Mystery and detective stories; Short stories; Single men -- Fiction; Valets -- Fiction
"Get down, Fatty!" commanded Tom. McAllister, stupefied with horror,
embarrassment, and apprehension of the possibilities in store for him,
stepped down and followed like a somnambulist. As they made their way to
the elevator he could hear the strident voice of the Inspector beginning
again:
"This is Pat Hogan, otherwise known as 'Paddy the Sneak,' and his side
partner, Jim Hawkins, who goes under the name of James Hawkinson. His
pals call him 'Supple Jim.' Two of the cleverest sneaks in the country.
They branch out into strong arm work occasionally."
The elevator began to ascend.
"You seem kinder down," commented Tom. "I suppose you expect to get
settled for quite a bit down to Philadelphia, eh? Well, don't talk
unless you feel like it. Here we are!"
They got out upon an upper floor and crossed the hall. On their left a
matron was arranging rows of tiny chairs in a small school-room or
nursery. At any other time the Lost Children's Room might have aroused a
flicker of interest in McAllister, but he felt none whatever in it now.
Tom opened a door and pushed the clubman gently into a small, low-ceiled
chamber. Charts and diagrams of the human cranium hung on one wall,
while a score of painted eyes, each of a different color, and each
bearing a technical appellation and a number, stared from the other.
Upon a small square platform, about eight inches in height, stood a
half-clad Italian congealed with terror and expecting momentarily to
receive a shock of electricity. The slender young man was rapidly
measuring his hands and feet and calling out the various dimensions to
an assistant, who recorded them upon a card. This accomplished, he
ordered his victim down from the block, seated him unceremoniously in a
chair, and with a pair of shining instruments gauged the depth of his
skull from front to rear, its width between the cheekbones, and the
length of the ears, describing all the while the other features in brief
terms to his associate.
"Now off with you!" he ejaculated. "Here, lug this Greaser in and mug
him."
The officer in the case haled the Italian, shrieking, into another room.
"Ah, Fatty!" remarked the slender man. "I trust you won't object to
these little formalities? Take off that left shoe, if you please."
McAllister's soul had shrivelled within him. His powers of thought had
been annihilated. Mechanically he removed the shoe in question and
placed his foot upon the block. The young man quickly measured it.
"Now get up there and rest your hand on the board."
McAllister observed that the table bore the painted outline of a human
hand. He did as he was told unquestioningly. The other measured his
forefinger and the length of his forearm.
"All right. Now sit down and let me tickle your head for a moment."
The operator took the silver calipers which had just been used upon the
Italian and ran them thoughtfully forward and back above the clubman's
organs of hearing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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