Evening Star Newspaper, September 17, 1928, Page 22

SYNOPSIS. Alan Dighton, an adventurer Wwith an ex- o D fecord, 13 summoned by his old chief, Sir Ian Taverner, hizh up in_the Iandon Secret Service. 'Corlitt. Sir Ian's ©o-puty, has been killed in the, baronet's home by a new chemical weapon. “ntion of Ahlborg. a chemist. and when ghton arrives Corlitt's corpse is rapidly “integrating. leaving behind wder, Sir lan explains that every coun- in Europe is trying to get control over new weapon. and to this end he is try- to get in touch with Emile Daudot. Tile Alan is left alone in the house he the initials “E. D.” in it ning it he is cof d by ? m he knocks dow om whom he floes ust in time 10_esc 2 same fumes which ca grath, Alan goes to a night club with S Iin und the baronet’s niece. Greta Have. . but Paving the next day. Sir Ian is sending him to Paris and Italy. (Continued from Yesterday's Star.) _ INSTALLMENT V. IGHTON took the night boat via Southampton, choosing this in preference to the Dieppe route because it insured him a better night's rest. A porter found him an empty first in the fore end of the train and he just dropped into the nearest corner that ofered and closed his eyes. Man, but he was tired! So deadbeat that he felt that he would never want to_move again. It had been the longest day that he had ever known. Tave! a very dif- forent Taverner now that business was to be discussed—had harmmered hard 2acts into him throughout the morning. | Iie had taken him through a portrait | pallery of people to keep in with, a col- | Jaction of photographs and sketcl others to be handled warily. Then there had arisen the questicn of codes, the various means of communication between Dighton and his chief and the sll-important question of calary. Between noon and 1:30 Dighton had lunched in the city, arranged for the posal of his office furniture and set- led the few remaining bills. Dighton & Co., general agengs, was a thing of the past. It embodied a period of fail- ure that he wanted to forget as quickly s possible, and yet the final closing of that familiar door brought something like a lump into his throat. : Behind the incessanf slogging to make ends tneet, the worries of a busi- ness man with the fates against him, there had always been a sense of free- dom that was to be denied to him in the future. “you will act on your own initiative,” Taverner had told him over and over again. But Dighton knew as well as he knew anything that he would only be a cog in a vast, intricate machine, that orders would come to him to be carried out and that the real driving force in the organization to which he now belonged was Taverner himself. So far as the journey to Italy was concerned, he was given to understand he was filling a gap created by the murder of a secret agent in a trans- continental sleeping car. An authority higher than the baronet limited his es- tablishment to a certain fixed number, beyond which he was not permitted to go. Taverner had not created a va- cancy to bestow a favor on an old com- rade. It had been a case of dead men's shoes. In the nebulous haze which sur- rounded Dighton's immediate horizon three personalities stood out with alarming distinctness—Emile Daudot, the man with a limp; the Lizard, and Karl Ahlborg, the inventor of the Pocket Death. Taverner attached little importance to the business which was to delay Dighton in Paris, refusing pointblank to believe that Daudot was the Lizard in another guise. He admitted that a newcomer to the game to which he had devoted the greater portion of his life might hit upon a point which he him- self had overlooked, but insisted that if such had been the case Corlitt would have ferreted it out long ago. His changed attitude toward the dead sec- retary amused Digiton. When he had believed him to be alive, Corlitt had been a priceless ass. Now that he was d:funct, he shouted his virtues to the skies! “Get what you can out of Daudot,” was his final advice, “and let me know the result. If he jibs, fix up another sppointment with me. Oh, and give him his hat! He may want it” The entire afternoon and most of the evening, almcst up to the moment Dighton had to leave to catch his train, he had devoted to the creator of Ahlen- | ite and its more startling successor, leaving imprinted on the younger man’s memory a portrait of an enormous, | bearded Scandinavian, with a colossai | conceit in his own accomplishments and eccentricilies that verged on l’aad- ness. Leaning back in his corner, h his coat coilar turned up, only failing through overtiredness to drcp off alio- gether, Dighton could picture that villa at Rapallo, its rambling, unpicturesque laboratories and the hungry pack of Alsatians that served as an effective guard. Ahlborg, from what motive it was difficult to conceive, had stirred up & veritable furor in the foreign offices of every nation that mattered; had dan- gled his ghastly dope under the noses of prospective purchasers and then pro- ceeded to name-a figure which was as ridiculous as it was prchibitive. Nor had he stopped at the Pocket Death, for Taverner spoke of things on tripods like machine guns, with a range that made them effective upon infantry and aircraft alike. “You need have no qualms,” he had said, “if ever you are ordered to_ take definite steps against this man. He is a menace to civilization. He imagines he holds the world in the hollow of his hand—and he wants to play with it for es long as he is able. That's just as it may be. As long as he plays, nobody minds. But immediately he stops play- ing, it behcoves us to use every means in our power to thwart him.” Dighton did not care aitogether for the idea of taking definite steps.. As a cold proposition, looked at from a dis- tance, an attack upon a maniac with the means at hand of annihilating armies, seemed tantamount to suicide. As a kind of side issue, thrown in, as it were, as an undesirable make- weight, came the Lizard. And the Liz- ard was in possession of one of Ahl- borg’s weapons, with four rounds un- discharged! He was dozing now, with the rushing of steam in his ears, the rumbling of a tiuck heavy with the luggage of some late zrrival and the sound of hurrying footsteps on the platform outside. Presently these noises faded out alto- gether and he was flying headlong o # limitless desert, flattening out when ever one of those blue rays that searched the heavens dipped suddenly to earth. Ahlborg kept appearing in his dream, attired as a German officer, directing the movements of a host of crouching gunners. And then he was running again, pumping lead into a threatening, invulnerable triumvir com- posed of his three archenemies and fused into one being after the manner of Siamese twins. A second episode flashed upon the screen of his imagina- tion—that of a darkened room, a bed and the Lizard, his mask rendered odd- 1y luminous, bending over him with a knife. He saw him stretch out his other hand and touch him, felt the fin- gers pressing into his flesh so vividly that he awoke. * * * “It's all right, sir,” said a voice in . “It's only me—Hodges, you Dighton blinked desperately and slid | his feet to the floor of the compart- ment. “Hullo!” he yawned. “You, is it? What's the trouble?” ‘The chauffeur thrust forward an envelope and Dighton took it. “Came just after you left, sir. Jarrett found it in the hall. Sir Tan was} out, but I thought I'd better bring it #long | to you" BLUE MURDER By Edmund Snell. Thrilling Story of a Young Secret Service Man's Battle With Crime and Rescue of Girl in Peril. Hes ot | little devil began to work. . Dighton dropped it onto the seat be- side him and felt in his pocket. “That's quite all right, sir,” pursued Hodges, retreating to the platform. “You was a good officer, sir—never knew a better. Glad to be able to do you a turn.” He glanced behind him. “You're almost due off, sir—and Miss Haye wants to speak to you.” Dighton came to his senses with a jerk Greta! At this time of night! He had caught a glimpse of her in the flat that morning—nothing more. But r | he had hardly expected this. She swept past the chauffeur—an impulsive bundle of furs and silk and ent—and a parcel of things shot from her arms onto the cushions—magazines tobacco, cigarettes of the sort he had declared did not touch his throat, and chocolate. “Alan.” she whispered delightedly, seizing both his hands, “I just had to come. Uncle was called away just in time—and then that letter came. Wasn't it providential?” rubbed his chin. " he gasped, “it's awfully good d all that; but won't there {be a row? “1 don't care if there is. I couldn't bear to think of you going away for goodness knows how long without say- ing good-by—come back soon.” “I'll do my best, dear.” She gazed dreamily at the light. “I shall never forget last night for as long as I live. Oh, it didn’t begin at the Cockatoo Club, my dear, but long, before that, before you saw me almost. The moment I noticed you at Donati's something inside me went click! Then All the time I was sitting in Lady Turnham's box I kept thinking of you. Aren't you feeling frightfully conceited?” “I'm feeling frightfully proud.” She withdrew her hand and clasped them behind her. “And now you're going away from me—and I shall never want to dance again.” “Oh, yes, you will!” She shook her head. “Good-by, old thing. If ever you get to Rome, look in and see Daddy, I'm going out to him for a month in :pe Spring. And write to me every day.” He reached for her arms and drew her_closer. “Listen, Greta: I shall write you a long budget once a week; I can't prom- ise more. You've got to trust me tre- mendously, even when the promised letters fail to show up. I've known girls—scores of ’em—but none of them has ever appealed to me like you.” For the second time in his life he kissed her lips. Presently he held her away from him, looking at her hungrily. “You're wonderful,” he muttered, “and I don’t deserve you! But I'll never let you down, little woman; you can stake your life on that.” She drew the glove from her left hand and moved the emerald rinz to her engagement finger, just as the whistle blew. The train was moving when Dighton handed her out to Hodges, who, with his accustomed discretion, had only re- minded them of his presence when he was wanted. “Good-by, dear, and good luck!” The flutter of a handkerchief, plat- form, station, familiar advertisement signs all slipping away into a November night, pathetic little group turning away to retrace their:steps to the bar- rler * * * porters, newsboys, dis- tributors of pillows and refreshments preparing to go home. * * * Dighton drew in his head and picked up_the envelope. The address was typewritten—Alan Dighton, Esq., in capitals, and the re- mainder in normal type. There was something bulky inside—something, in all probability, that he had left in the office and the caretaker had found. And yet, he remembered, he had never mentioned the fiat in Park lane. He slit the top with his finger and jumped back as if he had been struck. _There fell on to his palm a circular disk of jade-green bone, an inch and a half or so in diameter, with the head of a lizard impressed in gold on the side that was uppermost! There was no letter in the envelope —just that. He tore the paper into little strips and allowed them ‘to flutter to the floor at his feet. Suddenly he threw back his head and laughed, aloud. The Lizard had sent him his card— the sign and superscription of the best- informed scoundrel in Europe! He in- tended Dighton to know that his iden- tity was discovered, and that the events of the previous night were not forgotten. The adventurer unbuttoned his jacket and thrust the disk into a waistcoat pocket. It was a challenge, of course—a chal- lenge to mortal combat and, as such, Dighton accepted it. The game had begun—and he was in it, up to his neck! He had been surprised at the appearance of the token, but it did not disturb him unduly. It would be a struggle to the bitter end —a sort of perilous obstacle race, with Greta standing at the winning post. Remembering her as he had last seen g?{f he thought it was worth it—every it! . (To Be Continued Tomorrow.) Q\“\“ R End Pain from CORNS In3 Seconds-Aew Hay VER 3,000,000 people have cured painful corns and cal- luses by this amazing method. One drop of new scientific liquid deadens pain in 3 seconds— then dries up corn. You peel it off with fingers. Doctors use it widely. Beware of imitations. Get the real “Gets-It"— for sale everywhere. “GETS-IT,” Inc., Chicago, U.S. A. GETS-IT Bright, clean and spot- less reflect credit upon the careful home man- ager. Our service pro. Hiices this result for you Acme Rug Renovators Sanitary Carpet & Rug Cleaning Co. 106 Indiana Ave. Main 3257 and 3AM ! | | e i RN AT T t.GradePaint l‘sy.s'. 2nd.Grade s and dealers fromSOtyv :'?c(zx?é,i':li::‘sefi2 o gures resulting in « '« 1 2nd GradePaint 0 Average #2770 &He 0 Il | 16% mimie for 110 g%%‘m“sg 12/2 0 Gailons (500+30) (500+-40) Gallons . =270 e 91887 | 4500- [\ 0 I 0 hhvli‘:l:; .{4 Tota : Totalsl46.61% it | onytasrtimscst But-how l@n@&mmmm? These same painters and dealers state: e YeAIS %2Y9 ' Paint ‘| SoneCost orderode Foet“gallons”-figure in.yei;rs " of economyand ! Stin-Proof Paint DIXIE HARDWARE COMPANY 207 Pa. Ave. S.E. MORRIS HARDWARE COMPANY 707 7th St. N.W. C. C. PAINT COMPANY 829 9th St. N.W. J. M. REED 611 King St., Alexandria, Va. I. STAMLER 7301 Ga. Ave. N.W. H.LEVY 3322 Ga. Ave. NW. - BLUE RIDGE HARDWARE COMPANY Warrenton, Virginia Paint,Varnish and Lacquer Factories, Milwaukee, Wis. = Channing Sts. N.E. 4th i~ &, TAKGCMA FEED STORE Takoma Park, Md. L ‘) . SILVER SPRING HARDWARE & PT. CO. Silver Spring, Md. L. BARR & SON 2004 M Street N.W. CAVANAGH & KENDRICK 3217 M Street N.W. H. O. TROWBRIDGE Kensington, Md. E. C. GARTNER Gaithersburg, Md. HILLBROOK HARDWARE COMPANY 44th & Hunt PL. N.E. W. N. RICHARDSON 3914 14th St. N.W. PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS (Co. : ; PITTSBURGH = ef Products Glass-Paint-Varnish-Lacquer Brushes ORGET price-per-gallon! The com- A4 parative cost-chart proves that cheap-price-per-gallon merely means you'll buy more gallons! And oftener! Square-yard, year-to-year costs are the real costs of Painting. The as- tounding figures of this cost-chart show that Quality Paint outlasts cheap paint two and a half to one! ' Cheap, unknown, “question-mark” paint can never -save you more than four dollars in first cost on the average house, and the chart shows it will cost you $210.24 more than Quality Paint in a five year period! 50 times the fancied gain! Quality paint, such as Patton’s Sun-Proof Paint, gives your property protection against deprecia- tion, keeps out moisture and decay, stands the -weather, saves repair bills! WHATEVER you need—Glass, Paint, Varnish, : Lacquer or Brushes, — the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company,with itsinternational distribution, has a product that exactly fills your requirements. Sold by quality dealers — used by exacting painters. Newark, N. J., Portland, Ore., Los Angeles, Cal. 0% - Washington, D. C. s~ o TR