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"Murdered!" cried Kenleigh; then, frantically: "But the bonds, the bonds! Did they find the bonds? Ask them! Tell them to look! The bonds! Are the bonds there?" "Hello!" Meighan was evidently speaking into the 'phone again. "Any trace of the bonds? ... What? ... Yes, yes; go on, I'm listening! ... Who? ... What?... Good Lord!" The receiver clicked back on its hook. "What is it?
What do they say?" demanded Kenleigh feverishly. "Mr. Kenleigh," said Meighan soberly, "there's been a little feud on in the underworld for the last few months. It came to a showdown to-night, and the man that won played in luck he's killed two birds with one stone, I guess. It looks damned black for your bonds, I'm afraid." "They're they're gone?" faltered Kenleigh.
"I daresay you don't." Meighan was chuckling now. "It's like this, Mr. Kenleigh. A crook's like any one else, like an artist, say you get to know 'em, get to spot 'em, especially safe workers, from certain peculiarities about their work. They can't any more help it than stop breathing. Here, for instance, the way he " Meighan stopped suddenly.
"This means absolute ruin to me! A hundred thousand dollars in bonds payable to bearer and and, God help me, they weren't mine!" "Say" Meighan, still busily occupied with the fractured safe, spoke gruffly, though not unkindly, over his shoulder "I understand all right, but don't lose your nerve, Mr. Kenleigh.
As though he could not have read aright, he read again; disjointed words and phrases muttered audibly: "... Afraid not in time ... hurry ... this afternoon ... the Magpie and Virat ... Kenleigh, insurance broker ... safe in Kenleigh's house ... ground floor left ... one hundred thousand dollars ... bonds ... will try it ... Meighan of headquarters ... half-past one at Virat's ... Gray Seal ... Larry the Bat ... if dangerous, keep away ..."
"Mabbe," murmured Larry the Bat, "youse'd know him better when he ain't dolled up." He swept the glasses from Virat's nose, and wrenched away the black moustache and goatee. "Kenleigh!" gasped Meighan. "Mabbe," said Larry the Bat, with a twisted grin, "dere's somethin' he may have fergotten ter wise youse up on, but he didn't mean ter hide nothin' in his confession did youse, Frenchy?
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