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Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916

"Gallegher and Other Stories"

Wolfe.
"For a cent I'd throw you out of that window. Get out of here! Quick,
now! You're too old to get excited like that; it's not good for you."
But this only exasperated the old man the more, and he made a lunge at
the confidence man's throat. Mr. Wolfe stepped aside and caught him
around the waist and twisted his leg around the old man's rheumatic
one, and held him. "Now," said Wolfe, as quietly as though he were
giving a lesson in wrestling, "if I wanted to, I could break your
back."
The old man glared up at him, panting. "Your son's not here," said
Wolfe, "and this is a private gentleman's private room. I could turn
you over to the police for assault if I wanted to; but," he added,
magnanimously, "I won't. Now get out of here and go home to your wife,
and when you come to see the sights again don't drink so much raw
whiskey." He half carried the old farmer to the top of the stairs and
dropped him, and went back and closed the door. Snipes came up and
helped him down and out, and the old man and the boy walked slowly and
in silence out to the Bowery. Snipes helped his companion into a car
and put him off at the Grand Central Depot. The heat and the
excitement had told heavily on the old man, and he seemed dazed and
beaten.


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