Within the Law: From the Play of Bayard Veiller

off to its full advantage the slender daintiness of her form. When at last she was gowned to her satisfaction, she went into the drawing-room of the apartme

r request. She had about exhausted this form of amusement when the coming of Joe Garson, who was usually in and out of the apartment a number of times daily, provided a

e so clearly underneath the thick, waving silver hair, held his head bent downward as if in intent thought.

a good deal lately," he

," was the c

ntness of his kind; and yet there was a vague suggest

ite the girl, who did not trouble on his account to assume a postur

I'd be, if I had a chance. He's a swell

Aggie studied him with a swift glance of interrogation. Not being the possessor

anything on you

ecided to unburden himself, for he cr

, with some embarrassment

me the cri

still somewhat confusedly, "I c

e demanded,

asier, now that the su

n to his boy's going with Mary, he'd be likely to send the police aft

fected by the man's suggestion o

n touch us for," she declared,

d, notwithstanding his deferenc

objected. "Once the police set out after you, they'll get you. Russia a

aimed, roughly. "I tell you they can't

errupted her, and she looked up to see a man in the openin

in a voice that suited well his thick-set figure, with the bullet-shaped head and the bull-lik

ggie said hastily to the fl

the two with a smile that was not pleasant. He was not at pains to remove the derby hat which he wore rather far back on his head. By this single sign, one might have recognized Cassidy, who had ha

cried, familiarly

s he recognized the identity of the unceremonious caller, wh

nded. His voice

idy announced, in his strident voic

Aggie who spok

o the girl for a moment, "when she comes back, just tell he

mstances. Now, she spoke with some acerbity in her

u can't throw any scare into us. Y

ed the girl with a long stare, and there was

and then read: "First arrested in 1891, for forging the name of Edwin Goodsell to a check for ten thousand dollars. Again arrested June 19, 1893, for forgery. Arrested in April,

d to the reading. When it was done, and the officer looked up

cords of convic

and a snarl spr

avagely on the girl, who now had regained her usual expression of demure innocence, but with her rather t

're posing as Mary Turner's cousin. You served two years in Burnsing for blackmail. You were arrested in Buffalo,

savory record. Only an expression of half-incredulous wonder and delight beamed fro

enough in the cooing notes, "my Gawd! It lo

ies of the officer. He went on speaking with obvious

Arrested four years ago for robbing the

, with such abruptness that Cassidy forgot his dign

pidly, and now there was an unde

to go straight? You ain't got nothing in that pretty little book of your'n about your going to

quite unmoved. And he added, swelling visibly

another job, and your following her up again, and having her thrown out? Got it there

he first time," Cassidy

soul was revealed by the fierce

or a job she never done. She went

d himself in a cackle

here now with a gang o

the implica

now grown so strong that any who listened and looked might guess something of the truth as to his feeling toward this woman of whom he spoke. "That's where I found her-a girl that never done nobody any harm, starving bec

face of this arraignment, suddenly gav

ptuously. "I guess you

se of a beast in the wild. Now, without warning, a startling transformation was wrought. His form stiffened to rigidity after one lightning-swift step forward, and his face gray

t t

struggled with all his pride against t

steringly. But his tone

appalling, "I mean, cut it out-now, here, and all the time! It don't go!" The voice rose s

n the officer's eyes at last fell. It was

remarked, airily. "O

ssidy made an observation that revealed in some meas

that temper of yours. It's got you into trouble once or t

ility, and a little colo

iness," he res

is eyes were free from the gaze that had burned into his soul, "

not receiving her due share of attention, now interposed,

o anything to us. We ain't broke the law." There came a sudden ripple of laughter, and

d by such impudence on t

on, with a heavy sneer. "But things are coming to a pretty pass when a g

, insolently, and made a face

s own. "It's up to you to take it, that's all. If you don't, one of you will make a long visit wi

ciety manner, exaggerated t

he chirruped, caressingly. "I'

s; only turned and went noisily out of the drawing-room, o

tective, Aggie's expression grew vicious, and the heavy brows dre

n eighteen collar, and a six-and-a-half hat!

r mood. There was anxiety in his face, as

't a bluff, Aggi

tly. She took a cigarette and a match from the tabouret beside her, and

a note of weariness

nd, once they set out to get you-God, how they can frame things! If they ever start out after Mary--"

with a burst of c

far as she wants to go. She's educated, she is. She ain't like you and me, Joe. She talks like a lady, and, what's a damned sight harder, s

the moment from the gloom of his thoughts, and he t

e!" he comme

imaginary train, and spoke lispingly in a society manner much more moderate and convincing than that with

love it." With this absurd ending, Aggie again arranged her feet according to her liking on the opposite chair. "That's the kind of stuff she's had me doing," she rattled on in her coarser voice, "and believe me, Joe, it's damned near killing me. But all the same," she hurried on, with a swift revulsion of mood to the former s