Evening star., 1921-10-31
(ContInued from Yesterdays Star.)

happened to select Dago Georges safe
tonight in the ordinary routine OF
their nefarious vocation. Coincidence
as an explanation s1ant; a,sSrsaItremsiy Wasa Iy
queer! Where he had thought tnaI no
one, save Millman and himself, haa
known anything about the presence OF
that money in New York tonight II
appeared that most Tazing numDes
were not only aware OF 1t, put were
intimately Interested in that fact!
He smiled little in the darkness
not pleasantly. as he crept now men
by inch. along the hall toward the open
door. He, too. was interested In that
package of banknotes in tho safe:
And, Dago George or the devil. 1t
mattered very little which, there
would be Il showdown, very nkeiy
now grim and very pretty niue
showdown, before the money lett tnat
room III any ones possession save his
own!
From ahead. inside the room. there
came a slight clatter, as though
tool of some sort had been dropped
or tossed on the floor. 1t was fol-
lowed by a muttered s1clamatioh:, nal. tr,, ana
phant grunt. And then 4 voice In
cultural undertone:
"Dere youse are, sport! Help your
self"
Dave Henderson crouched back
the hall now. and quite close enough
to the doorway of Dago Georges
private domain to enable him, given
the necessary light, to see the Whole
| interior quite freely. The door Of the
safe. in q dismantled condition. was
swung open; strewn on the floor lay
the kit of tools through whose in
strume entatity the job had been accom-
plished; and the man with the nasn-
light was bending forward. the white
I frV
! There came suddenly now a queer
| twitching to Dave Henderson's lips.
and 1t came coincidentally with q
| sharp exclamation Of delight from the
man with the flashlight. In the man
hand was the original package ,. OF
Ing it instantly to Dave Henderson.
and evidencing with equal certainty
to its immediate possessor that II
was the object, presumably, which
| was sought.
light, without turning. reached out
and laid the package on the desk
beside the safe. The movement. how
ever, sent the flashlights ray in
jerky half circle around the room'
raised his hand and brushed it across
his eyes. Was that fancy-what he
had seen? IT was gone now. 1t was
dark in there now, for the f1ashlight
was boring into the safe again. and
the man with the flashlight seemed
intent on the balance Of the safes
contents. 1t had been only glimpse.
q glimpse that had lasted no longer
1 than the time it takes watch to tick:
| but it seemed to have mirrored itself
upon Dave Henderson's brain SO that
| he could still see it even in the dark
ness. 1t was a huddled form on the
floor, close by the bed, Just as though
it had pitched itself convulsively out
Of the bed. and 1t lay there sprawled
grotesquely. and the white face had
and contorted way-and it was the
face Of Dago George.
The man with the hashligft spoke
suddenly over his shoulder to his
companion: 100,
ihe said approvingiy. "Better than
either Cunny or me was looking for.
! guess. And SO much SO that guess
Cunny had better horn in himself before
We close up for the night. You beat
back. Tell him there's some queer
stun in this safe besides what we
we're after and what We got-some
gang stun thatll mabbe interest him;
| cause he said he wasn't very fond OF
Dago George. I don't know whether
or whether he'd rather let the police
have It when they wise up to this
in the morning. He can look 1t over
for himself. Tell him ] want him to
see It before monkey with 1t myself.
You can leave your MATCHMAKER s
1 tools there. You ought to be back II,
a little better than ten minutes II you
hurry. We got good hour and more
yet before daylight, and before any
Of the crowd that work hero gets
got the house to ourselves. but that's
no reason for wasting any heetins
moments. SO get move on! See?"
"Sure!" grunted the other.
'well, then. beat it,
Footsteps sounded from the room,
coming in the direction Of the door
way, and Dave Henderson slipped in
stantly across the hall and edged in
behind the door that. opening back
into the hall. afforded him both con
venient and secure retreat. The smile
on his lips was more pleasant now.
with the flashlight--very! He cared
nothing about the other man, who wac
now walking stealthily down the hall
toward the front door: the money was
still in that room in there! Also. he
was glad to have had confirmed what
he had already surmised-that Dago
George slept alone in the Iron Tay-
ern.
The front door opened and closed
again softly. Dave Henderson stole
crouchsd against the opposite wall
once more, but this time almost at the
door jamb itself.
The fiashlight. full on. lay on the
desk. 1t played over the package OF
banknotes. and SEN sent = pack .,t r. feaec5eo = tsis
phone instrument that stood few
inches further along on the desk
The mans form. his back to the door
and back of the light. was like a
silhouetted shadow. 1t was quiet
Ave seconds passed, and then the man
chuckled low and wheezingly.
| Dave Henderson grew suddenly
rigid. It startled him. Somewhere
lhe had heard that chucile before
stir and awaken memory. There wa.
something strangely familiar about
The man. still chuckling. was NUT
tering audibly to himself now.
i Sure; that's the doSs! Ss!.n'an, The Ser. S1s.
name! Well. wen see who gets
stunrl guess ten minutes start
Amt good enough: but il some ones
chasing the Scorpion, he won't have
SO much time to chase me. fes;
Il the goods. BY the time there's been
i anything straiGhtened out. and even
II he squeals II he's caught, I guess
TIL be far enough away to worry
not!-
Dave Henderson's face had grown
AZ white and set as chiseled marble;
but i1e did not move.
The man leaned abruptly forward
over the desk. picked UP the teie-
phone. chuckled again. and then
Isnatched the receiver from the hook
And the next instant. his voice full Of
weli-simulated terror. he was calling
wildly. frantically. into the trans