, of herself.
There were two factors that chiefly influenced her decision. The firstwas due to the feeling that, since the world had rejected her, sheneed no longer concern herself with the world's opinion, or retain anyscruples over it. Back of this lay her bitter sentiment toward the manwho had been the direct cause of her imprisonment, Edward Gilder. Itseemed to her that the general warfare against the world might well bemade an initial step in the warfare she meant to wage, somehow, sometime, against that man personally, in accordance with the hystericalthreat she had uttered to his face.
The factor that was the immediate cause of her decision on an irregularmode of life was an editorial in one of the daily newspapers. This wasa scathing arraignment of a master in high finance. The point of thewriter's attack was the grim sarcasm for such methods of thievery as arekept within the law. That phrase held the girl's fancy, and she read thearticle again with a quickened interest. Then, she began to meditate.She herself was in a curious, indeterminate attitude as far as concernedthe law. It was the law that had worked the ruin of her life, which shehad striven to make wholesome. In consequence, she felt for the law nogenuine respect, only detestation as for the epitome of injustice.Yet, she gave it a superficial respect, born of those three years ofsuffering which had been the result of the penalty inflicted on her. Itwas as an effect of this latter feeling that she was determined on onething of vital importance: that never would she be guilty of anythingto pit her against the law's decrees. She had known too many hoursof anguish in the doom set on her life because she had been deemed aviolator of the law. No, never would she let herself take any positionin which the law could accuse her.... But there remained the fact thatthe actual cause of her long misery was this same law, manipulated bythe man she hated. It had punished her, though she had been withoutfault. For that reason, she must always regard it as her enemy, must,indeed, hate it with an intensity beyond words--with an intensity equalto that she bore the man, Gilder. Now, in the paragraph she had justread she found a clue to suggestive thought, a hint as to a means bywhich she might satisfy her rancor against the law that had outragedher--and this in safety since she would attempt nought save that withinthe law.
Mary's heart leaped at the possibility back of those three words,"within the law." She might do anything, seek any revenge, work anyevil, enjoy any mastery, as long as she should keep within the law.There could be no punishment then. That was the lesson taught by thecaptain in high finance. He was at pains always in his stupendousrobberies to keep within the law. To that end, he employed lawyers ofmighty cunning and learning to guide his steps aright in such tortuouspaths.
There, then, was the secret. Why should she not use the like means? Why,indeed? She had brains enough to devise, surely. Beyond that, sheneeded only to keep her course most carefully within those limits ofwrong-doing permitted by the statutes. For that, the sole requirementwould be a lawyer equally unscrupulous and astute. At once, Mary's mindwas made up. After all, the thing was absurdly simple. It was merely amatter for ingenuity and for prudence in alliance.... Moreover, therewould come eventually some adequate device against her arch-enemy,Edward Gilder.
Mary meditated on the idea for many days, and ever it seemedincreasingly good to her. Finally, it developed to a point where shebelieved it altogether feasible, and then she took Joe Garson intoher confidence. He was vastly astonished at the outset and not quitepleased. To his view, this plan offered merely a fashion of settingdifficulties in the way of achievement. Presently, however, thesincerity and persistence of the girl won him over. The task ofconvincing him would have been easier had he himself ever known thetorment of serving a term in prison. Thus far, however, the forgerhad always escaped the penalty for his crimes, though often close toconviction. But Mary's arguments were of a compelling sort as she setthem forth in detail, and they made their appeal to Garson, who was byno means lacking in a shrewd native intelligence. He agreed that theexperiment should be made, notwithstanding the fact that he felt noparticular enthusiasm over the proposed scheme of working. It is likelythat his own strong feeling of attraction toward the girl whom he hadsaved from death, who now appeared before him as a radiantly beautifulyoung woman, was more persuasive than the excellent ideas which shepresented so emphatically, and with a logic so impressive.
An agreement was made by which Joe Garson and certain of his moretrusted intimates in the underworld were to put themselves under theorders of Mary concerning the sphere of their activities. Furthermore,they bound themselves not to engage in any devious business without herconsent. Aggie, too, was one of the company thus constituted, but shefigured little in the preliminary discussions, since neither Mary northe forger had much respect for the intellectual capabilities of theadventuress, though they appreciated to the full her remarkable powersof influencing men to her will.
It was not difficult to find a lawyer suited to the necessities of theundertaking. Mary bore in mind constantly the high financier's relianceon the legal adviser competent to invent a method whereby to baffle thelaw at any desired point, and after judicious investigation she selectedan ambitious and experienced Jew named Sigismund Harris, just in theprime of his mental vigors, who possessed a knowledge of the law only tobe equalled by his disrespect for it. He seemed, indeed, preciselythe man to fit the situation for one desirous of ou
traging the lawremorselessly, while still retaining a place absolutely within it.
Forthwith, the scheme was set in operation. As a first step, Mary Turnerbecame a young lady of independent fortune, who had living with her acousin, Miss Agnes Lynch. The flat was abandoned. In its stead was anapartment in the nineties on Riverside Drive, in which the ladieslived alone with two maids to serve them. Garson had rooms in theneighborhood, but Jim Lynch, who persistently refused the conditionsof such an alliance, betook himself afar, to continue his recklessgathering of other folk's money in such wise as to make him amenable tothe law the very first time he should be caught at it.
A few tentative ventures resulted in profits so large that the companygrew mightily enthusiastic over the novel manner of working. In eachinstance, Harris was consulted, and made his confidential statement asto the legality of the thing proposed. Mary gratified her eager mindby careful studies in this chosen line of nefariousness. After afew perfectly legal breach-of-promise suits, due to Aggie's winsomeinnocence of demeanor, had been settled advantageously out of court,Mary devised a scheme of greater elaborateness, with the legal acumen ofthe lawyer to endorse it in the matter of safety.
This netted thirty thousand dollars. It was planned as the swindlingof a swindler--which, in fact, had now become the secret principle inMary's morality.
A gentleman possessed of some means, none too scrupulous himself, butwith high financial aspirations, advertised for a partner to investcapital in a business sure to bring large returns. This advertisementcaught the eye of Mary Turner, and she answered it. An introductorycorrespondence encouraged her to hope for the victory in a game ofcunning against cunning. She consulted with the perspicacious Mr.Harris, and especially sought from him detailed information as topartnership law. His statements gave her such confidence that presentlyshe entered into a partnership with the advertiser. By the termsof their agreement, each deposited thirty thousand dollars to thepartnership account. This sum of sixty thousand dollars was ostensiblyto be devoted to the purchase of a tract of land, which should afterwardbe divided into lots, and resold to the public at enormous profit. Asa matter of fact, the advertiser planned to make a spurious purchaseof the tract in question, by means of forged deeds granted by anaccomplice, thus making through fraud a neat profit of thirty thousanddollars. The issue was, however, disappointing to him in the extreme. Nosooner was the sixty thousand dollars on deposit in the bank than MaryTurner drew out the whole amount, as she had a perfect right to dolegally. When the advertiser learned of this, he was, naturally enough,full to overflowing with wrath. But after an interview with Harris heswallowed this wrath as best he might. He found that his adversary knewa dangerous deal as to his various swindling operations. In short, hecould not go into court with clean hands, which is a prime stipulationof the law--though often honored in the breach. But the advertiser'shands were too perilously filthy, so he let himself be mulcted in ragingsilence.
The event established Mary as the arbiter in her own coterie. Here was,in truth, a new game, a game most entertaining, and most profitable,and not in the least risky. Immediately after the adventure with theadvertiser, Mary decided that a certain General Hastings would make anexcellent sacrifice on the altar of justice--and to her own financialprofit. The old man was a notorious roue, of most unsavory reputationas a destroyer of innocence. It was probable that he would easily fall avictim to the ingenuous charms of Aggie. As for that precocious damsel,she would run no least risk of destruction by the satyr. So, presently,there were elaborate plottings. General Hastings met Aggie in themost casual way. He was captivated by her freshness and beauty, herdemureness, her ignorance of all things vicious. Straightway, he set hissnares, being himself already limed. He showered every gallant attentionon the naive bread-and-butter miss, and succeeded gratifyingly soon inwinning her heart--to all appearance. But he gained nothing more, forthe coy creature abruptly developed most effective powers of resistanceto every blandishment that went beyond strictest propriety. His ardorcooled suddenly when Harris filed the papers in a suit for ten thousanddollars damages for breach of promise.
Even while this affair was still in the course of execution, Maryfound herself engaged in a direction that offered at least the hopeof attaining her great desire, revenge against Edward Gilder. Thisopportunity came in the person of his son, Dick. After much contriving,she secured an introduction to that young man. Forthwith, she showedherself so deliciously womanly, so intelligent, so daintily feminine,so singularly beautiful, that the young man was enamored almost at once.The fact thrilled Mary to the depths of her heart, for in this son ofthe man whom she hated she saw the instrument of vengeance for whichshe had so longed. Yet, this one thing was so vital to her that she saidnothing of her purposes, not even to Aggie, though that observant personmay have possessed suspicions more or less near the truth.
It was some such suspicion that lay behind her speech as, in negligee,she sat cross-legged on the bed, smoking a cigarette in a very knowingway, while watching Mary, who was adjusting her hat before the mirror ofher dressing-table, one pleasant spring morning.
"Dollin' up a whole lot, ain't you?" Aggie remarked, affably, with thatlaxity of language which characterized her natural moods.
"I have a very important engagement with Dick Gilder," Mary replied,tranquilly. She vouchsafed nothing more definite as to her intentions.
"Nice boy, ain't he?" Aggie ventured, insinuatingly.
"Oh, I suppose so," came the indifferent answer from Mary, as she tiltedthe picture hat to an angle a trifle more jaunty.
The pseudo cousin sniffed.
"You s'pose that, do you? Well, anyhow, he's here so much we ought tobe chargin' him for his meal-ticket. And yet I ain't sure that you evenknow whether he's the real goods, or not."
The fair face of Mary Turner hardened the least bit. There shone anexpression of inscrutable disdain in the violet eyes, as she turned toregard Aggie with a level glance.
"I know that he's the son--the only son!--of Edward Gilder. The fact isenough for me."
The adventuress of the demure face shook her head in token of completebafflement. Her rosy lips pouted in petulant dissatisfaction.
"I don't get you, Mary," she admitted, querulously. "You never used tolook at the men. The way you acted when you first run round with me,I thought you sure was a suffragette. And then you met this youngGilder--and--good-night, nurse!"
The hardness remained in Mary's face, as she continued to regard herfriend. But, now, there was something quizzical in the glance with whichshe accompanied the monosyllable:
"Well?"
Again, Aggie shook her head in perplexity.
"His old man sends you up for a stretch for something you didn't do--andyou take up with his son like----"
"And yet you don't understand!" There was scorn for such gross stupidityin the musical voice.
Aggie choked a little from the cigarette smoke, as she gave a gasp whensuspicion of the truth suddenly dawned on her slow intelligence.
"My Gawd!" Her voice came in a treble shriek of apprehension. "I'mwise!"
"But you must understand this," Mary went on, with an authoritativenote in her voice. "Whatever may be between young Gilder and me is to bestrictly my own affair. It has absolutely nothing to do with the rest ofyou, or with our schemes for money-making. And, what is more, Agnes, Idon't want to talk about it. But----"
"Yes?" queried Aggie, encouragingly, as the other paused. She hopefullyawaited further confidences.
"But I do want to know," Mary continued with some severity, "whatyou meant by talking in the public street yesterday with a commonpickpocket."
Aggie's childlike face changed swiftly its expression from a slyeagerness to sullenness.
"You know perfectly well, Mary Turner," she cried indignantly, "thatI only said a few words in passin' to my brother Jim. And he ain't nocommon pickpocket. Hully Gee! He's the best dip in the business."
"But you must not be seen speaking with him," Mary directed, with ac
ertain air of command now become habitual to her among the members ofher clique. "My cousin, Miss Agnes Lynch, must be very careful as to herassociates."
The volatile Agnes was restored to good humor by some subtle quality inthe utterance, and a family pride asserted itself.
"He just stopped me to say it's been the best year he ever had," sheexplained, with ostentatious vanity.
Mary appeared sceptical.
"How can that be," she demanded, "when the dead line now is JohnStreet?"
"The dead line!" Aggie scoffed. A peal of laughter rang merrily from hercurving 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 downto Police Headquarters, just for a little excitement, 'cause Jim doessure hate a dull life. Say, he told me they've got a mat at thedoor with 'Welcome' on it--in letters three feet high. Now,what--do--you--think--of that!" Aggie teetered joyously, the whileshe inhaled a shockingly large mouthful of smoke. "And, oh, yes!"she continued happily, "Jim, he lifted a leather from a bull who wasstanding in the hallway there at Headquarters! Jim sure does loveexcitement."
Mary lifted her dark eyebrows in half-amused inquiry.
"It's no use, Agnes," she declared, though without entire sincerity; "Ican't quite keep up with your thieves' argot--your slang, you know. Justwhat 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 mincingair which ill assorted with the cigarette that she held between herlips.
"He gently removed a leathern wallet," she said sedately, "containinga large sum of money from the coat pocket of a member of the detectiveforce." The elegance of utterance was inimitably done. But in the nextinstant, the ordinary vulgarity of enunciation was in full play again."Oh, Gee!" she cried gaily. "He says Inspector Burke's got a gold watchthat weighs a ton, an' all set with diamon's!--which was give to 'imby--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 soonas 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. Andas 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 aspoiled 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 homelike 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, Ican't see----"
Mary began putting on her gloves, and at the same time strove to givethis 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 havemade 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 engagedlawyers clever enough to show them how they could do it, and still keepwithin the law. Any one with brains can get rich in this country if hewill engage the right lawyer. Well, I have the brains--and Harris isshowing me the law--the wonderful twisted law that was made for therich! Since we keep inside the law, we are safe."
Aggie, without much apprehension of the exact situation, was moved to adimpled mirth over the essential humor of the method indicated.
"Gee, that's funny," she cried happily. "You an' me an' Joe Garsonhandin' it to 'em, an' the bulls can't touch us! Next thing you know,Harris will be havin' us incorporated as the American Legal CrimeSociety."
"I shouldn't be in the least surprised," Mary assented, as she finishedbuttoning her gloves. She smiled, but there was a hint of grimness inthe bending of her lips. That grimness remained, as she glanced atthe clock, then went toward the door of the room, speaking over hershoulder.
"And, now I must be off to a most important engagement with Mr. DickGilder."