Show ED by COURTNEY RYLEY COOPER all copyright by courtney ryley cooper service CHAPTER 11 continued 3 joe barry stammered well I 1 dont know yes I 1 guess id sure like one sing yes sir sue e here says youve got ideas sues su a pretty good judge lots lets have them suddenly he veered your name A sudden constriction rose in joe carrys barrys throat it be strove to cover it with a cough ile he felt ills his features grow cold and suddenly hot Er Br adleys my name sir lie said at last the next halt half hour was hazy tor for joe barry lie ile had come out to this small town prepared to sell something that was worthless ills his physical freedom then suddenly t this I 1 S freedom had become paramount in his desires here he had found an opportunity to weld himself to something which thrilled him strangely an unfettered life which fretted ills his imagination and tugged at him with ambitious ambitions which until today he had not realized that he possessed then uncle dan had asked ills his name came and sent a skeleton of futility rattling within his memory lie ile could not flo do this A contract had been made and a cash payment accepted to bind it by which he must go to prison tt it was sue dayton who brought him to a semblance of composure they stood now on a street corner and uncle dan had departed queer it how things turn out said the girl uncle dan and I 1 were just talking yesterday that we simply must do something to buck up the performance then you that accordion and well here we are yes right it joe barry forced a laugh here we are the girl became more businesslike did I 1 understand correctly she asted asked you told uncle dan you could let him know in a few days Y yea es the blur began to close in anew on joe barry you see I 1 sort of made arrangements about another job ill hale to see it if I 1 can cancel it 1 I hope so said the girl frankly they were merely strolling now wed like to have you with us ns thanks said joe carry barry and it was not for sue dayton to tinder linder stand the depths of that gratitude know then lu in a few days asked the girl yes it brought everything back maybe I 1 can find out tonight im to see the man chos employing me tonight there are some things to be settled I 1 sure hope I 1 can got it fixed up ill come right back if I 1 can joe barry was wondering how he could explain his change of attl atti arrange return of the money hed spent it obsessed him he spoke distractedly events about him too took 0 on a strange form as it if scenes from a sketchy drama or the disconnected sequences of a dream this was the time of 0 times when be would hove anve desired above all things to be utterly honest it was railing galling to realize that with every word he was vas twisting himself deeper I 1 nto into a morass of deception suddenly he be straightened clear eyed 1 I might as well tell you all miss Ss da dafton ton im up against some problems in this thin thing came grimly A roan man made me a proposition which lie he asked me to keep a secret ive got to keep roy my word to hira him certainly there was a hint of surprise in her tone it rather ties me up until I 1 can see him and get my release beleas e but ive been thinking it over lie he made me this offer when I 1 needed a job pretty badly its only fair to him to keep my part of the agreement until I 1 can tell him I 1 wont go through with it ILI then you youie e decided sue dayton dastou was plainly pleased oh grand I 1 someway I 1 think you were meant for a circus 1 I know I 1 was joe harry barry laughed boyishly 1 I realize it until today its what ive wanted all my life events were happier after that sue dayton did most of bf the talking mostly of the show then at last they walked toward the circus grounds twilight was coming the townspeople by twos and threes a and nd steadily greater groups were beginning to move toward the lot they said goodby good by ingenuously with alth the hesitant frankness of young blood then grim again lips thin joe carry barry moved swiftly for the restaurant where lie he had left ills his bundle of old clothing clot liing and after that to the station ile he lost track of time in the turmoil of ills his brain martin would come to his tiny room at ten joe would tell him what had happened honestly frankly hed make his offer of repayment for the file money he had spent nearly seventy five dollars as he remembered IL it perhaps he could pawn ills his accordion for part of it lie he could send the rest from the circus dan dayton had promised him thirty five a week at the start and more if ile he lived up to expectations tat ions hed tell martin all that and hed try to convince him but if the attorney tried to hold him to his bargain there was a remedy an inspiration had bad told joe he could go to the police on the train joe barry breathed deeper with something of relief martin want that suddenly he was glad he be had thought of that for more reasons than his own safety it had not occurred to him until the necessity of escape arose that lie he might be taking part in something approaching the criminal yes lie he was glad he had thought of that he told himself as darkness came and the train rushed through the first of jersey cities on the way to new york but it had to be done quickly joe knew that thal lie ile dillydally with martin now that he had thought of this new angle give him a chance toll tell him the new viewpoint that hed gained and then demand his release there roust must be no wait of a few days to think it over then came a new fear what wha it if it had gone too far alrea already dyl tie lie erased that nothing had really been arranged yet he even know the name of the man whose place he was supposed to take tahe or exactly what he had done martin had said he would take that matter up tip after joe had really made his decision well ive made it the man mumbled the train seemed to drag after that the instant it plunged into the file tunnel on the way to the station joe was out of his seat in the grimy smoking car and waiting at the door then he was out and running up the stairs and through the long maize like exits toward the street at last he was standing before the smear faced old wooden building ln that was his home strangely azak weak in his knees he opened the old door and started up the creaking stairway well where you yon been this time it was a querulous angry ry voice from the first landin landing no beds made no rooms swept out think were coln to keep on stand ln tor for this joe barry snapped a rejoinder and went on ue lie reached the door of his room and pawing deep into ills pocket for his personal key sent it into the lock the door yielded a faint V of light went into the room from the gas jet in the hall joe barry halted his lower jaw loose in surprise on the floor before him lay something metallic something which had been pushed under the door then he sat on the bed and laughed it had been a joke I 1 it had been a joke all just somebody playing a joke on him slipped up here during the day and returned that pass toy key he had given martin by slipping it under the door but as suddenly he sobered nobody would give a fellow a thou sand dollars dollars tor for a jokel joke I 1 he ele looked at the passkey pass key suddenly he went to the gas jet and struck a match illuminating the room fie searched the floor tor for a note there was nothing he jerked outbid buthis chear cheap with dock clock like resonance five minutes to ten tell 1 I wont give him any leeway joe had slumped to the bed again the passkey pass key still in his right hand again he studied it why had they slipped it under the door just come up here and slip slipped pet the thins thing under the door A minute passed joe confirmed it by looking at ills his watch atch w then be began to count one two three tour four five he wondered how much a pl person arso n would have to count before it all made a minute lie ile remembered how hov the old photographer back in in waverly used to count for time exposures one thousand and one tie one thousand and two one thousand and three lie ile started and listened the stairs creaked As if some one were moving upward or maybe it was just some one going down to the street suddenly he jerked to his feet as if jolted by electricity some one was at the door Sta catto hollow pounding joe barry moved forward lie he swung wide the door four men stood there well dressed men staring quietly at him one flipped his coat back and the edge of a shield gleamed in the gaslight youre joe barry he said more as a statement t than 11 an as a question joe could not answer two of 0 the men dodged swiftly behind him fan him for a rod came the coldly monotonous voice better not take any chances CHAPTER ill III INSTANTLY INSTANTLY hands began to paw about joe barry pushing his arms awkwardly halt upward as they rubbed hard beneath ills his armpits as swiftly to go downward to ills his coat pockets his belt even to the knees of his trousers all the while the other two men merely stood there hands in coat pockets their eyes set on his eyes like a boxer watching an antagonist tor for the telegraph ot of a coming blow then the voice again well kid all flossed out in a new fiddle and lute I 1 the direct address seemed to jerk joe barry from his numbness for the first time he truly saw the men before him clean shaven well dressed persons like business men one held joes attention he was a tall almost genial cental appearing person of about fifty there was a hint of the irish in his blue eyes sharp penetrating somehow kind yet impersonal joe did not define the words in his mind everything was too blurred ile he looked about win him wildly 1 I dont see what youre doing all this for im not guilty of anything lie ile twisted in his excitement A detective jerked him back to immobility dont throw a fit about it ILI nut but youre going to accuse me of tildes I 1 do I 1 was going down and explain everything oil oh theres something to e explain well well ride you down and save you the walk valk service it then over joes shoulder now flow about it feels clean said a detective from behind A hand rammed into joes right trousers pocket then mi ill j not my money I 1 dont know where it came from poked itself forward under his arm displaying a wadded fistful of currency lousy with the soft better cuff him yell teh the voice seemed to have something of authority give him a pair of em jake you and jerry take a ring apiece joe began to protest again then his voice ceased with the dumb wonder of why they should jerk ills his arms down like that and why a man on each side should clamp a cold yet burning handcuff on him each fastening the other bracelet to ills his own wrist again he began please I 1 done anything the leader moved past him without answer fan the joint ed he commanded joe barry shook ills his head desperately ills his eyes bad taken on the now 1 I got any aul thins thing in liere here oh youve got something theres a bed and a bureau ile he nodded toward it IL open er up ed A drawer scratched open there was a rustling of paper a aud u d a sa s1 slight I 1 glit sound of tearing then ads eds vol voice ce pete hey maxwell I 1 pete maxwell turned fr from om a survey of the washstand drawer yeah lie asked and going beside the other man knelt for a moment the detective at joes right grunted something hot he queried of the two men at the bureau pete raised yeb teh he answered A tomcat and two heaters beaters joe looked over ills his shoulder he bad not understood the slang he be only knew k new that he saw three packages wrapped in brown paper which had not been there aheu he had bad left in the morning that stuffs not minel mine he snapped pole pete paid no attention joe turned first to the right ant and left desperately 1 I dont know anything about those packages I 1 never saw them before I 1 dont know what they are but e not mine not minel mine 1 berried he cried ed shrugged ills his shoulders then why get so excited maybe marshmallows or cream puffs joe twisted against the hot clasp of wrist steel 1 I dont care what they are been put in here to get me in trouble A word came to his lips one he had been searching for all this has been framed up ive been framed framed oh G d 1 said eald jerry in a tired voice pull something new swiftly the two men nt at the bureau went through the upper drawers apparently finding ending nothing then pete rose and jerked loose the string which held joes bundle of old clothing getting all set to make a lam am eh ch sport he asked good luck just carrying a bundle instead of a suitcase what you got ed lie asked of his partner who was on ills his knees nod and fishing under the bed shoes with country mud on em cm bring em along then he noticed the gray creased clothing which joe had discarded on the return from ills hia first trip to the country rained on he said screwing up ills his genial features yeb teh right night before last it all meant nothing to joe quivering in his bonds but suddenly it meant a great deal 1 I can prove where I 1 was night before last he said fine answered pete that makes it easier lie he was going through the old suit now at last to claw deep into a pocket and grasp something there his hand came out with some difficulty currency seemed to bound from hla his grasp as he placed his find on the bureau 11 more soft he exclaimed me suddenly hp bent and examined th the money and pulled a memorandum u book from a vest pocket joe 0 launched into new denials 1 I neer saw that money modey before I 1 dont know here it came from no ed asked it lackadaisically and picking up another bill mumbled the number to pete again joe asserted hopelessly not my money I 1 dont I 1 know now where it came from maybe we ve can help you find out said pete quietly and continued ills his search of the notebook in a few moments ills his work seemed completed give him the bell he commanded of the two men at the door ed and ill stay here and give the place another tell the royal hopper well be down in about twenty minutes joe barry whirled bold with desperation pe ration why dont you talk english he burst forth four of you coming up here and truss trussing ilig me like I 1 was some sort of wild animal I 1 four of you why you put guns on me or beat me up yelling this gibberish at each other so I 1 wont know what youre saying then spirit of innocence answered pete maxwell with an impersonal grin honest to G d were policemen and were going to take you to thelast the east twenty sec ond street station house where the captain or royal will bold conversation with you after we get there Is that plain enough or shall I 1 write a book about it joe remembered little but the crowding and chattering noises as they went down the stairs once on the sidewalk he looked for a pa arol wagon there was none only a sleek appearing car with drawn side curtains and a glow from crim son headlights A jangling bell began to sound after the machine had started drowning out other not noises ses soon the machine stopped and he was led inside a building a desk where there a white haired disinterested man in shirtsleeves shirt sleeves asked him qu questions es and wrote the answers down in a book then the locks of the handcuffs clicked as a barred door closed behind him and another man in shirtsleeves shirt sleeves fat disinterested impersonal took him by the arm joe saw rows and rows and rows of barred places t to 0 his is right and faces peering out at him the turnkey swung back a door and gave joe barry a gentle push the prisoners muscles galvanized youre not going to put me in therel there he begged 1 I do anything I 1 swear I 1 do anything I 1 A lu I 1 even know what youre in for rut but please cant I 1 talk to somebody you could do that tor for me park yourself on that lunk in there answered the turnkey get a chance to do all the talking iou want in a little while then the his big key turned the lock and he was gone |