The Riddle and the Ring; or, Won by Nerve — John Shaqi
The Riddle and the Ring; or, Won by NerveMacLaren, Gordon
General
The Riddle and the Ring; or, Won by Nerve
MacLaren, Gordon
Adventure stories; Detective and mystery stories; Dime novels; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
He had not gone more than a few steps when he saw approaching the lights
of a rapidly moving carriage, and a moment later a well-appointed
private brougham passed him, the iron-shod hoofs of the spirited horses
striking sparks from the icy street. A vague, languid curiosity stirred
him as to what a conveyance of that sort was doing there at that hour,
but it swiftly vanished in the interest of another discovery.
Reaching the corner of Eighth Avenue, he happened to glance swiftly to
his right, and noticed a man standing silently in the corner of a
darkened doorway. There was nothing very extraordinary in this, save
for the fact that it was a night which offered no temptations for
loitering in the street; but there was something about the powerful,
square-shouldered figure, accentuated by the heavy ulster which
enveloped it, that struck Lawrence as oddly familiar. The coat collar
was turned up and buttoned close; the brim of the soft felt hat was
pulled well down, so as to conceal the face, but in spite of that a bit
of grizzled beard was visible, which stimulated Barry’s memory.
In that momentary hesitation on the curb he remembered that just such a
man had been standing in another doorway near the restaurant as they
left it less than an hour before, and he wondered at the curious
coincidence which should bring about this second meeting.
Before he reached Broadway Lawrence began to have doubts as to whether
it really was a coincidence or not. Another man would have thought
nothing of the matter; but Barry had lately been through an experience
of shadowing which taught him many things about the methods of private
detectives and others of their ilk, which had produced in him a habit of
being constantly on guard.
At least it would do no harm to be sure, he thought, and, rounding the
corner of Broadway, he hastened forward a few steps to the entrance of a
moving-picture theater. Once within its shelter, he swiftly found a
spot where the plate-glass windows of the ticket booth acted as an
admirable reflector. Then, back squarely to the street, and eyes
riveted on the improvised mirror, he leisurely undid his fur coat, as
leisurely produced a cigarette from his case, and hunted for his match
box.
It was just as he struck a light that his patience was rewarded. In the
glass he saw the stranger steal silently into view around the corner,
hesitate for the fraction of a second, then, catching sight of Barry’s
back, as softly withdrew out of sight.
"So that’s your little game, is it?" Lawrence reflected, with a grim
smile, as he lighted the cigarette with care, and flicked the match into
the street. "Looks as if there might be a bit of fun in this."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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