"Well, dis guy was laid up in de hospital by one of me pals who put 'im out on first wid a brick. He got stuck on a gal whose old man was in dat hospital, and dat gal is de sister of dis yere Lorna Barton. Does ye git me?" Clemm's eyes sparkled. "What does he look like? Brown hair, tall, very square shoulders?" he asked. "Exact! He's a fresh guy wid his talk, too--one of dem ejjicated cops. Dey tells me he was a collige boy, or in de army or somethin'." "Could he have known about Lorna Barton going out with Baxter that night Shepard was beaten?" "My Gaud! Yes, cause Baxter he tells me Burke was dere at de house." Clemm nodded his head. "Then you can take a hundred to one shot tip from me, Jimmie, that this Burke had something to do with Shepard. He may have put one of his friends on the job. Those cops are not such dummies as we think they are sometimes. That fellow's a dangerous man." Clemm pondered for a moment. Jimmie was surprised, for the manager of the "Mercantile Agency" was noted for his rapid-fire methods. The Monk knew that something of great importance must be afoot to cause this delay. The manager tapped the desk with his fingers, as he moved his lips, in a silent little conversation with himself. At last he banged the desk with vehemence. "Here, Jimmie. I'm going to entrust you with an important job." The Monk brightened and smiled hopefully. "How much money would it take to put Officer Bobbie Burke, if that's his name, where the cats can't keep him awake at night?" Jimmie looked shiftily at the manager. "You mean..." He drew his hand significantly across his throat, raising his heavy eyebrows in a peculiar monkey grimace which had won for him his soubriquet. "Yes, to quiet his nerves. It's a shame to let these ambitious young policemen worry too much about their work." "I kin git it done fer twenty-five dollars." "Well, here's a hundred, for I'd like to have it attended to neatly, quietly and permanently. You understand me?" "Say, I'm ashamed ter take money fer dis!" laughed Jimmie the Monk. "Don't worry about that, my boy. Make a good job of it. It's just business. I'm buying the service and you're selling it. Now get out, for I've got a lot more marketing to do." Jimmie got. It was indeed a busy little market place, with many commodities for barter and trade. CHAPTER X WHEN THE TRAIN COMES IN Burke was sent up to Grand Central Station the following morning by Captain Sawyer to assist one of the plain-clothes men in the apprehension of two well-known gangsters who had been reported by telegraph as being on their way to New York.