第26章

"Blast it!"he twanged."I mean it.If you've got any notion through my coming down to your dirty little joint that we've set our hearts on having the girl,just get busy thinking something else.She may be worth something to you--measured up against the dubs you've got;but to us--""To you,it's not so much your not having her as my having her that--""Exactly.It ain't our policy to leave any doubtful cards in the enemy's hands.He can have the bad ones.He couldn't get the good ones.And the doubtful ones,like this girl Olden--""Well,that's just where you're mistaken!"Obermuller thrust his hands deep in his pockets and put out that square chin of his like the fighter he is."`This girl Olden'is anything but doubtful.She's a big card right now if she could be well handled.And the time isn't so far off when,if you get her,you people will be--""Just how much is your interest in her worth?"the little man sneered.

Obermuller glared at him,and in the pause I murmured demurely:

"Only a six-year contract."

Mag,you should have seen 'em jump--both of 'em;the little man with vexation,the big one with surprise.

A contract!Me?--Nance Olden!Why,Mag,you innocent,of course Ihadn't.Managers don't give six-year contracts to girl--burglars who've never set foot on the stage.

When the little man was gone,Obermuller cornered me.

"What's your game,Olden?"he cried."You're too deep for me;I throw up my hands.Come;what've you got in that smart little head of yours?Are you holding out for higher stakes?Do you expect him to buy that great six-year contract and divvy the proceeds with me?Because he will--when once they get their eye on you,they'll have you;and to turn up your nose at their offer if in just the way to make them itch for you.But how the deuce did you find it out?And where do you get your nerve from,anyway?A little beggar like you to refuse an offer from the T.

T.and sit hatching your schemes on your little old 'steen dollars a week!.It'll have to be twice 'steen,now,I suppose?""All right,just as you say,"I laughed."But why aren't you in the Trust,Fred Obermuller?""Why aren't you in society,Nance?"

"Um!--well,because society's prejudiced against lifting,but the Trust isn't.Do you know that's a great graft,Mr.

Obermuller--lifting wholesale?Why don't you get in?""Because a Trust is a lot of sailors on a raft who keep their places by kicking off the drowning hands that clutch at it.Can you fancy a fellow like Tausig stooping down to help me tenderly on board to divide the pickings?""No,but I can fancy you grappling with him till he'd be glad to take you on rather than be pulled off himself.""You'd be in with the push,would you,Olden,if you were managing?"he asked with a grin.

"I'd be at the top,wherever that was."

"Then why the deuce didn't you jump at Tausig's offer?Were you really crafty enough--""I am artiste,Monsieur Obermuller,"I gutturaled like Mademoiselle Picotte,who dances on the wire."I moost have about me those who arre--who arre congeniale--""You monkey!"he laughed."Then,when Tausig comes to buy your contract--""We'll tell him to go to thunder."

He laughed.Say,Mag,that big fellow is like a boy when he's pleased.I guess that's what makes it such fun to please him.

"And I,who admired your business sagacity in holding off,Nance!"he said.

"I thought you admired my take-off!of Mademoiselle Picotte.""Well?"

"Well,why don't you make use of it?Take me round to the theaters and let me mimic all the swell actors and actresses.

I've got more chance with you than with that Trust gang.They wouldn't give me room to do my own stunt;they'd make me fit into theirs.But you--""But me!You think you can wind me round your finger?""Not--yet."

He chuckled.I thought I had him going.I saw Nance Olden spending her evenings at the big Broadway theaters,when,just at that minute,Ginger,the call-boy,burst in with a note.

Say,Mag,I wouldn't like to get that man Obermuller hopping mad at me,and Nancy Olden's no coward,either.But the way he gritted his teeth at that note and the devil in his eyes when he lifted them from it,made me wonder how I'd ever dared be facetious with him.

I got up to go.He'd forgotten me,but he looked up then.

"That was a great suggestion of yours,Olden,to put Lord Gray on to act himself--great!"His voice shook,he was so angry.

"Well!"I snapped.I wasn't going to let him see that a big man raging could bluff Nance Olden.