at all sentimental, as a clever,
good-looking woman. And Larry'll come around to it all right. He'll
see the sense of it, now that he's older and has had two years to think
things over."

Old Jimmie nodded, showing his yellow teeth in a sly grin. "You said
something a second ago: Maggie and Larry! They'll make a wonder of a
team! I mean that she'll work under him with the rest of us. I've been
thinking about it a long while. Mebbe you haven't guessed it, but we've
been coaching her for the part, and she's just about ripe. She's got
the looks, and we can dress her right for whatever job's on hand. Oh,
Larry'll put over some great things with Maggie!"

If Hunt felt that there was anything cynically unpaternal in this father
planning for his daughter a career of crime, he gave no sign of it. His
attention was just then all on Maggie. He saw her eyes grow yet more
bright at these last sentences of her father: bright with the vision of
approaching adventure.

"The idea suits you, Maggie?" he asked.

"Sure. It'll be great--for Larry is a wonder!"

Barney Palmer suddenly rose, his face twisted with anger. "I'm all fed
up on this Larry, Larry, Larry! Come on, Jimmie. Let's get uptown."

Wise Old Jimmie saw that Barney was near an outburst. "All right,
Barney, all right," he said promptly. "Not much use waiting any longer,
anyhow. If Larry comes, we'll fix it with the Duchess to meet him
tomorrow."

"Then so-long, Maggie," Barney flung at her, and that swagger ex-jockey,
gambler, and clever manipulator of the confidence of people with money,
slashed aside the shabby burlap curtains with his wisp of a bamboo
walking-stick, and strode out of the room.

"Good-night, daughter," and Old Jimmie crossed and kissed her. She
kissed him back--a perfunctory kiss. Maggie had never paused to think
the matter out, but for some reason she felt little real affection for
her father, though of course she admired his astuteness. Perhaps her
unconscious lack of love was due in part to the fact that she had never
lived with him. Ever since she remembered he had boarded her out, here
and there, as he was now boarding her at the Duchess's--and had only
come to visit her at intervals, sometimes intervals that stretched into
months.

"Barney is rather sweet on you," remarked Hunt after the two were gone.

"I know he is," conceded Maggie in a matter-of-fact way.

"And he seems jealous of Larry--both regarding you, and regarding the
bunch."