Split! Why the nut'll take it all!
"Nix! Me for the border. I couldn't do a thing with all this
coin down in Rio, an' Bridgie'll be along there most any time.
We can hit it up some in lil' ol' Rio on this bunch o' dough.
Why, say kid, there must be a million here, from the weight of
it."
A frown suddenly clouded his face. "Why did I take it?" he
asked himself. "Was I crackin' a safe, or was I pullin' off
something fine fer poor, bleedin' Mexico? If I was a-doin' that
they ain't nothin' criminal in what I done--except to the guy
that owned the coin. If I was just plain crackin' a safe on my
own hook why then I'm a crook again an' I can't be that--
no, not with that face of yours standin' out there so plain
right in front of me, just as though you were there yourself,
askin' me to remember an' be decent. God! Barbara--why
wasn't I born for the likes of you, and not just a measly,
ornery mucker like I am. Oh, hell! what is that that Bridge
sings of Knibbs's:
There ain't no sweet Penelope somewhere that's longing much for me,
But I can smell the blundering sea, and hear the rigging hum;
And I can hear the whispering lips that fly before the out-bound ships,
And I can hear the breakers on the sand a-calling "Come!"
Billy took off his hat and scratched his head.
Pages:
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416