"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 039 - Road of Crime" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

the making - an important conference between Graham Wellerton and his superior, King Furzman.

The ears of The Shadow would listen, unsuspected, to whatever might be said; and in the meantime, the
eyes of The Shadow were gazing sternly upon Graham Wellerton, the gentleman of crime!
 CHAPTER II. THE BIG SHOT
THE door at the opposite side of the room opened. A stout, dark-haired man stepped into view.
Graham Wellerton arose from his chair and smiled in greeting. The other man grinned broadly and gave
acknowledgment with a slight wave of his hand. Graham sat down and the stout man took a chair
opposite him.

Graham Wellerton, gentleman of crime, was face to face with King Furzman, racketeer and big shot,
whose word was law to skulking hordes of evil mobsters.

King Furzman, like his visitor, was attired in Tuxedo. But where Graham's clothes were smoothly fitting,
Furzman's, despite the efforts of the big shot's tailors, were rumpled and misshapen. Furzman's stiff shirt
was bulging and his fat bull neck stuck turtlelike from his upright collar.

The difference in the faces of the two men was apparent. Graham Wellerton did not have the expression
of a crook. King Furzman, though he sought to maintain a frank and friendly expression, could not hide
the brutal, selfish characteristics that were a latent part of his physiognomy.

This meeting was one, however, that could have but a single outcome - an expression of approval on the
part of King Furzman. Confident in that knowledge, Graham Wellerton adopted an attitude of easy
indifference and waited for the big shot to begin the conversation.

"Good work, Wellerton," began Furzman. "You pulled a clean job today. The best part of it was the way
you slipped the swag to Gouger, where he was waiting for you. He could have walked here with it."

"Certainly," agreed Graham. "We made a perfect get-away. I could have come here with the dough
myself - but you wanted me to pass it to Gouger instead, so, I did."

"Well, it's tucked away here," returned Furzman, "and you'll get your cut of the dough any time you're
ready for it."

"Better hold it for me," said Graham nonchalantly. "I'm not broke - and I can collect later on."

"You've got me beat, Wellerton," admitted the big shot. "Wolf Daggert always hollered for his split right
after the job was done. You don't seem to worry about it."

"Why should I?" questioned Graham. "I've got good enough security."

"How?"

"The cash that's coming in the next job," replied Graham suavely. "It will be bigger than this one."

"Say" - Furzman's growl voiced his approval - "that's the way to talk. I like to hear it because I know you
mean it. Wolf never talks that way; howls for his split - that's all he does."

"But he won't howl tonight," asserted Graham.