The Mystery Megapack

that the roll would be missing.
    Everything depended upon it, Tham told himself. He wanted to feel that he had squared matters with Merton. And his chase had caused him to lose several days and turn aside chances for lucrative work. Tham needed the roll as much as he wanted his revenge.
    Ten o’clock came, and Tham, having purchased some cigarettes, turned to light one. Looking over his cupped hands, he beheld Detective Craddock across the street, watching him. Tham pretended not to see. Growling low in his throat, he started down the street.
    But Craddock was not to be thrown off the trail that easily. He hurried forward and caught up with Tham.
    “All jokes aside, what are you camping in this section of our fair city for?” Craddock demanded. “You’re up to something, and I’m going to stop it.”
    “Yeth?”
    “Yes.”
    “Well, my goodneth, ain’t a man got a right to look at the bright lighth?”
    “If that is all he does,” Craddock insinuated.
    “Thuppothe you wait until I do thomething elthe,” said Tham.
    “I’ll just do that little thing,” the detective said. “Go your way, old-timer; I’ll be right at your heels.”
    Tham was almost in a panic. He knew from observation that Booth Mansfield Merton would come from that stage door at about eleven o’clock, and it was a little past ten now. If he did not lose Craddock before that time, he would not dare seek to obtain possession of Merton’s roll of bills.
    He darted into the subway entrance at Times Square, crossed through and emerged on the other side, and found that the grinning Craddock was only a few paces behind him. He walked slowly up Broadway and into the midst of a throng before a motion-picture palace, but he could not lose Craddock as he had done many times before. Craddock had determined not to be evaded this night.
    Thubway Tham attempted every trick he knew, but to no avail. The detective hung on like a leech, and whenever Tham turned to glance at him, Craddock grinned. Tham looked at his watch finally; it was fifteen minutes of eleven.
    Once more he walked slowly Jown Broadway, ignoring Craddock, not trying to lose himself in a crowd, acting as if he had given up hope of dodging the detective, and was preparing to return to his room far downtown.
    But Craddock was not to be fooled, and did not relax his vigilance. He followed closely, lighting cigar after cigar, as he did always when he was shadowing and it was possible.
    So Tham came to a stop on the corner nearest the stage entrance of the theater where Booth Mansfield Merton was playing. There he stood at the curb and smoked, and watched the stage entrance from the corner of his eye.
    “Dodging doesn’t go tonight, Tham,” Craddock said.
    “Don’t pethter me,” Tham retorted. “If you want to talk to thomebody, go and do it.”
    “I can watch you as easily if I don’t talk,” said Craddock.
    “Watch,” Tham said. “Watch, you thilly ath! And while you are watchin’ and pethterin’ me, thome crook probably ith gettin’ all the diamondth and walletth in the theater crowd. Watch, you thimp!”
    “Oh, I’m watching, Tham.”
    “And a lot of good it will do you,” Tham said. “I’m goin’ down and thee the commithioner about thith! It ith a fine day when a man and a thitithen cannot walk around the thtreeth and take the air without bein’ pethtered.”
    “The commissioner probably will be glad to see you, Tham. He might want to know how you get money to pay room rent and buy eats.”
    “Yeth?”
    “Yes. He has a way of asking about such things. Better think twice before visiting the commissioner, Tham.”
    “Then you let me alone,” Tham said. “I ain’t done anything, have I?”
    “No, and it is my intention to see that you don’t,” Craddock declared.
    Tham shrugged his shoulders and turned his back. And so he faced the stage entrance again—and he saw Booth Mansfield Merton come out with another actor and walk slowly toward the corner.
    Here was the chance, Tham knew, providing Merton still had the big roll of bills. And because of Craddock, it appeared that Tham’s persistance was going to come to naught. Outwardly, Tham looked calm, but he was not.
    He turned away and walked slowly toward the subway entrance, following Merton at a distance,. He tossed away his cigarette and went down the stairs half a dozen steps behind the thespian. Craddock was at his heels.
    They waited on the platform for a time, and then a train roared in. Tham