KING JOE CAY.pdf

12
She was surprised. ìThatís from Ceilia
Thaxterís ëThe Nestling Swallowsí,î she said.
ìI donít think I ever heard her quoted before.î
He registered discouragement. ìIím
disgusted,î he said. ìIím afraid youíre a bright
girl. Bright girls frighten me.î
ìYou donít look frightened.î
ìThatís the two-faced Machiavelli in
me.î
ìI wish youíd talk more sanely,î she
said.
He pondered this. ìIíve got a perfectly
sane idea,î he said. ìWant to hear it?î
ìYes.î
ìI wonder if theyíve got a diner on this
train?î
ìYes.î
ìWhy donít we hurry thence,î he suggested,
ìand you buy me the dollar-twentyfive
dinner as a reward for my activities?î
ìNow you sound normal,î she said. ìIíll
do it.î
He nodded. ìIíll probably get even
more normal and make a pass at you when
we go through those nice secluded places
between the cars.î
She told him, ìIf you do, youíll get an
abnormal slap.î
He thought he would, too. But he
seemed to be getting along all right.
Chapter IV
HE was never able to figure out exactly
when the girl talked to the conductor and had
him wire ahead to have police meet the train.
He suspected it was sometime before they
went through Marceline, Missouri, the last
stop before the train reached Kansas City.
Anyway the girl must have had a long
talk with the conductor, because he was
somewhat in charge of the proceedings.
The train crossed the three-span
bridge over the Missouri river, rushed
through the lowlands, slowed a little and went
into the long cut. The viaducts carrying Kansas
City streets began to flash overhead,
dashing darkness into the coaches. The
streamliner slowed, and they were under the
sheds, passing baggage trucks, train service
men, piles of suitcases being unloaded from
another train.
ìCarry your suitcase?î he asked politely.
ìIíll manage,î she said.
DOC SAVAGE
He started to carry her bag anyway,
but she took it away from him. That should
have tipped him off, but it didnít, because she
smiled. He kicked himself later, mentally, because
of the way the smile put fur in his
boots.
They got along fine as far as the platform.
He didnít notice another thing, either.
He didnít notice that she was keeping right
behind the long, fat man who had sat across
the aisle.
The conductor, three police, were waiting.
The girl became efficiency itself.
She pointed at the long, fat man; she
pointed at Doc Savage. The police stepped
forward and took possession of both gentlemen.
She pointed to Doc. ìThis one stole my
purse.î
She pointed at the long, fat man. ìThis
one saw it.î
ìYou are under arrest,î said the policeman.
The long, fat man jerked his arm away
from the officer who had taken hold of it. He
said, ìLet go me! Iím not a criminal!î
ìNobody said you were,î the cop said.
The girl said, ìWhat is your name?î to
the long, fat man.
ìLaurence,î he said. ìLaurence Wilson.î
ìMr. Wilson, did you see this manîó
she indicated Doc Savageóîtake my bag?î
The fat man nodded vehemently. ìYour
handbag, your purse. Yes, I saw him take
your purse. He put another one in its place
that looked almost like it.î
ìHe had help, didnít he?î
ìIf he didnít,î said Lawrence Wilson,
ìthings worked out awfully opportunely. Yes, I
would say he had help.î
ìCan you describe the man?î
Mr. Wilson could. He described Brigham
Pope, and he did a very good job of it.
The girl turned to the conductor, said,
ìThatís the man I told you to have arrested.
Did you?î
The conductor had. Two uniformed policemen
were approaching. They had Brigham
Pope with them. The officer at Popeís
left punched Pope in the ribs, pointed at Doc
Savage, said, ìWhoís your buddy, here?î
ìNever saw him in my life,î Brigham
Pope said.