spoke through his closed teeth。 〃Get her！ I made her a little
promise。 I'm going to keep it！ Understand？〃
〃You've been saying that for quite a long time；〃 retorted Rhoda
Gray coolly。 〃But the 'getting' has been all the other way so far。
How are you going to get her？〃
Danglar's little black eyes narrowed； and he thrust his head forward
and out from his shoulders savagely。 In the flickering candle
light； with contorted face and snarling lips； he looked again the
beast to which she had once likened him。
〃Never mind how I'm going to get her！〃 he flung out； with an oath。
〃I told you I'd been busy。 That's enough！ You'll see
Rhoda Gray； in the semi…darkness； shrugged her shoulders。 Was the
man； prompted by rage and fury； simply making wild threats； or had
he at last some definite and perhaps infallible plan that he
purposed putting into operation？ She did not know； and； much as it
meant to her； she did not dare take the risk of arousing suspicion
by pressing the question。 Failing； then； to obtain any intimation
of what he meant to do； the next thing most to be desired was to
get rid of him。
〃You've got the money。 That's what you came for； wasn't it？〃 she
suggested coldly。
He stared at her for a moment； and then his face gradually lost its
scowl。
〃You're a rare one； Bertha！〃 he exclaimed admiringly。 〃Yes； I've
got the money … and I'm going。 In fact； I'm in a hurry； so don't
worry！ You got the dope； like everybody else； for to…night； didn't
you？ It was sent out two hours ago。〃
The dope！ It puzzled her for the fraction of a second … and then
she remembered the paper she had thrust into the bodice of her
dress。 She had not read it。 She lunged a little in the dark。
〃Yes；〃 she said curtly。
〃All right！〃 he said…and moved toward the door。 〃That explains why
I'm in a hurry … and why I can't stop to oil that grouch out of you。
But I'll keep my promise to you； too； old girl。 I'll make up the
last few days to you。 Have a heart； eh； Bertha！ 'Night！〃
She did not answer him。 It seemed as though an unutterable dread
had suddenly been lifted from her； as he passed out of the door
and began to descend the steps to the hall below。 Her 〃grouch；〃
he had called it。 Well； it had served its purpose！ It was just
as well that he should think so！ She followed to the door； and
deliberately slammed it with a bang。 And from below； his laugh；
more an amused chuckle； echoed back and answered her。
And then； for a long time she stood there by the door； a little
weak with the revulsion of relief upon her； her hands pressed hard
against her temples； staring unseeingly about the garret。 He was
gone。 He filled her with terror。 Every instinct she possessed；
every fiber of her being revolted against him。 He was gone。 Yes；
he was gone … for the time being。 But … but what was the end of
all this to be？〃
She shook her head after a moment； shook it helplessly and wearily；
as； finally； she walked over to the washstand； took the piece of
paper from the bodice of her dress； and spread it out under the
candle light。 A glance showed her that it was in cipher。 There
was the stub of a pencil； she remembered； in the washstand drawer；
and； armed with this； and a piece of wrapping paper that had once
enveloped one of Gypsy Nan's gin bottles； she took up the candle；
crossed the garret； and sat down on the edge of the cot； placing
the candle on the chair in front of her。
If the last three days had been productive of nothing else； they
had at least furnished her with the opportunity of studying the
notebook she had found in the secret hiding place； and of making
herself conversant with the gang's cipher； and she now set to
work upon it。 It was a numerical cipher。 Each letter of the
alphabet in regular rotation was represented by its corresponding
numeral； a zero was employed to set off one letter from another；
and the addition of the numerals between the zeros indicated the
number of the letter involved。 Also； there being but twenty…six
letters in the alphabet； it was obvious that the addition of three
nines； which was twenty…seven； could not represent any letter； and
the combination of 999 was therefore used to precede any of the
arbitrary groups of numerals which were employed to express phrases
and sentences； such as the 739 that she had found scrawled on the
piece of paper around her key on the first night she had come here；
and which； had it been embodied in a message and not preceded by
the 999； would have meant simply the addition of seven； three and
nine； that is； nineteen … and therefore would indicate the
nineteenth letter of the alphabet； S。
Rhoda Gray copied the first line of the message on the piece of
wrapping paper：
321010333203202306663103330111102210444202101112052110761
Adding the numerals between the zeros； and giving to each its
corresponding letter； she set down the result：
6010110505022090405014030509014
f a k e e v i d e n c e i n
It was then but a matter of grouping the letters into words； and；
decoded； the first line read：
Fake evidence in。。。。。。
She worked steadily on。 It was a lengthy message； and it took her
a long time。 It was an hour； perhaps more； after Danglar had gone；
before she had completed her task； and then； after that； she sat
for still a long time staring； not at the paper on the chair before
her； but at the flickering shadows thrown by the candle on the
opposite wall。
Queer and strange were the undercurrents and the cross…sections of
life that were to be found； amazingly contradictory； amazingly
incomprehensible； once one scratched beneath the surface of the
poverty and the squalor； and； yes； the crime； amongst the hiving
thousands of New York's East Side！ In the days … not so very long
ago … when； as the White Moll； she had worked amongst these classes；
she had on one occasion； when he was sick； even kept old Viner in
food。 She had not； at the time； failed to realize that the man
was grasping； rapacious； even unthankful； but she had little dreamed
that he was a miser worth fifty thousand dollars！
Her mind swerved off suddenly at a tangent。 The tentacles of this
crime octopus； of which Danglar seemed to be the head； reached far
and into most curious places to fasten and hold and feed on the
progeny of human foibles！ She could not help wondering where the
lair was from which emanated the efficiency and system that； as
witness this code message to…night； kept its members； perhaps widely
scattered； fully informed of its every movement。
She shook her head。 That was something she had not yet learned；
but it was something she must learn if ever she hoped to obtain the
evidence that would clear her of the crime that circumstances had
fastened upon her。 And yet she had made no move in that direction；
because … well； because； so far； it had seemed all she could do to
protect and safeguard herself in her present miserable existence
and surroundings； which； abhorrent as they were； alone stood between
her and a prison cell。
Her forehead gathered into little furrows； and； reverting to the
code message； her thoughts harked back to a well…known crime； the
authorship of which still remained a mystery； and which had stirred
the East Side some two years ago。 A man … in the vernacular of the
underworld a 〃stage hand〃 … by the name of Kroner； credited with
having a large amount of cash； the proceeds of some nefarious
transaction； in his possession on the night in question； was found
murdered in his room in an old and tumble…down tenement of unsavory
reputation。 The police net had gathered in some of the co…tenants
on suspicion； Nicky Viner； referred to in the code message； amongst
them。 But nothing had come of the investigation。 There had been
no charge of collusion between the suspects； but Perlmer； a shyster
lawyer； had acted for them all collectively； and； one and all； they
had been discharged。 In what degree Perlmer's services had been of
actual value had never been ascertained； for the police； through
lack of evidence； had been obliged to drop the case； but the
underworld had whispered to itself。 There was such a thing as
suppressing evidence； and Perlmer was known to have the cunning of
a fox； and a code of morals that never stood in the way； or
restricted him in any manner。
The code message threw a new light on all this。 Perlmer must have
known that old Nicky Viner had money； for； according to the code
message； Perlmer prepared a fake set of affidavits and forged a
chain of fake evidence with which he had blackmailed Nicky Viner
ever since； and Nicky Viner； known as a dissolute； shady character；
innocent enough of the crime； but afraid because his possession of
money if made public would tell against him； and frightened because
he had already been arrested once on suspicion for that very crime；
had whimpered … and paid。 And then； somehow； Danglar and the gang
had discovered that the old； seedy； stoop…shouldered； bearded；
down…at…the…heels Nicky Viner was not all that he seemed； that he
was a miser； and had a hoard of fifty thousand dollars … and Danglar
and the gang had set out to find that hoard and appropriate it。
Only they had not succeeded。 But in their search they had stumbled
upon Perlmer's trail； and that was the key to the plan they had
afoot to…night。 If Perlmer's fake and manufactured affidavits were
clever enough and convincing enough to wring money out of Viner for
Perlmer； they were more than enough to enable Danglar； employed as
Danglar would employ them； to wring from Nicky Viner the secret of
where the old miser hid his wealth； for Viner would understand that
Danglar was not hampered by having to safeguard himself on account
of having been originally connected with the case in a legal
capacity； or any capacity； and therefore in demanding all or nothing；
would have no cause for hesitation； failing to get what he wanted；
in turning the evidence over to the police。 In other words； where
Perlmer had to play his man cautiously and get what he could；
Danglar could go the limit and get all。 As it stood； then； Danglar
and the gang had not found ou