Evening Star Newspaper, April 3, 1930, Page 36

[ The Emperor| , Of America |™ """ Copyright, 1830, by North American SsYNOPSIS. Comdr. Drake Roscoe of the United States Navy is on the trall of a mys- terfous criminal band known as the Zones and directed by a chief called “Head Centre.” With the aid of Dr. Stopford makes his investigations. They take him to the home of Page Sutton, a wealthy man, who'is the most recent object of attack. Sutton has two Rouse guests—Dr. Cross and Molly O'Hay, @ friend of his daughter June and the niece of the deputy police commissioner. Ned Regan, a private detective; Stopford and Roicoe complete the group. Sutton has in Ris possession a certain map showing the organization of the Zones and he believes the attack on him is for the purpose of recovering this. Mme. Czerna. an agent of the Zones, has made the acquaintance of Roscoe and Stop- ford. She is ordered to motor in the region of Sutton’s home, to disable her car and then to ask shelter there for the night to aid “Head Centre” in carry- ing out his plans. Sutton has a pack of Alsatian doos on his estate. After night- fall they kill a man who was prowling in the orounds. He is identified as Armitage, Sutton’s valet. Examination ©f his efects show him to be a member of the Zones. Roscoe has begun to sus- Dect that Mme. Czerna is also an enemy. FOURTEENTH INSTALLMENT. T was an hour later. “The dogs are quiet enough now,” said Stopford. “Yes,” Roscoe replied. “If I am | right in my theory, the thing that is going to happen is above the dogs.” ‘‘Above the dogs”" Stopford echoed. “Don't follow. And what d'you mean | when you say ‘the thing that's going to happen’?” “I should have said ‘that may hap- pen.’ The death of Armitage perhaps stalled ‘em.” “Poor fellow! D'you mean you've gof & notion what he was up to out there' “Yes. Speak softly. Regan and Bach are covering this room, but I don't know who else may be doing the same.” Stopford moved closer to the open ‘window, but: “Easy!” Roscoe warned. “Not too Pandemonium ~ awakened. Police whistles sounded remotely. The swept into view. There was uproar 4 the house. As Roscoe jumj to the switch and_the room became flooded with light, Regan burst in, followed by Dr. Cross. Ignoring their excited in- quiries: “Hold fast, Stopford!” Roscoe cried. He grabbed a photograph from the mantelpiece, tore it from its frame, and slipped the board under the in. verted tumbler. Dr. Cross bent over the hideous exhibit. “This is your province, Cross?” said Stopford, rather breathlessly. You're a tropical man.” “Yes,” said the other, “it is. It's an hour-glass spider; an unusually large specimen.” ~He shuddered. “It be- longs out East. It's the only insect of its size whose bite is certainly fatal. Its victims swell up in a horrible ‘D'you see, Stopford!” cried Roscoe. He jerked the pillow from the bed. Pinned at the back of it, in such a manner as to be invisible to the uncon- scious sleeper, was a wooden reel! “‘But--June Stopford exclaimed. y should tk. nt = hey didn't!” Roscoe interrupted. s a rechearsal! Probably an ordinary garden spider was used on that occasion--to test the bridge. But tonight, having me planted where they wanted me, they sent this black death across! Armitage had just completed ;‘r‘\; connection when the dogs reached n! A dozen voices began to speak at once. The dogs below were behaving madly Ned Regan turned and thrust is way through the knot of excited people in the d “Tick--Tick! -Tick! Madame Czerna shuddered and drew her wrap more closely about her shoul- ders. Through the open window came the wild chorus of the wolfhounds, racing madly from point to point of the grounds. The house resounded with oorway. --Ticker--Ticker--Tick mear! Keep back!! I'm supposed to | be in bed, and you're supposed to be in your own room. I think we've blinded the enemy, but I'm not sure.” | basl‘:)pfol'd, silent in batn slippers, came ck. | “Has the truth about Page Sutton’s | map dawned upon you?” Roscoe said softly. | “No. D'you think it's a fake?" N “I'm sure of it! And I think I know why it was handed over to Sutton.” | “Why?" ¢ “Well, of course, I may be wrong. | But Regan thinks that Sutton's life is in danger.” “It looks rather like it!" “It was meant to look like it, Stop- ford! But Page Sutton actually isn't in 's bit of danger. The danger is to me!” S But—— He ceased abruptly. Heralded by one warning bark, the whole wolf-dog pack came sweeping around a corner of the house. “Gad “Ssh! Silence!” The dogs plunged into the shrubbery. | “Some one on the other side of the hedge!” Stopford whispered. “Perhaps. Listen.” The uproar prevailed for fully five minutes. Then, as if obeying definite mysterfous canine orders, the pack broke out of cover and went racing from moonlight into shadow, from which they had come. “False alarm,” Stopford murmured. “I don't think so,” said Roscoe. “I think some olna has drawn them off on nt.” | thoug] there’s no chance of anybody gettin’ at you, that I can see.” “It would seem s0,” Roscoe admitted. “Probably you have forgotten that some sort of an outbreak awakened June ‘Sutton one night last week?” Stopford was invisible in the dark- ness, but Roscoe sensed that he had re- moved his monocle and was busy bur- nishing; then: “What's the connection?” he inquir- “May be none. Armitage’s death has possibly spoiled their plans. Or‘ Head Centre may suspect, though he can't know, that June saw what under her pillow before it was remove “Before it was--gad! Got you! You | think Armitage was coverin’ her room for that very purpose?” “Don’t you?” “I believe I do.” “There’s only one other person in the house tonight, Stoppy, who may have | the job!” | Stopford was silent. But the charm- | ing image of Madame Czerna leaped | before his mind’s eye. | *“Yet--I don't understand,” he mut- red. “Don't try to: I don't understand. | ’Tsyself. altogether. Be quiet....and tan" There was silence in the room. Voices, | subduded, might be heard about the | house; faint footsteps. Somewhere in the neighborhood of the kitchen gar- den, far to the rear, the dogs were whining restlessly. At last, except for | this muted whining, quiet came again. | A faint breeze, salt from the Sound, | disturbed the leaves and refreshed the | hot, still air.... | A minut assed; 5 minutes 10 minutes; then “D'you hear it?” Roscoe whispered. A curious sibilant sound made it- | gelf audible. ‘'What the Ssh! You're all set? “Wait the word.” The odd sibilance continued. To $topford, tensed, listening, it seemed to come from the bed. To remain silent, | in the circumstances, was a mighty ef- | fort. What was happening?—or about to happen? "ng:hlll have to take the chance.” Roscoe whispered. “But if you flash too soon, it will ruin everything.” The odd rustling continued. Other- wise, all was profoundly still. The sound went on--and on. It died down. Jt ceased. A faint breeze stirred the trees in. “An.ynmomflen: now,” Roscoe mut- red. “Stand by.” usmpford grasped the electric torch with which Roscoe had armed him. “Now!” Roscoe snapped. “On to the pillow!” : There was a faint click in the dark- pess, and a disk of white light appear- ed upon the pillow where Roscoe’s head m{,ht have lain. “Merciful heaven!” Stopford whisper- ed, and the light wavered momentarily. A hideous thing had crept over the edge of the lighted aircle....a black thing which now raced about feverish- 1y as if looking for something. It was » spider, with a queerly swollen body, ing a wasp-like waist and many , active legs. chyuoe sprang forward, arm upraised. He broulhgrdmm the heavy heel of nl shoe uj the black horror . ..oncet The softness of the pillow alding, it still moved. Twice! The nauseous in- gect remained intact--whole. It lay - " o !t Keep the light on it! Rm‘o'e raced into the bath room, to geturn in & mom:gz wl}gfln g.l:;g. He fll?d it over the spider, s " down!” he cried. “Tight. yold & Switch the torch off! hear 1t?” Dng:Il"b“‘m sound was audible again! Roscoe stepped to the open window moving his hands all about questioning- ly. Suddenly he found what he sought @ tightly stretched strand of silk Even as he grasped it the strand was hysterical voices and hurrying foot- steps. Her door alone remained closed and locked. She bent over the tiny. exquisite in- strument in a miniature case. “H. Q.,” came over in Morse. Head Centr Make your report quickly. “Zone 2 A" she signaled back. Her fingers were very unsteady. “Unable to move. Suspected. Shots fired Ros- coe’s room. No other information. Await orders. Report ends.” ‘Conceal badge” came a message in reply. Be on guard. Conceal instru- ment. Report..." The head of a hatchet crashed through the panel of the door. A hand reached down and turned the key. The door was thrown open--and Ned Regan came in Madame Czerna leaped up. “Ah!" Regan growled. “Thought so! I heard the Morse, my dear He came forward. “Madame Czern he said gruffly, “or whatever your real name is, you're under arrest for complicity in the at- tempted murder of Comdr. Drake Roscoe.” The busy ticking has ceased. Echo- ing weirdly over the night waters of the Sound came the dense throb of an airplane propeller. Madame Czerna, her beautiful face deathly pale, sank back into the chair from which she had arisen. (To be Continued.) Among the 55, employes of the London County Council are 21,683 women and 3,311 former service men. 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