Evening Star Newspaper, February 17, 1929, Page 24

THE RAGGED PRINCESS THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, FEBRUARY 17, 1929—PART 1. By Edgar Wauace Copyright, 1925. by Chicago Daily News (Continued From Yesterday's Star.) CHAPTER II. HERE was a dance at the Ameri- can embassy. The sidewalk was spanned by a striped awning, a strip of red carpet ran down the steps to the curb, and for an r glittering limousines had been ging the distinguished and privi- leged guests to join the throng already gathered in the none too spacious salons that form the forty-ninth State of the Union. When the stream of cars had dried to the merest trickle a compact, jovial- faced man stepped down from a big machine and walked leisurely past the fringe of sightseers. He nodded ge- nially to the London policeman who kept the passage clear and passed into the hall. “Col. James Bofhwell," he said to the footman, and made his slow progress to the salon. “Excuse me." “A good looking man in evening dress took his arm affectionately and di- verted him toward & small anteroom fitted as a buffet and at this early hour @eserted. | _ Col. Bothwell raised his eyebrows in good-humored surprise at this “imiliar- . ity. His attitude seemed to say, “You are a perfect stranger to me, probably one of these queerly friendly Americans, 8o 1 must tolerate your company.” "gn.fl" said the stranger gently. “No?" Col. Bothwell's eyebrows could not go jeny higher, so he reversed his facial s and frowned. “No—I think not.” The gray eyes smiling down into the colonel's were twinkling with amuse- ment. “My dear American friend,” said the eolonel, trying to disengage his arm, *I really do not understand; you have made a mi P The ether man shook his head slowly. “I never make mistakes—and I am English, as you very well know, and you are English, too, in spite of your umbfio the New England accent, My ld Slick, it is too bad!” Slick Smith sighed, but gave no other evidence of his disappointment. an American citizen can't make dl{ call on his own Ambassador ‘without ' the bull pen to fury sumpin’s wrong, that's all. See here, captain. I got an invitation. And if mmmmwm;m:.mmmxmeu that’s no" of yours.” Capt. Dick Shannon chuckled softly. “He doesn’t want to see you, Slick. He'd just hate to see a clever Yankee around here with a million dol- ' worth of diamonds within reach. e might be glad to see Col. Bothwell of the 94th Cavalry on a visit to Lon- don and anxious to shake him by the hand, but he has no use at all for Slick Smith, jewel thief, confidence man and supe rtunist. Have a drink with me before you go?” Slick sighed again. “Grape juice,” he sald laconically, and indicated the bottle which was otherwise labeled. “And you're wrong if you think I'm here on business. That's a fact, captain. Curiosity is my vice, and I was curious to see Queen Riena’s diamond necklace, Maybe it's the last time I'll see it. Go m‘y" with that ‘water, George—whisky can't swim.” He stared gloomily at the in his hand before he swallowed its contents " ‘Bu'rl& I'm glad tted & & way I'm you spot me. I got the invitation through a friend. ‘what I know, my com- here was act of one who im- es he is being followed by black isoned by his spiritual ad- Aetective instinct. You've them nuts, {ekylé h‘l:d Hyde? mon. A “busy” or “busy fellow” is, in the argot of the underworld of London, a detective. “Some men dream about the way they'd spend a million,” Slick went on pensively. “Some men dream of how they'd save a girl from starvation and worse and be & brother to her until she got to love him—you know! Be- tween jobs I dream of how I would un- ravel deadly mysteries. Like Stormer —the busy thief-taker that gave me away to you. They've got something " It was perfectly true that Shannon had had his first intimation of Slick’s tiges?” hf"uked, “or are we just plain “‘Say “thief'—don’t worry about my " b:ned Slick. “Yes; I'm a “And the queen’s diamonds?” Slick drew a long breath. “They're marked,” he sald. “I'm curi- ous to kmow how they’ll take ‘em. There’s a elever gang working the job ——you won’t expect me to give names, will you? If you do, you've got a shock coming. “Are they in the embassy?” asked Bick quickly. “I don't know. That's what I came see. I'm not one of these profes- sipnals who take no interest in the e. I'm like a doctor—I love to see :E;‘ people’s operations; you can ! things that you'd never guess if ybu had nothing to study but your own work.” /Shannon thought for a moment. “Wait here—and keep your hands off the sllver,” he said. Then, leaving the ipdignant Slick, he hurried into the crowded room, pushing his way through the throng until he came to a clear where the ambassador stood talk- to a tall, tired-looking woman, pro- tection of whom was the main reason for his being at the embassy ball. From her neck hung a scintillating chain that flashed and glimmered with every languid movement. Turning to survey the guests, he presently sin- gled out a monocled young man en- gaged in an animated conversation with one of the secretaries of the embassy, and catching his eye he brought him to his side. “Steel, Slick Smith is here, and he s me that there will be an attempt Mother’s Favorite for all the family CLEANSES mdz:utifiu the skin and when used daily, assisted by Cuticura Ointment as needed, it prevents little skin and scalp troubles from becoming serious. Sosp 25c. Ointment 25c. and 50c. Talcum 25c. Sold everywhere. Sample each free. Addreu: “Cuticura,” Dept. 37G, Malden, Mass. made to ‘pull away’ the queen's neck- lace. You are not to allow her out of your sight. Get an embassy man to verify the list of guests and bring any to me that can't be accounted for.” He went back to Slick and found him taking his third free drink. “Listen, Slick. Why did you come here if you knew the robbery was planned for tonight? If you are not in it, you'd be suspected right away.” “That certainly occurred to me,” said the man. “Hence my feelings of disquiet. That's a new word I learned last week.” From where they stood the main doorway of the salon was visible. Peo- ple were still arriving, and as he looked a big-framed man of middle age came in, and with him a girl of such remark- able beauty that even the hardened Slick stared. They were out of sight before Dick Shannon could observe | them closely. “That’s a_good-looker. Martin Elton isn't here, either. That girl goes about a whole lot with Lacy.” “La “The Hon. Lacy Marshalt. He's a millionaire—one of the tough sort that started life in a rough-house and is al- ways ready for another. You know the lady, captain?” Dick nodded. Most people knew Dora Elton. , She was one of the smart peo- ple you saw at first nights or met in the ultrafashionable supper clubs. Lacy Mu'rshalt he did not know save by re-| pute. s | “She’s a good-looker,” sald Slick again, wagging his head admiringly. | “Lord! What a good-looker! If she were a wife of mine, she shouldn’t run around with Lacy. No, sir. But they do that sort of thing in London.” “And in New York and Chicago, and | in Paris, Madrid and Bagdad,” said| Shannon. “Now, Percy!” 1 “You want me to go? Well, you've spoilt my evening, Captain. I came here for information and guidance. I'd never had climbed into a white shirt if I'd guessed you were here.” Dick escorted him to the door and waited until the man’s hired car had driven away. Then he returned to the ballroom to watch and wait. A guest strolling negligently into an unfre- quented passage of the embassy saw a man sitting reading, pipe in mouth. “Sorry.” sald the intruder. “I seem to have lost my way.” “I think you have,” sald the reader coolly, and the guest, a perfectly honest and innocent rambler, retired hastily. wondering why the watcher should have planted his chair beneath the switchboard from which all the lights in the house were controlled. Shannon was taking no risks. At 1 o'clock, to his great relief, her majesty of Finland made her departure for the hotel in Buckingham Gate, where she was staying incognito. Dick Shannon stood. bareheaded, in the fog till the rear lights had gone out of sight. On the seat by the driver was an armed detective—Shannon had no fear that majesty would not reach its bedroom safely. “That let's you out, Shannon, eh?” The smiling Ambassador received his report with as much relief as the de- tective had felt. “I heard an attempt was to be made, through my own detectives,” he said: “but then, one always hears such stories in connection with every function of this character. Dick Shannon drove his long touring car back to Scotland Yard, and he drove at a snail’s pace, for the fog was very thick and the way was infersected with confusing crossroads. Twice he found himself on the sidewalk; in Vic- toria street he all but collided with a bus that was weatherbound and sta- tionary. N He crawled past Westminster Abbey. and guided by the booming notes of Big Ben navigated his car to the Em- bankment and through the archway of Scotland Yard. “Get somebody to garage my car,” he instructed the policeman on duty. “I shall walk home—it’s safer.” . “The inspector was asking for you, sir—he’s gone down the Embankment.” “A pleasant night for a walk,” smiled Dick, wiping his smarting eyes. “Thames police are searching for the body of a man who was thrown into 50 Note~ You deal only with Shields. Shields takes No Trust Notes. Mortgage on Prop- erty. Does not place in Finance Company’s hands. no From Virginia You have still the oppor- tunity to benefit by Shields’ sensational offer. A quality heating plant at remarkable Places No price. trol Free. Terms that mean if you desire. Written Guarantee for Satisfaction Expert engineering and the world’s This Includes 17-inch Boiler 300-1t. Radiation Higher Prices For Larger We Solicit Inquiries the river tonight,” was the startling re- Joinder. “Thrown—you mean jumped!” “No, sir, thrown. A Thames police patrol was rowing under the Embank- ment wall when the fog was a little thinner than it is now, and they saw the man lifted up to the parapet and pushed over. The sergeant in charge blew his whistle, but none of our men was near, and the chap, whoever he was who did the throwing, got away— asked me to tell you this if you came in. Dick Shannon did not hesitate. The lure of his comfortable quarters and the cheery fire was a lure no longer. He groped his way across the broad Embankment, and, with the long parapet to guide him, went quickly {now and the mournful hoot of the river tugs had ceased as their baffled captains gave up the struggle. Near the obelisk that records the past glories of Egypt he found a little knot of men standing, and, recognizing him at close quarters, the uniformed inspec- tor advanced a pace to meet him. “It is a murder case. The Thames police have just recovered the body.” “Drowned?"” “No, sir; the man was clubbed to death before he was thrown into the water. If you'll come down to the steps you'll see him.” “What time did this happen?” “At 9 o'clock tonight—or rather, last night. It is nearly 2 now.” Shannon descended the shallow steps which led to the water on either side in the stern was visible in the light of the pocket lamps. “I've made a rough search,” said the sergeant of the patrol. “There's noth- ing in his pockets, but he ought to be easy to identify—there’s an old knife wound across his chin.” “Humph!” said Dick Shannon, look- ing. “We'll make another search later.” He went back to headquarters with the inspector and the entrance hall, which he had left silent and deserted, was now bustling with life. For in his absence news had come through which set Scotland Yard humming and prought from their beds every reserve detective within the metropolitan area. The Queen of Finland’s car had been held up in the darkest part of the Mall, the detective had been shot down and her majesty’s diamond chain had passed into the fog. 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