Page:Manhattan Transfer (John Dos Passos, 1925).djvu/360

 he settled down beside her in the taxi. "In the lobby of the theater?" He pulled at the trousers that were tight over his knees. "That's goin to give us luck Jake. I never seen a hump back to fail if you touch him on the hump Ou it makes me sick how fast these taxis go." They were thrown forward by the taxi's sudden stop. "My God we almost ran over a boy." Jake Silverman patted her knee. "Poor ikle kid, was it all worked up?" As they drove up to the hotel she shivered and buried her face in her coatcollar. When they went to the desk to get the key, the clerk said to Silverman, "There's a gentleman waiting to see you sir." A thickset man came up to him taking a cigar out of his mouth. "Will you step this way a minute please Mr. Silverman." Rosie thought she was going to faint. She stood perfectly stilly frozen, with her cheeks deep in the fur collar of her coat.

They sat in two deep armchairs and whispered with their heads together. Step by step, she got nearer, listening. "Warrant Department of Justice  using the mails to defraud " She couldnt hear what Jake said in between. He kept nodding his head as if agreeing. Then suddenly he spoke out smoothly, smiling.

"Well I've heard your side Mr. Rogers Here's mine. If you arrest me now I shall be ruined and a great many people who have put their money in this enterprise will be ruined In a week I can liquidate the whole concern with a profit Mr. Rogers I am a man who has been deeply wronged through foolishness in misplacing confidence in others."

"I cant help that My duty is to execute the warrant I'm afraid I'll have to search your room You see we have several little items " The man flicked the ash off his cigar and began to read in a monotonous voice. "Jacob Silverman, alias Edward Faversham, Simeon J. Arbuthnot, Jack Hinkley, J. J. Gold Oh we've got a pretty little list We've done some very pretty work on your case, if I do say it what shouldnt."