“I t'ought something was wrong wid her!” whispered the Pug with mock anxiety. “Mabbe she ain't well! Tell us about it, Nan!” “When I do,” she said complacently, “mabbe youse'll smile out of de other corner of dat mouth of yers!” She turned to Shluker. “Youse needn't lay awake waitin' fer dat thousand, Shluker, 'cause youse'll never see it. De little game's all off--'cause it's already been pulled. See? Dere was near a riot as I passes along a street goin' to yer place, an' I gets piped off to wot's up, an' it's de same story dat Pinkie's told, an' de crib's cracked, an' de money's gone--dat's all.” Shluker's face fell. “I said you were fools when I first came in here!” he burst out suddenly, wheeling on Pinkie Bonn and the Pug. “I'm sure of it now. I was wonderin a minute ago how you were goin' to keep your lamps on Pete and Marny from here, or know when they were goin' to pull their stunt, or where to find 'em.” Pinkie Bonn, ignoring Shluker, leaned toward Rhoda Gray. “Say, Nan, is that straight?” he inquired anxiously. “You sure?” “Sure, I'm sure!” Rhoda Gray asserted tersely. The one thought in her head now was that her information would naturally deprive these men here of any further interest in the matter, and that she would get away as quickly as possible, and, in some way or other, see that the police were tipped off to the fact that it was French Pete and Marny Day who had taken the old couple's money. Those two old faces rose before her again now--blotting out most curiously the face of Pinkie Bonn just in front of her. She felt strangely glad--glad that she had heard all of old Dainey's story, because she could see now an ending to it other than the miserable, hopeless one of despair that she had read in the Daineys' faces just a little while ago. “Sure, I'm sure!” she repeated with finality. “How long ago was it?” prodded Pinkie. “I dunno,” she answered. “I just went to Shluker's, an' den we comes over here. Youse can figure it fer yerself.” And then Rhoda Gray stared at the other--with sudden misgiving. Pinkie Bonn's face was suddenly wreathed in smiles.