Page:The Female-Impersonators 1922 book scan.djvu/167

Rh ately take you around to my room and put into your hand a hundred dollars I have locked in my desk."

"I could n't do that. It'd be too risky."

While we argued, I undressed meekly and in unspeakable terror. I realized I might be experiencing my last five minutes of life. I took as much time as possible in the hope that a watchman might chance along. But why a watchman in a store-yard of paving stones?

"I guess now I've got everythin' of value, though not as much as expected. You sneak, why did n't yez have more bills onter your carcass?"

On female-impersonation sprees in Stuyvesant Square, I carried less than ten dollars. But judging from my rich attire and not knowing I had set out from home just for such a spree, Harvey must doubtless have thought I had on me a big roll. The present is only one of the most remarkable of about two hundred adventures I have had with robbers, the thievishly inclined regularly preying on androgynes because knowing the latter are themselves outlaws and thus unable to complain to the police.

Incensed over the disappointing size of his haul, Harvey continued: "And now, you sneak, I've got yez at me mercy! There's not a man within hearin'! Shut your d—throat, or you'll be worse off yet! Hold down your hands from in front of your mug! Hold down your hands! You bastard! You cannibal! Your nature's so disgustin' that every rightminded man would agree your face oughter be used as a butcher's choppin' block! And it's me own great joy ter do the job!"

Only about so much of the fiend's ranting was I