The Mystery Megapack

followed Merton aboard, but not too closely, and Craddock, still grinning, followed Tham. Merton had to stand near the door, and Tham stood beside him.
    Tham was not certain that the roll of bills remained in Merton’s pocket. He wanted to find out, and, if it did, he wanted to get it. And here was Detective Craddock, who had sworn to “get him with the goods,” standing at his elbow.
    Tham decided, in that instant, that the opportunity should not be wasted. He had persisted in following Booth Mansfield Merton, and he felt that he was entitled to some sort of reward. It was dangerous to attempt anything in Craddock’s presence, but Tham was angry enough to run the risk. He would not have done it had he not been asgry.
    He turned deliberately and faced Craddock, but still pressed against the actor.
    “I hope that you are thatithfied,” he said to Craddock, in a low tone. “You have thpoiled my evenin’.”
    “Oh, I certainly regret that, Tham,” Craddock said, with a wealth of sarcasm.
    “But one thing ith thertain. You have to follow me ’way downtown, and then go ’way out to the Bronx to get home. That ith thomething.”
    “I don’t mind a little thing like that, Tham.”
    “How much longer are you goin’ to pethter me?”
    “I merely intend to see you safely home, my dear boy.”
    Tham grunted and looked past Craddock at the others in the car. His left hand had been pressing against Merton, exploring. Tham knew, now, that the roll of bills was still in Merton’s pocket.
    Tham did not like to work blind, that is with his hand behind his back and not knowing who might be looking, but he felt that he would have to do it now. This was an opportunity he could not reject, Craddock or no Craddock.
    He continued talking to the detective, and watching the stations. And then, as the train rolled into another, Tham acted. His hand darted into the actor’s pocket—and Tham had the roll of bills.
    “Here ith where I get off,” he told Craddock.
    “I’m getting off at the same station, Tham.”
    “Do ath you pleathe, you ath!”
    The train stopped, and Tham got off and went slowly along the platform and up to the street, expecting every instant to hear a cry from Booth Mansfield Merton. But no cry came, and the train rushed on.
    “I thuppothe you are goin’ to go right along home with me?” Tham asked, gneeringly.
    “It isn’t necessary now, Tham, old boy. I know you seldom work except in the subway. And now that you are out of it and within three blocks of home, and the hour is late, I imagine I can let you go on your way alone.”
    “Thankth.”
    “I saw you sizing up that bird who stood right next to you,” Craddock said.
    “Tho?”
    “And you didn’t miss anything by not getting his wallet. I know that chap.”
    “Yeth?”
    “Yes,” said Craddock. “He’s an actor—nice fellow, too. But he certainly has been down on his luck the past three seasons. He’s just about broken—owes all sorts of people. There was an article in the paper about him the other morning—press-agent stuff.”
    “Tho?”
    “Yes. It said he was living down here to study criminals and human beings of the lower order, because he was going to do a play along those lines next year.”
    “Well, what about it?” Tham asked.
    “He’s trying to pay his debts. He’s living down here because he can’t afford an apartment up on the Drive. It’s all bunk about getting proper atmosphere. He’s got a cheap room and eats in cheap restaurants. Just press-agent bunk. So, you see, if you had taken a crack at his wallet, you’d probably have come out loser.”
    “Tho?” Tham said. “Well, that’s all right, then. Broke, ith he? Tho! Ath if I cared!”
    Tham walked on down the street, and Craddock allowed him to go. As soon as his back was turned, Tham began to grin. Craddock knew it all, did he? Merton was broke and trying to live cheap, was he? He rented a poor room and ate in cheap restaurants and pretended it was for art, did he? Well, Tham happened to know that he had coin—or that he had had it. Right now Tham had a roll of bills—
    “And I got ’em right under that thilly Craddock’th nothe,” he told himself. “I’ll bet it ith thome roll, too!”
    * * * *
    Safe in his room, Thubway Tham pulled the roll of bills from his pocket and sat down on the side of the bed to count the currency. It certainly was an imposing roll. On the outside was a ten-dollar bill. Tham peeled back the corner, and saw