Evening Star Newspaper, April 18, 1930, Page 32

The Emperor Of America ™" Oopyright, 1936, by North Ameriean Newspaper Service. SYNOPSIS. Comdr. Drake Roscoe of the United Btates Navy is trying to break up @ criminal band known as the Zomes, di- rected by a man who is called Head Center and who is said to look like Napoleon. He, in turn, is under the direction of @ woman known as Great Head Center. With the help of Df. Stop- ford, Roscoe makes his inv tions. They are aided by Mme. Czerna, a mem- der of the Zones, who falls in love with Stopford and deserts the oang. Deputy Commissioner Burke of the police de- partment locates the headquarters of the Zones, but the criminals escape. New headquarters are immediately set up. After @ daring raid. which nets them millions, and which makes Roscoe wonder whether a woman known as the Duchesse de Greuze is not a member of the gang, the Zones operatives turn to politics. Roscoe suspects Bronson, & candidate for the governorship, of beiny in league with the Zones. He takes John Wilber- Jorce Wright, Bromson's rival, against whom the activities of the Zonex are at present directed, and Peter Champion and Page Sutton, two wealthy men who Aave also been attacked, to Champion's vacht. Burke and Ned Reoan, a private detective, are also on board. An eflort 1s made to destroy the vacht and. when this is foiled, Roscoe goes to Bromson's Rome. He is made prisoner and taken to the underoround headquarters of the Zones, where he meets Great Head Center and recognizes her as the Duchesse de Greuze. Later he escapes with the aid of an @id sailor. But now the Zones have taken another prisoner. TWENTY-NINTH INSTALLMENT. 6« HO'S there?” cried Peter Champion, A door at the end of the long room opened. Police Capt. Daly came in, “No news,” Daly reported. Stopford removed his monocle and began to polish it as though this task were his only job in life. Drake Roscoe put an arm around his shoulders and gripped hard. “Keep hold of yourself, old ntan,” he said quietly. “She wlil be found.” “I'm sure of it,” Burke declared with- out conviction. Page Sutton nodded ureem'nt hut he looked tired and less. country home of Peter c pion wu no place for a rest cure these days. Lewis Bronson had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The Bron- son home in New York had been pat- tially destroyed by fire. Popularly, it ‘was supposed that Bronson had perished in the flames. Only Roscoe knew thé astounding truth. John Wilberforce Wright, now almost, certainly future governor, had been compelled, by political affairs, to leave New York. He was covered by a bat- talion of detectives. Peter Champion and Page Sutton were his most influen- tial backers. The Zones were out to defeat Wright. Peter Champion’s coun- try home was a good deal like a be- leaguered fortress. ‘The brains controlling _defensive measures against the most formidable criminal organization in history were gathered in the house. Armored planes, adjacent, were in readiness to take the air. Three military searchlights had been placed at selected points in case of a night attack by air units—operat- ing from their so-far untraceable base. ‘The grounds were patrolled day and night. The immediate neighborhood was, to all intents and purposes, under martial law. uch was the menace of the Zones. t was felt that anything might hap- m. Drake Roscoe distrusted every h of New York City. And so the staff headquarters had been moved out- side suspected areas. And now Stopferd, having regained control of himself, turned to Ned W. Regan. At this phase of the campaign against Great Head Center they had assumed definite duties. The famous investigator was responsible for policing the grounds of the house. The job was entirely in the hands of members of his vast staff. “I put it to you, Regan,” Stopford sald. “You've examined every square inch of the place, inside and out. It bristles with blokes trained to hear a mouse breathin’—yet a member of the party goes a stroll . . . and doesn't come back “She hasn't passed the gates,” Daly ul;‘xred him. “My men would challenge s fiy!” Burke's pulioe were responsible for covering the house. Daly was in charge. “It’s still daylight,” nlfl Peter Cham- pion, addressing Regan. “She was seen by your man, Stevens, going down to the Cardinal's Garden—" “The other man,” Stopford broke in, “what’s-his-name, on duty at end of said garden, reports she didn't come out that way! What's the answer?” “There's no clue in the garden,” Drake Roscoe assured him gravely. “You were with us, Stoppy, when we examined it.” Mme. Czerna, ex-victim of the Zones and Stopford’s wife-to-be, had van- ished, unaccountably, magically, from their midst! In the white-domed room the Duchesse de Greuze was seated. She extended her hand. A slender finger touched a button on a keyboard. In the lacquer cabinet a red light sprang to life. “G. H. Q" said a gutteral voice. “Report,” the duchesse directed, “of Divisional Chief B.” “To hand. Division Chief B, in per- sonal charge of party covering Cham- pion home, reports that area is divided & indefinite time. branches, from the stocks of which many of these instruments have been selected. We have also leased a portion of our store to the well known firm of Witt & Hamill. flaors are crowded to their capacity. pianos to depreciate in value we have priced every instrument at greatly reduced figures and any one contemplating the purchase of a piano in the next few months cannot afford to miss the op- portunity. All pianos not sold outright we are anxious to place in the homes of families who are interested in owning a piano in the immediate future, and for the valuable advertising we will re- ceive by having good families use them. the right to select homes in which the pianos are to be loaned. Positively No Charge for Anything We ask no drayage or charge of any kind on piano call at the | all foregoing. Zone Officer 2 1s to con- | missioner Burke. By Newspaper Alliance snd Metrosolitan as follows: House and grounds pa- trolled by men under Ned W. Regan: from outside by police under Deputy Commissioner Burke, Police Capt. Daly in charge. Air squad units located as | follows: Two planes at Seeger's Farm, one at Beach Meadow. Military anti- | atrcraft parties with lights, no guns, at three points not yet identified. Timed 6:30. Report ends.” “Report of Zone Officer 2 C.” “To hand. Zone Officer 2 C reports | that, operating from cutting u:der | Champion home, Group Master I, Zone | X, carried out instructions re ex-Zone Officer Czerna. Standing by. Timed 6:40. Report ends A moment of silence followed, and then | with anybody yet. v believe, but Great Head Centre remains. Only I know the identity of Great Head Centre. I haven't shared the secret If I had, it would have been with the five people here in this room. If we six could be silenced - “I've been in some danger spots In my life,” Peter Champion said to Page Sutton. “But none of us was ever nearer sudden death than we are to- night right here in my own home.” llowing & short interval: “With Roscoe's theory in view,” sald Stopford evenly, “what if we give an- other onceover to the Cardinal's gar- den?” | His suggestion was Immediately acted | upon. “Inertia was insufferable in the | | eircumstances. And presently in the | early dusk a party set out to investigate, again, the apparently insoluble prob- | lem of Mme. Czerna’s disappearance. Page Sutton and Peter Champion re- | | mained behind. Regan, Burke, Roscoe and Stopford formed the quartet which made for the scene of the mystery. Stopford’s acceptance of the slluaflnn! was heroic. As they walked through | the dusk away from the house, Roscoe glanced aside at his friend—who had | lost the woman he loved and who knew, | t00 well, in what peril she must be at this moment. For Mme. Czerna's dis- appearance could mean only one thing ! —the Zones. EVE “Report,” the duchesse directed. “of group master inside Champion home.” “To hand. Entire staff given a week’s vacation. Employes of New W. Regan have replaced. Standing by at station. This report timed 5 p.m.” | d have been transmitted im- the cold voice replied. “'lhh | is negligence. Connect Staff Officer A further interval of silence, until: “Staff 3, came in suave, modulated tones. “Take over,” the woman ordered. “Stafl Officer 2 is to stand by pending inquiry. An order is coming.” Further silence. Then: “Instruct all divisional chiefs to stand by ‘under emergency routine,” the | duchesse ordered. “This order cancels centrate upon the niece of Deputy Com- This is urgent. Ex- Zone Officer Czerna is to be brought to G. H. Q. at once. Move.” ‘The red light in the lacquer cabinet went out. ‘Mlnhnttln is honeycombed with caverns,” said Drake Roscoe. “So much I know. Why not Long Island as well?” There was an awkward silence. Since the fire at the Bronson home, from which Roscoe had been rescued, opin- ion had been much divided on the sub- Ject of the extraordinary story he had had to tell. n more or less frankly admitted he didn't believe it. He put it down to delirfum. The idea that the city, universally ‘supposed to rest upon solid rock, sc- tually stood on the roof of a vast series of caves, was too unpleasant to bear thinking about. But one point in the story was disposed to accept un- conditionally—that Lewis Bronson was | Head Centre. It was a theory he had| held for some time. He welcomed con- firmation. . | “‘How does it help us, anyway?” Burke | “It may not help us” Roscoe \'e»‘ lied. “But it might explain Mme. | 'zerna's disappearance.” | “Gad!” cried Stopford; “got you!| Got you, old scout!” | “I'm hazy on one point,” Page Sut- | ton broke in. “If Head Centre is dead— and you seem to think he is, Roscoe— | why ‘are the Zones still active? And what have they got to gain now, any- way, from kidnaping Mme. Czerna?” Drake Roscoe stared hard at the speaker, then: “This,” he said: “They can tie our | Headquarters to be located in Long Is- | murmured dully. | this?” “Old man,” he_ said, “I still thmk; that she’s safe. She's being held as a | hostage. The Manhattan caves were a | temporary headquarters. I believe Great | land—and I hope for much from the house-to-house search now going on.” “‘Hope springs eternal’,” Stopford A hidden watcher challenged them “0. K. said Ned Regan. “Anything | to report?” “Not a thing, Chief.” Then, at the head of the steps lead- ing to the Cardinal's Garden: “Go easy,” said & voice. “Who's | It was growing rapidly darker. “All clear, Stevens,” sald Ned Regan “Any report?” “No news, Chief.” ‘They went down the steps. In the dying light the garden looked romantic- | ally beautiful. It was a reproduction of | that at Hampton Court Palace, loving- ly copied under Peter Champion's supervision, and known as “the Cardi- nal's Garden.” Trees were silhouetted against a perfect sky, Only distant pastoral sounds interrupted the peace— 2 peace which was utterly chimerical. One could well have conjured up a vision of a cardinal, red-robed, pacing in_meditation those mass-lined paths. Before the sundial—a sixteenth cen- tury ):,lece imported by Champion—they used. “Odd,” Stopford murmured, “but I thought I heard a strange voice!” (To be continued.) 'UST pay the piper—and all who suffer the misery of dancing in new or tight shoes know it.WhynotshakeAllen's Foot=Ease intoyour shoes? It takes the friction from the shoes. and makes dancing or walking a real joy. ““Allens Foot:Ease For Freetrialpackageand a Foot= Ease Walking Doll, address ‘Allen’s Foot=Ease, Le Roy,N. Y. 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