The Mystery Megapack

bad hole. Almost before he realized it, the customer from out of town had won ten dollars.
    He was going to quit, the customer announced. If it was all the same with Tham, he’d take five dollars cash. Tham agreed, since it was a sub rosa rule in the store to give customers half their winnings in cash if they so desired.
    Tham’s boss came back, and the customer hurried away.
    “The old coot trimmed me for five,” Tham explained, in a manner apologetic.
    “Must have shaken dice like a fiend,” the boss commented.
    “I thought I could rattle ’em, but I couldn’t touch him,” Tham admitted.
    The boss began laughing. “I should think not,” he said. “Look here. He went away in a hurry, and he took our dice and left his own.”
    “Hith own?” Thubway Tham gasped.
    “Loaded, you simp! Look here! Try ’em!”
    Thubway Tham’s face paled.
    “Thimp ith right!” he said.
    He felt in his vest pocket, took out a five-dollar bill, and put it in the cash register. Then he reached for his hat.
    “It’s not quitting time yet, young fellow,” his boss remarked.
    “It ith for me. I have been workin’ here for one day, and it hath coth me’ forty dollarth. A crook ith an honetht man compared to anybody elthe. I am a thimp! I am an eathy mark! I ought to go and thoak my head! A baby could trim me eathy! Thith ith no place for an honetht crook!”
    “Now, see here—”
    “I thaid I wath done, and I am! It cotht too much to work in thith plathe. I’m a thimp! I quit!”
    Without waiting to argue the matter, Thubway Tham hurried down the street, came to Union Square, and darted toward the entrance to the subway.
    A short distance behind, Detective Craddock followed.
    II.
    A train roared into the station, and Thubway Tham got aboard. One glance was enough to tell him that there would be no chance for profit during the present trip. There were less than a dozen persons in the car, and none of them appeared to be very prosperous.
    Craddock boarded the train also, and Thubway Tham knew it, but gave no sign. He left the train at the Grand Central Station, and Craddock did the same.
    “Back to your old tricks, are you?” the detective asked.
    “Ain’t a man got a right to go to a theater after hith day’th work ith done?” Tham demanded.
    “He certainly has, Tham.”
    “Why don’t you thtop petherin’ me? Why don’t you pether thomebody elthe? I’m an honetht man.”
    “I hope so, Tham, but I have my doubts. The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy. Going to take a walk?”
    “If I am, I don’t want you along,” Tham told him.
    He walked briskly up the street, and on a certain corner came to a stop. He bent forward and looked at a group of men near the curb. And he began chuckling.
    He saw the stranger within the city’s gates who had beaten him with loaded dice. And he saw the evil-looking youth who had slipped him the counterfeit bill. Thubway Tham knew at a glance that the evil-appearing youth was a crook, that he had spotted the visitor to the city and was hoping to relieve him of his wealth.
    Tham leaned back against the corner of the building and watched. Detective Craddock observed Tham’s manner and heard his chuckle, and began watching himself. He knew instantly, as did Tham, what the evil-looking youth was going to do. Craddock forgot Tham entirely and gave his attention to the others. Possibly Tham was telling the truth about going straight. And here before Craddock was the situation for a crime. By watching closely, perhaps Craddock could catch the evil-appearing youth red-handed, so to speak, and earn credit. Craddock had not made many arrests lately, and his captain had made some sarcastic remarks about it.
    Craddock stepped back into the shadows and watched closely. So did Tham. After a time the evil-looking youth scientifically removed the wallet from the other’s hip pocket. The next instant Detective Craddock had him by the arm.
    “I’ll just take charge of that wallet, and you too!” Craddock said. “This will cost you a couple of years up the river, my pretty bird!”
    The stranger within the city’s gates roared his anger. He protested when Craddock put the wallet into his own pocket. He made such a fuss about it that Craddock informed him they would all go to the station and arrange matters there. Since the victim was one of them, they’d go in the subway instead of calling the wagon.
    Thubway Tham exulted. One of his enemies had lost a wallet temporarily, and