ut your father, for I guess you
know all there is to know. But Barney Palmer! He's the lowest kind of
crook that breathes. There's been a lot of talk about squealers and
police stools. Well, the big squealer, the big stool, is Barney Palmer!"

"I don't believe it!" she cried involuntarily.

"It's true! I've got it straight. Barney wanted to smash me, because I'd
made up my mind to quit the old game and because he wanted to get me
out of his way with you. So he framed it up so that I appeared to be a
squealer, and started the gangmen after me. And he put Barlow up to the
idea of forcing me to be a stool, and then framing me when I refused.
It was Barney who fixed things so I had to go to jail, or be shot up,
or run away. It was Barney Palmer who squealed on Red Hannigan and Jack
Rosenfeldt, and who's been squealing on his other pals. And that's the
sort you're stringing along with!"

She gazed at him in appalled half conviction. He remained silent to let
his truth sink in.

They were standing so, face to face, when a key grated in the outer door
of the little hallway as on the occasion of Larry's first visit here.
And as on that occasion, Maggie sprang swiftly forward and shot home the
bolt of the inner door. Then she turned and caught Larry's arm.

"It's Barney--I told you he was coming!" she whispered. "Oh, why didn't
you go before? Come on!"

She tried to drag him toward her bedroom door, through which she had
once helped him escape. But this time he was not to be moved.

"I stay right here," he said to her.

There was the sound of a futile effort to turn the lock of the inner
door; then Barney's voice called out: "What's the matter, Maggie? Open
the door."

Maggie, still clutching Larry's resisting arm, stood gasping in
wide-eyed consternation.

"Open the door for them, Maggie," Larry whispered.

"I'll not do it!" she whispered back.

"Open it, or I will," he ordered.

Their gazes held a moment longer while Barney rattled at the lock. Then
slowly, falteringly, her amazed eyes over her shoulder upon him, Maggie
crossed and unlocked the door. Barney entered, Old Jimmie just bend him.

"I say, Maggie, what was the big idea in keeping us--" he was beginning
in a grumbling tone, when he saw Larry just beyond her. His complaint
broke off in mid-breath; he stopped short and his dark face twitched
with his surprise.

"Larry Brainard!" he finally exclaimed. Old Jimmie, suddenly tense,
blinked and said nothi