Johnston McCulley

“ And you promised——”
“That part of the deal is ended, Razelus. I have the money and you have the vase. We’re quits there, all right. But the deal isn’t ended, for all that. You’ll understand later, Razelus.”
“If you try any tricks——”
“Serve you right if I did!” Joe Carden told him. “You’re the worst kind of a crook, Razelus. You pose as an honest man, and you’re anything but that. You haven’t the nerve to come out openly and admit that you’re crooked. Serve you right if I stung you good and plenty! ”

“ However, that is none of my business. I don’t care if you sell the thing for a million. Now we’ll leave you, Razelus.”
“I don’t like the way you spoke a moment ago.”
“Threw a scare into you, did I? Well, I’m glad of it, Razelus. You’re a dishonest crook! Take my advice—get that vase out of your hands as soon as possible.”
Joe Carden and Nifty Burke walked across to the door, and Razelus snapped off the electric light and took off the chain. He opened the door a couple of inches and listened; then he opened it wider, and the crook comedian and his assistant slipped into the dark alley. ”

“ He’ll break his neck to sell that vase as soon as he can.”
“Well, that’s what we want him to do,” Carden said. “We’d better part here, Nifty. Get home as quickly as you can—and be careful.”
Nifty Burke hung back in the shadows. Joe Carden stepped into the street and hurried along the walk. He kept in the darkness as much as possible until he reached the first wide avenue. He did not care to be observed in that part of town.
Down the avenue he hurried toward the place where he had his rooms. And suddenly, around a corner, came the man he wished most to avoid—Detective Sam Marter. ”

“ It would be a sad loss for the police department. There’d be nobody left to give your fellow officers a good laugh now and then. Since you don’t intend to arrest me for vagrancy again, I’ll be on my way. ”