Page:The Whisper on the Stair by Lyon Mearson (1924).djvu/260

 in a few minits; he’ll tell us. Dis time, if ya gits bumped off, ya’ll git bumped off permanent. Git me? Me, I gotta wallop on de bean dat I won’t fergit in a hurry—an’ youse has ter pay fer dat. In de meantime, don’t make no move if yer don’t want ter pay fer it right erway, dassall I gotta say.”

They sat in utter silence for awhile, Horseface and Rat with their deadly looking weapons in their hands, Val chipper and contented, and Eddie disconsolate and plainly angry. It was Val who broke the silence at last, irrepressible.

“You people should go into business—just imagine your sign,” he chattered. “ [sic]Plain and fancy assassination done here. Victims called for and delivered. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!’ There should be big money in it, Horseface. There must be lots of people who really deserve killing⸺”

The door opened and Teck entered, taking in the situation at a glance.

“Good evening,” he said courteously. “Still engaged in—er—breaking and entering, I see,” he remarked. “Well, well. It’s a bad habit that you really ought to break yourself of, Mr. Morley. If you had had the proper upbringing⸺”

“Well, we’re not all gifted in the same direction, Iggy,” came back Val. “Some can commit burglary successfully, by instinct, like some who shall here be nameless⸺” he looked at him significantly, “and some have to study very hard before they master the knack of it. We really ought to study at your feet—Maestro!”

Teck shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Well, it wouldn’t do you much harm—your technique is all wrong, anyway. You know, Morley, one of these