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"I'll apologize for his display of gallantry," said I banteringly. "I've always told him that he was too fond of the ladies." I was mistaken in judging that this tone would be the most effective to restore her to good humor. Mother Borton turned on me furiously. "Oh, it's you that would set him on a poor woman as comes to do you a service. I was as wide-awake as any of ye.
The reinforcements were soon ready to take orders, and Porter returned to bring word that no suspicious person was in sight in the street. "I reckon I'd best go, then," said Mother Borton. "I don't want no knife in me jest yit, but if there's no one to see me I'm all right." I pressed Mother Borton to take two of my men as escort, but she sturdily refused.
"It's a smart man as can put his finger on Dicky Nahl," said Mother Borton spitefully. "Nahl is his name?" "Yes. And I've seen him hobnob with Henry Wilton, and I've seen him thick as thieves with Tom Terrill, and which he's thickest with the devil himself couldn't tell. I call him Slippery Dicky." "Why did he bring me here to-night?"
I nodded in lazy contentment, and then started up in remembrance of the occasion of our being in this place as the shadow of Mother Borton fell across the table. Her keen eyes fixed on me and her sharp beak nodding toward me gave her the uncanny aspect of a bird of prey, and I felt a sinking of courage as I met her glance. "If you will go upstairs," she said sourly. "You know the way.
Knapp, "when I saw you and guessed that something had happened to Henry Wilton, and found that you knew little of what was going on, I changed the plan of campaign. I did not know that you were one to be trusted, but I saw that you could be used to keep the others on a false scent, for you deceived everybody but us." "There was one other," I said. "Mother Borton?" inquired Mrs. Knapp.
I could only wonder who Borton might be, and where his place was, and what connection he might have with the mystery, as Dicky took me by the arm and hurried me out into the darkness.
Mother Borton ignored my entrance, and, perched on a high stool behind the bar and cash-drawer, reminded me of the vulture guarding its prey. But at last she fluttered over to my table and took a seat opposite. "Your men are here," she said shortly.
"Hello!" he cried. "House-cleaning again?" It was Dicky Nahl, and he paused with a smile on his face. "Ah, Dicky!" I said with an effort to keep out of my face and voice the suspicions I had gained from the incidents of the visit to the Borton place. "Entirely unpremeditated, I assure you." "Well, you're making a thorough job of it," he said with a laugh.
"I was asked to hand this to ye." I took it in wonder. Was there something more from Detective Coogan? I tore open the envelope and read on its inclosure: "Kum tonite to the house. Shure if youre life is wurth savein. "Muther Borton." I studied the note carefully, and then turned to Policeman Corson. "When did she give you this and where?" "A lady?" said Corson with a grin. "Ah, Mr.
They was a-sayin' as it might be an idee to take ye as you come out of Knapp's to-night." "How did they know I was at Knapp's?" I asked, somewhat surprised, though I had little reason to be when I remembered the number of spies who might have watched me. "Why, Dicky Nahl told 'em," said Mother Borton. "He was with the gang, and sings it out as pretty as you please."
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