Evening star., 1918-04-14
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very arms, and then had given up fol
half a sovereign and let go!
swim. smathers, that you do" he man.
aged to say at last Il had him-I had
the Vanishing Cracksman in my blessed
paws and then went and let that French
hussy- But look here; say. now
how do you know it was him. Nobody
can go by his looks: so how do you
know"
Know. you footler" growled smath-
ers disgustedly. Why shouldn't know
when I've been after him ever since he
Left what? Ny hat! You amt ago
ing to tell me that he's been there
When? Why? What for?"
ITO leave one of his blessed notices
made. wouldn't he, If he'd only a-turned
his attention that way. and been on the
side Of the law instead of against 1t:
He walked in bold as brass, sat down
and talked with the superintendent over
some cock-and-bull yarn about Black
Hand letter that he said had been sent
to him. and asked If he couldn't have
police protection while he was in town
1t wasn't until after he'd left that the
superintendent he sees note on the chair
where the. .blighter had been setting. and
when he opened it. there it was In black
and white, something like this:
1.-The list of presents that have
been sent for the wedding tomor-
daughter make interesting reading
particularly that part which describes
the jewels sent-no doubt as a tribute
to her fathers position as the great
est brain specialist in the world-from
the Austrian court and the continental
is too great a responsibility for the
bride. propose, therefore, to re-
lieve her Of It tonight. and to send
you the customary souvenir of the
event tomorrow morning Yours
faithfully,
THE MAN WHO CALLS HIM
SELF HAMILTON CHEEK
That's how I know. dash you! su-
perintendent sent me out afer him, hot
foot; and after a bit 1 picked him up in
the Strand. toddling along with that
French hussy as cool as you please
But. blow him. he must have eyes all
around his head. for he saw me just
as soon as I saw him, and he and
Frenchy separated like a shot. She
hoped into a taxi and flew off in one
direction: he dived into the crowd and
bojted in another. and before you
could say Jack Robinson he was dou-
bling and twisting. jumping into cabs
and jumping out again-alI to gain
time, Of course, for the woman to dc
what he'd put her up to doing-and
through the devils own tangles till
be was ready to bunk for the en-
Anu you let MIN go, you
blooming footler. Had him and let him
go. and chucked away a third of f2OC
for the price of half a quid?"
And long after Smathers and Petrie
had left him, the wondering crowd had
dispersed. and point duty at Dead
again and nothing more. P. C. Collins
stood there. chewing the cud of bitter
reflection over those words and trying
to reckon up just how many pounds
ov,1 hN
him.
But, damme, sir. the things an out
rage! l don't mince my words, Mr.
Narkom. 1 say plump and plain the
things an outrage. a disgrace to the
police. an indignity upon the com
to permit itself to be defied, bam-
boozled, mocked at in this appalline
fashion by paltry burglar"
Uncle. dear, pray don't excite your
sel1 IN .nls manner. l am quite sure
that If Mr.. Narkom could prevent the
Hold your tongue. Ailsa / will no,
be interfered with. It's time that some
body spoke out plainly and let this estab-
lishment know what. the public has q
right to expect Of it. What do / pay my
rates and taxes for-and devilish hicf
ones they are, too, b'gad-if it's not te
maintain law and order and the proper
protection of property? And to have the
u,
lice defied. and the peoples houses in.
vaded with impunity by a sutter bred
brute of cracksman is nothing short Of
a scandal and shame, All this sort O.
tomfoolery being Protected by the police
God bless my soul, one might as wei be
in the charge OF a parcel of dodderinE
old women and be Gone with it," :
1t was an hour and a half after thai
exciting affair at Dead Mans Corner
The scene was Supt. Narkom's privat.
room at headquarters, the dramati,
persp.ee. Mr.. Maverick Nar;zom him
self. Sir Horace Wyvernr and Miss Ailss
Lorne. his niece. a, slight, fair haired, ex.
trem Ely attractive girl of twenty. Sh.
was The only and orphaned daughter Of :
much loved sister. who up till year ago
had l'nown nothing more exciting in tn
way II life" than that which Is to bs
found In small village in Suffolk anf
falls to the lot Of an underpaid vicar,
only child. A railway accident had sud.
denly deprived her Of both parents