"Stout, Rex - The Rope Dance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stout Rex)

acts. It was incomprehensible. The man actually seemed to prefer sitting in the stuffy, crowded
theater to stepping out for a little air. But then he was a most amusing talker and the
intermissions were not so very long.

After the final curtain they pushed out with the crowd to the sidewalk. Rick felt exhilarated and a
little bewildered in the whirlpool of smiling faces and the noise of a thousand chattering tongues.

"This is certainly New York," he was saying to himself, when his thoughts were interrupted by
his companion's voice:

"What do you say we go downtown for a little supper? I know a good place. Unless you'd rather
turn in--"

"I should say not," declared Rick. "I had my supper at six o'clock, but I'm always ready for more.
Lead me to it. This is on me, you know."

THE ROPE DANCE

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5

So they found a taxi at the curb and got in, after Mr. Henderson had given the chauffeur the
name of a cabaret and supper room downtown. A little delay, and they were out of the crush in
front of the theater' a minute later the cab turned into Broadway, with its glaring lights and
throngs of vehicles and pedestrians, and headed south.

Suddenly Mr. Henderson pulled himself forward, thrust his hand into his hip pocket and brought
it forth again holding something that glistened like bright silver as the rays of light through the
cab window reflected on it. Rick's curious glance showed him that it was a nickel-plated whisky
flask. He watched with a speculative eye as the other unscrewed the top, turned it over and
poured it full of liquid.

"Some stuff I brought with me from Kansas," explained Mr. Henderson. "The real thing, this is. I
always keep it in the sideboard. If you'd care to join me, sir--"

Rick hesitated. Then he blushed f or the base thought that had entered his mind. It was all right to
be cautious and all that, but it was carrying it a little too far to be suspicious of a man like
Henderson. Still--

"Sure," said Rick. "After you. I'd like to sample it."

The other prolffered the tiny nickel- plated cup.

"After you," Rick repeated with a polite gesture.

"Here's how, then," replied Henderson, and emptied the cup at a gulp. "Nothing to rinse with,
you know," he observed as he filled it again from the flask. "The stuff's too good to waste it
washing dishes."