“In that brief visit which you made to the Coast did you ever come across a rattler in operation? No! It makes a slight, but perfectly clear noise first by way of warning—and then it strikes! Some women resemble the rattler. Look out for the sting!” “Thanks! I shall.” “Oh!” the prize ring magnate sighed in farewell, “my poor Idealist, what a lot of useless trouble you make for yourself and others!” XII Brainard carefully put out all the lights on the lower floor and then mounted the stairs to the room above. There he found Farson smoking a cigarette before the open fire and staring straight before him, as if his mind was occupied with a novel set of ideas. At sight of Brainard a curious smile crossed his face, and he looked interrogatively at his employer. “Well?” he murmured. “They are a pretty pair of—I was going to say crooks. But I don’t think my friend Hollinger is exactly that—I hope not.” “He used to have the reputation of being the squarest man in his profession—the very soul of honor in the fight business. That was what gave him his prestige with the politicians, until the district attorney got after him.” “I can’t make him out!” “It’s not hard to make _her_ out,” Farson commented. “Her methods are only too obvious!” “Did I ever tell you just what happened that evening in San Francisco after I saw you off on the ferry with your bag?” “The last I saw of you,” Brainard replied, “you were on the run to the telephone booth to get your beat about me and Krutzmacht to your paper!” “Well, after I ’phoned the story I streaked it back to Krutzmacht’s office. I fancied there might be something doing there after the woman got loose from the safe. There was! She had the marshal’s office and the police department—I don’t know but the fire brigade too—all up there buzzing, and she was trying to raise Crane,—you know the big railroad gun on the other side? She’d kept that telephone working ever since Peters threw the combination. If you had seen the temper she was in, you might have left her in that safe somewhat longer to cool off.... She seems to have quieted down a good deal. But I could see signs of her old temper this evening. I don’t believe adversity has improved it materially.” “Probably not!” Brainard remarked, yawning and looking at his watch. “Three o’clock! Our friends made the time pass quickly.” Farson did not move from his position before the dying fire. The late hour made no impression upon him, and Brainard did not seem anxious to get to bed. “What are you going to do?” the young man asked. “Nothing.” “Nothing!” Farson exclaimed in surprise. “You don’t mean to say—” “I will let Lorilla make the next move—it’s up to her.” “You won’t take Hollinger’s hint?” “Buy her off? It would take too much, if we began that game. Besides, why should I?” The young man was evidently puzzled.