Gilbert Patten

“ Whistling a soft and mocking air, Nick Barnes pulled at his companion's elbow. “You see, Kid, how it would be, introducin' me round here to your fine friends. You hadn't better call me your father, anyhow. One look at me and they'll say to themselves you can't be genuine top crust if you came from such stock.”
By Cogson's looks one would have thought he had a bad taste in his mouth. “We'll see,” he said savagely. “They can't all be snobs. Come on, Pop.” He linked his arm with old Nick's and conveyed him along the busy street. ”

“ Cogson's mouth twisted into a bitter smile as he glanced toward the crumpled letter on his desk.
“I don't know what more——”
“There's one thing, the big thing—the big prize I've failed to pull down. It's a girl. Some girl, too! She's Paula Thurston, daughter of old Judge Thurston, who is president of the Citizens' National. She's class in this neck of the woods, believe me. She'd be class anywhere, too. An aristocrat to the tips of her fingers. Old man's got nothing but kale, and he admitted to me confidentially that for a son-in-law he'd prefer me to Lafe Manners, my rival. ”

“ I ain't got many more years to make the big haul in before I retire to a little chicken farm somewheres in the country and settle down to a comfortable, humdrum old age. With me it's always been quick and easy come and go the same way, so now I ain't got any kale salted away for my declinin' years. I got to hurry up, son. I need the mazuma.”
“Listen, Pop,” Cogson urged again, a thrill tingling through his own veins and setting his pulses throbbing fast. “This one job will fix you so you can buy any kind of a farm and spend the rest of your life wasting money in the chicken-raising game. ”

“ Malone, with whom Sam Cogson boarded, added more than a few drops to that brimming desire. An ample, motherly woman, she received Cogson's “father” as though he were a near and dear relative of her own, returned after long absence.
“Kid,” said old Nick, sitting in a big easy-chair in Cogson's large and comfortable room, “you've sure got yourself settled in soft. This is like a real home.” ”

“ As plainly as though he had witnessed the deed he saw the old peterman blackjack The Rat and drop him overboard somewhere between Dixport and Rockland. The heavy fog had aided the desperate old man in putting the job through without being detected. And now Cogson understood why old Nick had repeatedly told him, since the unwelcome appearance of McGinty, that there was no need to worry, as everything would come out all right. ”

“ By that time, if he was clever about it, practically everybody in Dixport would know Paula had declined to marry him, and it wouldn't be hard to create the impression that his failure in that direction accounted for his decision to leave the town.
“But you've made such a fine start here, Kid,” remonstrated old Nick after he had listened to the young man. “Why, you could be an honest guy and a leadin' citizen all your life now, if you wanted to. You got the foundations all laid solid. ”

“ With an arm around the older man Cogson had taken him to a chair beside the handsome desk. Declining to let Cogson handle the bag, the visitor took it along himself and placed it carefully at his feet when he sat down. The faces of both men were flushed with pleasure, and their eyes were bright as they gazed at each other. The one called Pop surveyed Cogson with pride, taking him in from head to feet.
“A fine, clean-lookin' lad,” he said as though speaking to himself. “A swell dresser, too; swell enough for Broadway. ”

“ She's one o' them fish-blooded snobs. A dog's nose in December's warmer than her heart. But Drusie Malone is alive and human and eighteen carat all the way through. Mebbe she don't travel with the boo mund you spoke of, Kid, but I'll say that that's to her credit if Miss Paula Thurston is a fair speciment of the boos in this town. ”

“ There's just as much dif'rence in females as there is in apples. Some's pretty to look at, but not good to taste, and plenty that have such fine skins they'd fool anybody but an expert into classin' 'em with the choicest hand-picked, are plumb rotten at the core. But lemme tell you, son, that Drusie Malone's the best selected fruit. The lad that gets her will be playin' in luck.”
“Oh, Drusie's a fine girl, and I'm very fond of her,” said Cogson quickly.
“And you went wastin' your time tryin' to warm an icicle into life” Old Nick sneered as he spoke. “That Thurston gal——”
“She's class, Pop. ”

“ And likely some day you'd got to be a big man in the State, known all over and showered with honors, as they say. And you and Drusie'd had kids playin' round ye and fillin' your home with music, and you'd——”
“Stop it, Pop!” exclaimed Cogson hoarsely, his face twisted with pain.
Nick the Brick stood up. “Well, what made you go and kick the kettle over? What'd ye want to shock and disgust that little gal for so she can't never look at ye ag'in without shiverin' and turnin' sick?”
“Oh, but you don't know Drusie Malone!” retorted the young man, his face suddenly aglow. ”

“ His hand fell gently upon the young man's shoulder, and a smile like autumn sunshine sent the cloud scudding from his face.
“Oh, but it's good!” he exclaimed. “Good to see you settin' here in your own office like this, a-puttin' it over these yaps that would be ready to kick ye back inter the gutter ag'in if they only suspected that was where ye come from. ”