§ 21
McGivney laid the money on the bed. "There it is," he said, "and if
you give me the name of the spy you can take it. But you'd better take
my advice and not spend it, because if it turns out that you haven't got
the spy, by God, I believe Ed Guffey'd twist the arms out of you!"
Peter was easy about that. "I know he's the spy all
right."
"Well, who is he?"
"He's Jack Ibbetts."
"The devil you say!" cried McGivney, incredulously.
"Jack Ibbetts, one of the night keepers in the jail."
"I know him," said the other. "But what put that notion
into your head?"
"He's a cousin of the Todd sisters."
"Who are the Todd sisters?"
"Jennie Todd is my girl," said Peter.
"Girl!" echoed the other; he stared at Peter, and a grin spread
over his face. "You got a girl in two weeks? I didn't know you had it in
you!"
It was a doubtful compliment, but Peter's smile was no
less expansive, and showed all his crooked teeth. "I got
her all right," he said, "and she blabbed it out the first
thing — that Ibbetts was her cousin. And then she was
scared, because Andrews, the lawyer, had made her and
her sister swear they wouldn't mention his name to a soul.
So you see, they're using him for a spy — there ain't a particle
of doubt about it."
"Good God!" said McGivney, and there was genuine
dismay in his tone. "Who'd think it possible? Why, Ibbetts
is as decent a fellow as ever you talked to — and him
a Red, and a traitor at that! You know, that's what makes
it the devil trying to handle these Reds — you never can
tell who they'll get; you never know who to trust. How,
d'you suppose they manage it?"
"I dunno," said Peter. "There's a sucker born every
minute, you know!"
"Well, anyhow, I see you ain't one of 'em," said the rat-faced
man, as he watched Peter take the roll of bills from the bed and tuck
them away in an inside pocket.
