dropped the screwdriver through a grating, or got himself caught in the act. But Barry has surrounded the idea nicely. He couldn't have done better if he'd been sent out to a listenin' post. And when I strolls out again five minutes later there he stands with the pole tucked careful under one arm. "Fine work!" says I. "But we don't want to hide it altogether. Carry it careless like,49 with your overcoat unbuttoned, so both ends will show. That's the cheese!" 49 It ain't one of these big, vulgar barber poles, you know; not over four feet long and about as many inches thick. But it's a brilliant one, and with Barry in evenin' dress he's bound to be some conspicuous luggin' it. Yet I starts him straight up Broadway, me trailin' 25 or 30 feet behind. If it had been further up town he might have collected quite a mob of followers, but down here there's only a few passing at that time of night. Most of 'em only turns to look after him and smile. One or two gives him the merry hail and asks where the Class of 1910 is holdin' the banquet. He'd done nearly five blocks before a flatfoot steps out of a doorway and waves a nightstick at him. "Hey, whaddye mean, pullin' that hick stuff?" demands the cop. "Sir!" says Barry, wavin' him off dignified. Then I mixes in. "It's perfectly all right, officer," says I. "I know him." "Oh, do you?" says the cop. "Well, some of you army guys know a lot; and then again some of you don't. But you can't get away with any such cut-up motions on my beat." "But listen," I begins, "I can explain how——" "Ah, feed it to the sergeant," says he.50 "Come along, you," and he takes Barry by the arm. 50 Being a quiet night in the precinct the desk sergeant had plenty of time to listen. He'd just decided against Barry, too, when I sprung my scrap of paper on him. It's a receipt in full for one barber's pole, signed by Otto Krumpheimer. I knew it was O. K. because I'd signed it myself. "How about that?" asks the sergeant of the cop. And all the flatty can do is gaze at it and scratch his head.
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