“You are right. Sometimes it means more than a loaded pistol,” laughed the chief.
“Well, good-by, sir,” and Josie flitted from the chief’s office and by the drowsing attendants in the outer office without their being conscious of the fact that she had been in the building.
“What a fine little girl!” mused the chief. “She knows how to leave when her business is over with, too. That’s something precious few folks understand. I wish I had more like her on the force. I forgot to ask her if she had a telephone.” He rang his bell, which buzzed teasingly near the ear of the policeman sprawling at the door over whose legs Josie had lightly jumped.
“Casey,” he asked when the huge Irishman made his appearance trying to conceal the fact that he was not quite awake, “has the young lady got out of sight?”
“Yes, sorr, clane out of sight!” And Casey blinked rapidly.
“Well, that’s all!” said the chief shortly.
“Yes, sorr!” and Casey made a hasty retreat.
He remarked to the man at the desk, whose slumbers had also been broken by the buzzer:
“Sure an’ Chief Charley has been slapin’ an’ dramin’ uv the ladies. He was arfter wantin’ to know if the young lady was out uv sight. I could truthfully tell him she was that. There’s been no young lady here.”