m, and her voice as she repeated the
numbers after them: "Greenwich 978, please."

"Larchmont 54 party J."

"Worth 9009, please, miss."

"Vanderbilt 100."

And so on and so forth, in a steady patter, like raindrops falling; but
though he could hear he could not be seen. Altogether, the spot was, for
his own purposes, admirably arranged.

So they sat and smoked, and pretty soon, the occasion and the conditions
and the time being ripe, Marr outlined to his new friend Hartridge, on
pledge of secrecy, a wonderfully safe and wonderfully simple plan for
taking its ill-gotten money away from a Tenderloin pool room. Swiftly he
sketched in the details; the opportunity, he divulged in strict
confidence, had just come to him. He confessed to having taken a great
liking to Hartridge during their short acquaintance; Hartridge had
impressed him as one who might be counted upon to know a good thing when
he saw it, and so, inspired by these convictions, he was going to give
Hartridge a chance to join him in the plunge and share with him the
juicy proceeds. Besides, the more money risked the greater the killing.
He himself had certain funds in hand, but more funds were needed if a
real fortune was to be realized.

There was need, though, for prompt decision on the part of all
concerned, because that very afternoon--in fact, within that same
hour--there in the Roychester he was to meet, by appointment, the
conniving manager of an uptown branch office of the telegraph company,
who would cooperate in the undertaking and upon whose good offices in
withholding flashed race results at Belmont Park until his fellow
conspirators, acting on the information, could get their bets down upon
the winners, depended the success of the venture. Only, strictly
speaking, it would not be a venture at all, but a moral certainty, a
cinch, the surest of all sure things. Guaranties against mischance
entailing loss would be provided; he could promise his friend Hartridge
that; and the telegraph manager, when he came shortly, would add further
proof.

The question then was: Would Hartridge join him as a partner? And if so,
about how much, in round figures, would Hartridge be willing to put up?
He must know this in advance because he was prepared to match
Hartridge's investment dollar for dollar.

And at that Hartridge, to Marr's most sincere discomfiture, shook his
head.

"I'll tell you how it is with me," said Hartridge. "These broker fellows
downt