"I didn't
know it. It--it must have fallen out of my shirt when I undressed. I
came away wearing women's things, and carrying my own clothes in a
bundle." He laughed shortly, huskily. "That's what was the matter with
Melinoff. It was the old fool's own fault! I didn't want to hurt him! He
didn't understand at first when I was pawing all his stuff over, but
when he saw me try the things on, and tumbled that I was--was going to
play Silver Mag, he said he wouldn't stand for it. Ha, ha! Silver Mag!"
The Pippin's voice had taken on a queer mumbling note, and his mind
seemed to be functioning suddenly in a half-wandering way. "Some role,
Silver Mag! I was the star to-night! You remember Silver Mag--how she
used to go around in the old days and hand out the silver coins, never a
bill, just coins, to the families whose men were doing spaces up the
river in Sing Sing? She kept old Melinoff's wife going while he was in
limbo--that's what he said. I didn't want to hurt the old fool, but he
wouldn't keep his mouth shut. Ha, ha! Silver Mag! It was some play on
the boards to-night! Clever brain, the Big Fellow's got! It wasn't any
good if Silver Mag and Larry the Bat were together, but Silver Mag was
seen buying a ticket and getting on a train for Chicago last night--and
last night, later than that, the Gray Seal sent the Forrester stuff to
the police--so they couldn't have been together this evening unless he
went afterwards to Chicago, too--and he didn't do that because all the
trains were watched.
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