He continued along Broadway, reached Times Square, and descended into the subway. He caught a crowded downtown express, glanced around the car to make sure that there was no detective of his acquaintance near, and then began looking for prospective victims.
It did not take Tham long to locate one. Standing in the aisle a few feet from him was a large man with ah air of prosperity about him. Thubway Tham knew at the first glance that this man was, the sort of individual to carry a wallet in his hip pocket. He edged nearer without loss of time.
Far downtown, at a crowded station, Thubway Tham got the wallet from the unlucky individual, slipped up to the street, managed to drop the “leather,” and walked around until he was at some distance from the subway. Then he examined what he had taken from the wallet. He had eighty dollars in currency.
“Lucky day!” Tham told himself, grinning once more. “All fiveth and tenth, too. Couldn’t be identified in a million yearth. Nothey Moore ith an idiot!”
Ten minutes later he was back in the subway again and on an uptown express. The car was only moderately filled, and Tham felt a touch of disappointment. Nobody near him looked as though he would pay a dividend to a professional pickpocket. Tham decided that the ride uptown would be without profit.
He sat down, something he seldom did in the subway. He noticed a mild-looking little man of middle age near him. The little man was colorless. He did not seem possessed of much energy. He looked at Tham and blinked, and Tham looked away.
Tham left the train at Times Square and ascended to the street. He started up Broadway. For the second time that day he felt a light touch on his arm. Turning swiftly, he was surprised to find the mild-looking man at his elbow.
“I—I’d like to speak to you, sir,” said the stranger.
Thubway Tham had learned that it is not always profitable to let strangers talk to one. “Busy!” he said growlingly.
“Please!” the little man said. “It—er—it is necessary, I feel, and it will be to your advantage.”
“Well, my goodnethth!” Tham gasped out. “What ith it all about?”
“Suppose we—er—step aside so that nobody can overhear?”
Tham stepped aside. The mild-appearing man glanced around cautiously and then spoke in very low tones.
“Are you not,” he asked, “the gentleman known as Thubway Tham?”
“Thuppothe I am?”
“I wish to assure you that this conversation is strictly confidential,” the stranger said. “Bear with me until I have finished. It—it is a bit unusual and embarrassing.”
“My goodnethth!” Tham gasped out.
“I am—er—connected with a large firm and have a position of responsibility,” the stranger said. “A short time ago I almost succumbed to temptation. I handle a great deal of money, and I got the old idea into my head that I should have some of that which I handled. You follow me?”
“Yeth, thir!” Tham said.
“So I decided to steal. I made certain collections that day, and had about four hundred dollars in an old green wallet, I decided to steal that four hundred dollars from my employers and say that I had lost the money, or that it had been stolen. If I had taken that first crooked step, my life would have been ruined, I feel sure.”
“You interetht me thrangely,” said Tham.
“Kindly bear with me,” said the mild-mannered man. “I know that this is unusual to a degree. As I was saying—I decided to steal the money, but could not bring myself to taking it out of the wallet. I got on a subway express far downtown, and while I was riding my pocket was picked.”
“I don’t know anything about it!” Tham declared instantly.
“You have nothing to fear from me, my dear sir, I am not saying that I intend having you punished. On the other hand, I wish to reward you.”
“What ith thith?” Tham asked.
“Had you not stolen my wallet, the chances are that I would have taken the money. As it is, I realized how perilously near I had been to turning crook. And I thank you for it, sir.”
“My goodnethth!” Tham gasped out.
“By your nimble work you saved me from a life of crime, for which I scarcely am fitted. Disaster would have been my lot, I feel certain.”
“Thay! Are you accuthin’ me of thtealin’ your wallet?” Tham wanted to know.
“Oh, we understand each other,” the other replied. “I wish to reward you, as I have said. I went to police headquarters and looked at the rogues’ gallery. I saw your picture and read your history. I remembered that I had seen you on the subway car in which I had been riding. So I felt sure you were the man I wished to reward.”
“But—” Tham began.
“Please let me show my gratitude,” said the stranger. “I have here two hundred and fifty dollars, which I wish to give to you. I want you to take it, live on it while you seek honest employment. You saved me from becoming a thief. Your appearance at that time was almost providential. I have repaid the money you stole, and I have prospered from that day, especially on the market. Take this currency, my dear sir, and allow me to express the wish that you will see the error of your ways.”
He took the money without realizing just what he was doing. Before he could speak again, the mild little man had plunged into the crowd and was gone.
Thubway Tham turned back toward Times Square and the subway station there. His brain was in a whirl.
“It thertainly ith my lucky day!” he told himself. “Craddock ith goin’ away, Nifty Noel payth me twenty dollarth he hath owed me for yearth, and now thith bird handth me a wad for nothin’. Yeth, it thertainly ith my lucky day!”
He made his way slowly along the street. And his thoughts changed as superstition came to him again. This was “hoodoo” money, he felt sure. If he accepted that money and then did not reform, he would meet with disaster. That was easily to be understood.
Thubway Tham had a moment of something like panic. The currency seemed to be on fire in his coat pocket. He felt like taking it out and throwing it into the street.
He did not really need that money, he told himself. He was in funds, and he could get more easily, especially if Craddock was not around to pester him. It would be a great deal better to be rid of this honest money.
Thubway Tham made up his mind. He plunged down the stairs and went to the subway platform. He pressed into the crowd, and he dropped that roll of bills into the coat pocket of a hard-working clerk and then passed on.
Somehow, he felt better and safer. He would have no hoodoo money on his person, he declared to himself. He boarded a downtown express and did not seem to care that there was nobody on the car worth trying to rob.
Far downtown he ascended to the street and walked leisurely along it. For the third time that day there was a touch on his arm. Thubway Tham turned in surprise.
He saw the mild-appearing man and another. The second was a headquarters detective Thubway Tham knew well.
“I want you, Tham!” the detective said.
“Thir?”
“You heard me! Got you now, boy! Craddock might not be able to land you, but I have.”
“What ith thith all about?” Tham wanted to know.
“This gentleman says that you lifted his wallet a few minutes ago in the subway. He watched you and followed you until he found me. You haven’t had time to get rid of the money, Tham. And some of the bills are marked!”
And the man from headquarters grinned.