Evening Star Newspaper, April 7, 1929, Page 65

THE RAGGED PRINCESS By E&gar Wallace. (Continued From Yesterday's Star.) CHAPTER LIV. ERGT. STEEL came to Shanno office in response to s call :ound hlmlin l,hebll'l;ldl'. of ;Io:; ng a very long cablegram. thz Wesur::" Union hdult:lu'wv which he recognized, he gathere Was from America, snd he expectéd h chief to make some reference to its con- tents. But apparently it had nothing to do with the case, for Dick turned the sheets upside down and addressed him- self to the business for which he had sent for Steel. “Take a plain-clothes officer with you and admit yourself to 551 Portman square, You will probably find the controls are off. I want you to wait and watch the removal of the Malpas god. As soon as it is gone close the house and report.” “Are you moving the idol?” asked the other in surprise. A Dick nodded. “I've arranged with the Builders Transport Co. to have & lorry and 20 men before the house at half- past 3. See that they get in, watch the Joading and escort the idol to Scotland | Yard. I've told the transport company to cover it up, or we should have half London following the trolley under the impression that we're giving an exhibi- tion. We've arranged for its reception at the yard: When we've got it there, two of our engineers will make a very thorough examination and I think this will throw a light upon Malpas and his methods, and Steel!” 7 The sergeant turned back, “I had a talk with one of Marshalt's servants today. She came with a whole lot of useless stuff about things that mean nothing, but she let out one in- teresting fact: Marshalt was really scared of the man next door. I've been thinking that all that talk and ap- pointment of Stormer's men to watch was sheer bunk. But it was true. One y this woman had to go into Mar- day shalt's study to take some coal and she | just got into the room when three knocks came from the other side of the | You remember I told you that| Miss Bedford heard the same signal. | Marshalt and Tonger were together and | wall. the effect on Marshalt was to reduce him to jelly. That's what the woman said, but I'm allowing a generous mar- gin for exaggeratin. I don't knqw whether you've any cut-and-dried the- ory, but Temember that Marshalt and Tonger were in the room together when the knocks came. And Marshalt was scared sick.” Steel considered this new point. “I don't see how that adds to our knowledge, sir,” he said, and Dick Shannon showed his teeth in a smile. “It adds a lot to mine. It tells me ‘who was the two-faced villain who was on the other side! Now, get along.” Half an hour later Sergt. Steel. ac- companied by one plain-clothes officer, walked up the steps of 551, fitted his key in the tiny lock and admitted him- self and his companion. The light was burning in the hall and in the big room above apparently nothing had changed except that somebody had drawn the curtain owver the idol. “Pull back those window curtains,” gaid Steel. “Let's have a little real light in this place. So saying, he switched off the lamps. In dayiight Malpas' room was even more funereal than it was under the glare of the electric. “I don't know why the chief wants us fto watch the removal” grumbled Steel. “Our _people about this job,” said the other, “and they will be glad Capt. Shannon has de- cided to cut out the guard for good.” Steel looked at his watch, “The contractor's men. will be here in half an hour, and then we'll see what this old idol looks like in the Black museum.” “Are they moving it? Is that the idea, Sergeant?” “That is the idea,” said Steel, idly turning the pages of a book he had been reading when he had been in occupation. The officer strolled up to the statue and examined it curiously. “Tg will take some moving,” he said, “It 100ks to be cast in one piece and it must weigh a ton. I wonder the floor supports it.” “The foor doesn't; the wall is bullt out underneath. Capt. Shannon had & hole knocked into it to see if there was any hidden mechanism there, but there wasn't.” “Who are doing the moving?" “The Builders Traction Co.” sald Steel. “Did you wedge open the door downstairs?” he asked, with a pretense of carelessness. The place was on his nerves. Half an hour passed and there was no sign of the ccntractor. He took up the telephone and immediately missed the familiar buzz of the receiver and tapped the hook. g “The phone is dead. Has anybody ordered it to be cut off, I wonder?” He glanced nervously at the door, and, obeying an impulse, walked across and planted a chair so that it was impossible that it should close. ‘The light was fading in the sky: he put on the lamps again, to find that they. did not_work. “I think we'll go.” sald Steel ‘hastily, “put don't touch that chair!” He himself vaulted over it and went down the stairs quicker than he had moved since he had been a boy. The wedge at the door still held. As he stood there he heard the upper door shut. . “What was the hurry?”. asked the lain-clothes man, coming out after im. “Vouve never been on duty here, have you?” “No. Not that I should mind, Our fmpl‘; made a fuss about it, but it me” . ooks an easy job to me. anat anybody who “It would,” snapped Steel. would look an easy job to doesn’t understand it. Go around to the store in Orchard street and phone the traction bcenmp‘ny, ask them how they'll be.” hr}sp hirs;;snlf paced up and down the pavement, keeping onpe eye upon the open door, his uninjured hand on the butt of the gun that he carried in his ocket. > His walk took him a few yards be- yond the open doorh on ;‘lmn lld.c l:]d he was turning when he saw - low hand come ro;hd l&elhlnm 500: and grip the wedge—the xmm.ga\r flesh and biood man, and Steel was afraid of no man in the ld. Whipping out his gun, he leaped up the steps, and as he did so the wedge was withdrawn”and the door hegan to close. It was within an inch of coming to rest when Steel flung himself against the dark paneling and for a second 1t held. Then somebody inside added his weight to the springs and the door cicsed. Steel stood, pant- ing and exhausted, leaning against the black panels, and then, looking round, saw his assistant coming back at & Tun, “I got on to the traction people; they say that the order was counter- mlnde;i thl's afternoon by Capt. Shan- non_himself.” “I'll bet it was not,” said Steel. He Jooked up at the blank windows. “When we get back to the captain we'll Jearn that he gave no such order. That was a good idea of mine about the chair. “20 ;lotgm :nd»yhone him—no, 'd_better do i x He got through to Shannon imme- diately and the commissioner listened to silence. “No, 1 gave order. Let the mat- ter stand for tonight, Steel. Tomor- yow I will open the house and you'll see things happen. Go watch the back and see what happens.” He rang off and taj on the hook e have been squealing tion,” he sald, and when at last he had reached the officlal he wanted: “This is Capt. Shannon of headquar- ters. As from tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock I want all electric current to be cut off from 561 Portman square. Precisely al that moment—ean you fix it without entering the house? Good!” In the meantime the disgruntled Steel |and his man made their way to the is |alley behind that side of Portman square on which the Muru house was situated. They were half a dozen yards from the entrance when a well dressed man walked out, swinging a polished malacea cane. “Slick Smith!" gaped Sfeel. “And he is wearing yellow gloves!"” S broke into his hours of sleep, for it meant rising at an unusual hour—he was sometimes up as early as neon, He was known by the police to be an expert hotel and flat thief, but in truth Mr. Smith had attainments be- yond those sordid limits. Unconscious of the sensation which his yellow gloves had excited, Slick Smith strolled | westward until he came to the busy Edgeware road and, turning north- ward, he strolled at his leisure into Maida Vale. In that excellent thor- oughfare there ‘are many blocks of residential _apartments, some of the highest grade, rented at a price which only a wealthy stock broker could hear without swooning. There were others CHAPTER LV, LICK SMITH had develored the social craze for making afternoon calls, This new weakness of his for their living could afford to live, ut these latter, for the moment, had no interest for Slick Smith. It was along the broad carriage drive of Greville Mansions that he walked wher he left the sidewalk. This so wealthy that they could afford, for the greater part of the year. to live somewhere else. In other Words, a flat paniment of a country house, and 30 per cent of the flats were, as a rule, untenanted all the year round. There were two entrances, behind each of which was the brass grille of an elevator attended by a smart man in livery. Into one of these sedate halls, with its redwood paneling, its | neat 'janitor's office and perfectly car- | peted” floor. Slick turned. He beamed upon the janitor. “I want to see Mr. Hill,” he said JMPORTANT “400” FEATUR) Twin-Ignition motor ) 12 Aircrafi-type spark plugs High compression Houdsille and Lovejoy shock absorbers - (Buelusive Nosb mosatind) | Copyright, 1925, by Chicago Daily News where professional men who worked | imposing block was occupled by families | in Greville Mansions was the accom- | Hawkins Nash Motor Co. 1529 14th St. N.W, “Mr. Hill is you_come about & “ya-as," drawled Slick, “Lady Kil- fern’s flat is to rent, I understand?” “To let, sir, you mean. Yes, it @& to be let furnished. Have you come from the agents?” The yellcw glove went inside the well fitting coat and there came forth, between two fingers, a blue slip of pa- per which the janitor read. “rhat is all right sir. This is an order to view Lady Kilfern's flat. Will you eome with me?" He took the visitor up to the second floor, unlocked a magnificent door and led the way into her ladyship’ rte ment, Slick did no more than glance over ‘the sheeted furniture and then shook his head sadly. “T'm afraid that this is the front of the block? It is? I understood it was at the back. I am a bad sleeper and the noise of the traffic disturbs me.” ‘r“'fllel’e'l nothing to let at the back, sir,” “Whose flat is that?” They stood on the landing and he in- dicated a door behind the lift cage. The janitor told him the name of the tenant “~a lawyer—while Blick strolled leisure- ly down the passage to the big window that looked out on to the back. . “This would suit me admirably,” he sald. “A fire escape, too. I'm rather nervous of fires,” He leaned out of the window and took a survey of the courtyard below. He saw more than this; he noted that there were patent locks on the door of No. 9, | and that a man of nerve, holding to the | edge of the fire-escape landing, could | just reach the window of what was ap- parently No. 9's hall. “I should like to see one of these back flats, but I suppose that is im- possible?” he said sadly. “Yes, sir; I have a pass key in case of fire or accident, but I am strictly for- bidden to use it “A pass key?” Mr. Smith was charm- | ingly puzzled. “What is a pass key?” Displaying the satisfaction with which out of town, sir. Did fat?” the man of limited intelligence explains | something which is novel to others and familiar to himself, “This is a pass key,” he said, and produeed it from his waistcoat pocket with some labor. Blick took it in his hand and ex- amined it with interest. “How extraordinary!" he sald. “It looks just like any other key. What system does it work on?” He looked the man straight in the eye. “That's beyond me, sir,” said the jani- “Excuse sir—" Ky et "1 T T A0 this front of the house fiat,” he said B be back in & minute, sir” o . , sir." When he returned, ha & carload of on an upper floor, where he had left eet. “I wouldn't have lost that for a for- tune,” said the relieved janitor, and again the interruption of the bell called m to the nether regions. ‘“You ought to go up and see the roof, sir. There's a fine view. I'll take you u? “I prefer to walk,” sald Slick Smith, sight and his preference for walking took him in three strides to the door. He pushed it gently and it opened, as he expected it would, for he had un- locked the door, fastened back the catch and pulled it close again, all In the time of the janitor's first absence. Now he let the safety catch drop, and went swiftly from room to room. , The place was handsomely furnished, ahd evidently the plutocratic lawyer had some artistic taste, for the pletures which hung in his small dining room included two veritable old masters. But Slick Smith was not worrying about pietures. He was after valuables of a minutes he had made a most scientific exploration of the best bedroom’s con- tents, and all that he regarded as worth taking he took, slipping the articles into the capacieus pocket of his tail-coat. | This finished, he had another look around. He was particularly interested in the kitchen and the gontents of the larder, | feeling the bread to discover its new- ness, smelling the butter, examining an opened tin of preserved milk that stood on the kitchen table; and at last, as though he were satisfied that there | was nothing there worth eating, he | crept up the passage and listened at | the door. The whine of the elevator came to his ears, and stooping he lft- ed the flap of the letter box and caught a glimpse of the elevator passing up- ward.. Instantly he was out, had closed the door, and was waiting in the hall | when the janitor came down. “Oh, here you are, sir? I wondered where you'd got to.” | “I have decided to take her ladyship's flat,” said Smith, “but I presume that | you do not attend to that side of the | business?" “No, sir, T don't.” admitted the man. | “And thank you, sir.” He took the munificent tip which Smith slipped into his hand, and the yellow-gloved man walked out. Some | distance along Maida Vale he halled & taxicab and gave the driver an ad- dress in Soho. been A you," said Smith good .| And He waited till the lift was out of |aW! more portable character, and in five | | picked up. But, alas! you don’t. tlefeweler's janoing left and ST, i R terior, and & skull cap i a little man in shuffied behind the counter. “What is this worth?" He passed a across to the jeweler. I gave you five I'd be robhing you offered me lfl’w’rd murder then the doo! leasantly. - gather thal you've been tailing me “How could you think of such thing?” said the other, shocked. * me have a look at that ring.” “I didn't -buy it; I.didn't buy.it!" protested the little jeweler, ‘“He fered it to me and I told him to take it Y. “Where did you get this, Smith?" “It was a present from my Aunt Rachel,” sald Mr. Smith humorously. “In fact, it is my own ring, and Capt. Shannon will be very pleased to iden- tity the same.” “Shannon would?” sald the other, nonplussed. “Bure he would,” sald Blick. “Come along and see him. But I'll save you trouble. Look on the inside, will you?" ‘The detective carried into the daylight and read the inserip- tios “To Silek from Auntle.” oll, 'm—" “I dare say if you're not you will be, and I wasn't trying to sell it. I was | merely—the fact is, dear lad” said Smith, with engaging candor, “I spot- ted you when I got out of the cab, and I felt that I ought to bring a little brightness into your dull and drab life. If you'd known your job, you'd have detained the cab to find where I was Do you want me to go to Shannon?” The detective jerked his head sternly. “One of these days,” he threatened. good title for a song. I wonder u don't write it,” sald Slick, and walked all the way back to Bloomsbury whistling. Until there came to him a sense of his folly. 1If that smart detective had aryested him and searched him—Slick Smith went cold at the thought. (Continued in Tomorrow's Btar.) . Non-Conformist Preaches. OXFORD, England (#)—The nmi non-conformist to occupy the pulpit of the University Church of St. Mary here was Dr. W. B. Selbia, principal of the Manchester Free Church College. He preached recently from the place onee occupied by the ecclesiastic who | became Cardinal Newman. Among the | later rectors was the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Rev. Dr. John A. Goodfellow has been and selling?" | the ring out | NEWS OF THE CLUB CONDUCTED BY NANNIE LANCASTER. NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS. be duly representative of activities, 3 Women's City Club—"Tea Time” will be observed this afternoon from 4:30 to 6 o'clock; club members have the privi- lege of guests with the observance to the house rules, Hostesses will be repre~ sentatives from the various sections. Mrs. Gertrude Lyons, director of the club chorus, will present this group to- morrow at 8:30 p.m., with Josef Kasper assisting in a violin ensemble, when four young violinists will play a waltz Aarra by Emerson Meyers, who will accompany at the piano. Miss Janet Coon, whistler, will also be on the pro- gram. Members of the club and their friends are invited. This annual concert is given for the benefit of the house bet- terment committee fund. ‘The Manday bridge section meets to- morrow afternoon at 1:45 for play. Awards for the highest score for the month of March were presented Mrs. M. M. Dolmage, first; Mrs. T. H. Dawson, second; Mrs. George Chace, third. This section has completed plans, and reser- vations are now being made for a card party be given for the house better- ment fund, afternoon and evening, April 19. Awards will be given at each table. Miss Hazel Swift will be hostess and will give a short talk on the science of contract bridge. All members of the club are invited to attend the Tuesday evening bridge section meetings. Mem- bers can make up their tables or they will be placed by the hostess. Miss Made Ann Martin registers guests, Gideon Lyon, assistant editor of The Star, will be the guest of hanor and will speak before the current events section Tuesday at 4:50 p.m. Mrs. Grace Ross Chamberlin will introduce Mr. Lyon. All club members are invited. Guest privileges. Mr. Lyon will talk on what- ever of current interest appeals to him at that time, A meeting of the board of directors has been called by the president, Mrs. Merritt O. Chance, for 8 o'clock in the evening. Dr. John E, Lind will be the speaker at the sixth of a series of luncheons given by the child welfare committee, Priday at 12:30 pm. “The Problem Child” will be the subject of the talk. This is.a subject of vital interest to every pérson who deals with ehildren, | in because all children present problems tor, gravely, even reverently. He put the key back in his pocket and a%t that moment the lift bell ran, tee features.. All t Getting rid of the cab, he passed down a side street and siopped outside a lit- rector of an Episcopal Church in Phila- delphia 57 {2 TWIN-IGNITION MOTOR WORLD’S DRIVING CONTROL which may or may not become serious according to their handling. Mrs. Law: EASTEST FRONT AND i REAR BUMPERS ton Miller is chairman and will it Dr. Lind.- All members of the are invited to make reserval . Miss Bess Rowe will be the spesker at a forum lunel for Sat- urday, April 20, at 1 pun. Miss is fleld editor of the Farmer's Wife, m‘u A I-hl::‘lt l.l’lm Ls s farm relief. Ellis H‘mfll Mrs, William Lee Corbin this section. Votes were counted at the business meeting Wednesday for candidates for the office of public utilities commission- or, with Mrs. Grace Hays Riley first and Mrs. Lyman B. Swormstedt second. The business meeting turned itself into a protest meeting against the proposed erection of an abattoir by the Auth Provision Co. near Washington. It was pointed out that the people of Washington, and especially the women, for they have more time 1o spend, should be the ones to saf the Nation's Cal)im, the hope-to-be “most beautiful city in the world.” In | this capacity 81 organizations of women | are now being enlisted and the voice of | protest will become mare and more | pronounced against things that will detract from the splendid plans of | L'Enfant, Jefferson and Washington. Members of the Women’s City Club are invited to attend the meeting of the educational group of the District of Co- lumbia Federation, at the Mount Pleas p.m, when Miss Alice M. Heaven will read an original article, “A Sketch of the Mason and Dixon Line” This is Women’s City Club hour with members Club sharing the afternoon. Twentieth Century Club.—Mrs. Eu- gene Byrnes, leader of the music sec- tion of the club, announces that Miss Katherine Riggs will give & harp cital at the meeting on Tuesday at 11 am. All members of the elub and their friends are invited. 2 ‘The nature section, led by Mrs. Leo | D. Miner, will make a trip to Belle Ha- en, on Wednesday. Members will eet at the Mount Vernon station, | Twelfth street and Pennsylvania ave- nue, at 9:50 am. | The civic section will meet Thurs- | day at 12:30 p.m. for a forum luncheon. | The Rev. Moses R. Lovell will speak. | His subject will be “The Washington | Life_Adjustment Center.” Mrs. George E. Ricker will preside, Voteless D, C. League of Women Voters.—Mrs. Frank Hiram Snell, chair- man of the “legal status for women™ committee, anpounces a luncheon for April 17, at 12:30 p.m., at the ¥. W. C. A. Miss Edna Sheehy will give a read- g; “Libraries, Russian and American,” will be the subject of & talk by Mme. Alexander I Krynitski; ‘“Women in Party_ Management” will be Mrs. Lester BUUR CENTRALIZED, CHASSIS LUBRICATION COSTLY CAR INTERIOR FINISH 7-BEARING ...at no extra cost/ The new features and equipment of the Nash “400’" have added hundreds of dollars of ac- tual, visible worth to this famous motor car. They have added an incalculable measure of enjoyment to Nash ownership. Yet they bave added nothing to Nash price. At no extra cost, you have the Twin Ignition - Tl‘le New N Salon Bodies New double-drop Shaist o Torsional vibration damper World's easiest steering Birvon Nash Motor Co. 650 Wilson Boulfl'lrd. Clarindon. Va ° " added to Leads the frame y Retail Sales motor, the'year's ontstanciing motoring improve- ment (more power, more speed, less gasoline). You have costly car interior finishes, Bijur Centralized Chassis Lubrication, Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers, bumpers front and rear, even a spare tire l_ock, and not a dollar the price. Equipment which other dealers (not Nash Weorld in Motor Car Value ‘ WALLACE MOTOR CO. Distributors Decatur 2280 ASSOCIATE DEALERS " Robert J. Nash Motor Co. 1419 Irving St. N.W. rooms, 1709 L Street' N.W, dealers) charge comes from the included in every Nash “400” extra for, @t retail factory, at no extra cost. preside. | members. The Wednesday | pe ant Library, Saturday, April 13, at 2| from the Sixteenth Street Highlands | i i i 2 1 j | | 5 i g T i g £ _§ | 5 §1 L % 7 ol | | ; ER 2 g8 £ i : k 3 2 ¥ Eann On Tuesday evening the feature-story | group, Miss Isabelle Story, chairman, will meet, while on Wednesday evening Prof. Lewis Moneyway will ress the short-story group, of which Miss Louise Proctor is chairman. Enthusiasm in | the Isabel Anderson contest, which | closes the last day of April, is increas- lln. each day. Miss Evelyn Weems, chairman of the creative group sctivi- | tles, has secured the following judges for the various entries in the contest: Bhort story, Dr. Claude F. Wood, dean of liberal arts, American University; feature story, William C. Deming, presi« dent of the Civil Service Commission; Dorsey W. Hyde, secretary of the | Washington Chmaber of Commerce, |and Daniel Chace, dean of journalism . at George Washington University; poetry, Rev. John J. Queally, rector of the Church of the Transfiguration, and Miss Ruth M. Stauffer of the English department of McKinley High School; art, Miss Ethel Foster, head of the art department of Western High School; heraldry, Miss Stella Pickett Hardy, genealogist of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The decisions of the judges will be announced and the (Continued on Twentieth Page.) A Plate Glass Lens Is Legal With Flatlite -t cm_-igL BROS. Dee. Registered extra equipment is ei, as it is why you will find that *400,” fully , delivered prices are so much less cars with similar or even lower fac- tory (f. o. b.) prices. Compare the cars, com- pare the prices, before you y your new cat. ~NO OTHER CAR HAS THEM ALL 7.buring“cnnkslnfi llow cranh pins) Bijur centralized chassis lubrication Electric clocks Exterior metalware chrome plated over nickel Hall-Kerr Motor Co. 131 B St. SE, Shart tuening radius Longer wheelbases One-piece Salon fenders Clear vision front pillar posts Nash Special Design front snd rear bumpers ao L4 Patterson-Nash Motors 3110 M St. N.W.