He coughed again,
looked nervously from the Tocsin to the Magpie--stammered--swallowed
hard--and coughed once more.
"Well, wot's bitin' youse?" inquired the Magpie ironically.
"Nothin'," said Larry the Bat--and hesitated. "Nothin', only--" He
hesitated again; and then, the words in a rush:
"Say, Slimmy, couldn't youse come across wid a piece of dat century
now?"
"Wot fer?" demanded the Magpie, a little aggressively.
Larry the Bat cleared his throat with a desperate effort.
"Youse knows," he admitted sheepishly. "Just gimme de price of one,
Slimmy--just one."
"Coke!" exploded the Magpie. "An' get soaked to de eyes--not by a damn
sight!"
"No! Honest to Gawd, no, Slimmy--just one!" pleaded Larry the Bat.
"Nix!" said the Magpie shortly.
Larry the Bat thrust out a hand before the Magpie's eyes that shook
tremulously.
"I got to have it!" he declared, with sudden fierceness. "I GOT to--see!
Look at me! I ain't goin' to be no good to-night if I don't. I tell
youse, I got to! I ain't goin' to t'row youse down, Slimmy--honest, I
ain't! Just one--an' it'll set me up. If I don't get none I'll be on de
rocks before mornin'! Dat's straight, Slimmy--ask Mag, she knows."
"Aw, let him go get it!" broke in the Tocsin wearily. "Dat's de best
t'ing youse can do, Slimmy--dey're all alike when dey gets in his
class."
"Youse cocaine sniffers gives me de pip!" snorted the Magpie, in
disgust.
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