Page:The ransom of Red Chief and other O. Henry stories for boys.djvu/260

238 expanding his chest. "I'll show you what I think of newspapers in general, and your Morning Mars in particular."

Three feet from their table was the telephone booth. Kernan went inside and sat at the instrument, leaving the door open. He found a number in the book, took down the receiver and made his demand upon Central. Woods sat still, looking at the sneering, cold, vigilant face waiting close to the transmitter, and listened to the words that came from the thin, truculent lips curved into a contemptuous smile.

"That the Morning Mars? I want to speak to the managing editor  Why, tell him it's some one who wants to talk to him about the Norcross murder.

"You the editor? All right.  I am the man who killed old Norcross  Wait! Hold the wire; I'm not the usual crank  Oh, there isn't the slightest danger. I've just been discussing it with a detective friend of mine. I killed the old man at 2:30  two weeks ago to-morrow  Have a drink with you? Now, hadn't you better leave that kind of talk to your funny man? Can't you tell whether a man's