Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-20
CHAPTER NX1
The Finding Of tho Night

Mechanically, Dave Henderson rose
to his feet, and for an instant stood as
though, his mental faculties Nnumbed.
he were striving to grasp as concret.
thing some stark and horribly naked
tragedy that his eyes told him was real
but which his brain denied and refused
to accept. Thin layers of smoke, sus-
pendedi sinuous, fioated in hideous little
gray clouds about the. room--likc pals
| that sought to hide what lay upon the
floor from sight, and, failing in their
object. but added another grim and
significant detail to the scene.
And then his brain cleared. and he
| iunped forward 10 bend frat over
| Rookie Skarvan and then over Dago
George: and, where bis mind had been
| unreceptive and numbed but an instant
before, IL was keen, swift and incisive
now---the police who had been sum-
| moned-thc Scorpion and bis parasite
ycgg who were on the way back--there
was no time to lose There was no one
| In the house to have heard the shots
Rookie Skarvan had settled that point
no one except Teresa upstairs. But
the shots might have been heard out
side.
His ears throbbed with strange
noises those shots seemed still to be
revefberating and beating at his ear.
drums. Yes, the shots might have been
heard outside on the street. or by sonc
one in the next house. Was that some
one at the front door now? He held
his breath, as he rose from Dago
Georges side.
No, just the ringing in his ears; there
wasn't any other sound. But there
wasn't an instant tJ lose.,. both Bonkie
| Skarvan and Dsgo George we're dead.
There wasn't an instant to loee--olly
the instant he must take to make sure
| he made no false move here before he
snatched UP that package on the desk
there, and ran upstairs, and, with
! Teresa, made bis way cut ty the fire
escape.
lie otoored, and stretched out lis
hand to exchange bis own empty re-
! floor where II had fallen from Dsso
Georges lifeless fngers--and, instead
drew his hand sharply back again.
Fool! The police would investigate
this, wouldn't they? Bookie Skarvan
couldn't have been shot by an emrts
revolver! Well--he was moeing, TO.
ward the desk and back toward where
BoolSie SkaTan lay-suppese he tool
Bookie's revolver then? He shook hi'
head. He did not need one bad enough
for that. 1t vas better to let thing,
remain as they we're and let the polio,
draw their own conclusions, conclusions
which, If nothing was intcrferc% With
and he got away With the package o.
bauknotes, would point no interference
that, by hook or crook, would afford r
clue which might lead to him. Was b,
so sure OF that? Suppose the Scorpion
had been let into Book!e's confidence
md that the Scorpion when he got her,
should happen to be caught by the po'
lice--and talked to save himself?
A grim smile settled on Dave Hen
dprson's lips. as he thrust his useless
revolver into his pocket, and. reaching
cut to the desk, picked up the packac,
Of barknotes. Well, II anything CAM
Of the Scorpion; It couldn't be helped
And, after all, did II matter very much
Bookie Skarvan who we're dead-Dav,
Henderson was dead, too!
And if
He etasgercd suddenly back, auC
iccled from the impact, as man from
just. outside In the hallway launchef
tinlscl? ferociously forward across the
threshold. The package spun from hi
hand to the floor. Half flung 70 biz
knees, Dave Henderson $ arms shot out
inStnctiTcly and wrapped themselves
around his assailant > pody.
Sanlc snhrl ana nn oatn, ana Davt
Henders,n's head rocked on his shoul.
dcrs from u vicious short arm jab that
cnught him on the point Of the jaw. /,
dazcd him; he was conscious only tha,
he had not let go his hold, that hi.
Lands, like feeling tcntacles, were
creeping further up the mans hody to.
ward throat and shoulders. drawing hi.
cwn body up after them into a moro
upright position. His head sank viii
the blow. A voice seemed to tioat from
somewhere out of tie air:
That's the stuff. Masgot' SOAK
him ~
To bc continued tomorrow