Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-08-28

.~sv mere lasr night. In your Office
upstairs"
"A bomb outrage?" Mr.. Atkinson
gazed at the constable in amazement
and a loafer standing by began to
laugh.
"Not 'arf, guv'nor," he remarked
cheerfully. "The ole ruddy place Is
gone to blazes"
"You dry up," admonished the po-
liceman. Move along, can't your
"Orl rite, orl rite" grumbled the
other, shambling off, "Not allowed to
live soon, we won't be-"
you'd better go up, SIR" contin-
ued the constable. "The inspector is
upstairs"
Mr.. Atkinson needed no second in
vitation. Viewed by the light Of day
which came streaming in through the
great hole in the wall the ruin was
complete. In the center-and 1t was
there Mr.. Atkinson's eyes strayed
continuously even while he was ac-
knowledging the greetings Of the in
spector-stood the remnants Of the
desk. And as he looked at 1t any
faint hope he may have cherished
vanished completely. It was literally
split to pieces in every direction ;
there was not left a hiding g-place for
a pea, much less q bag Of diamonds
The inspector was speaking and Mr.
Atkinson pulled himself together. He
had a part to play, and whatever
happened no suspicious must be
aroused
II feel quite staggered, Inspector"
His glance travelled to a sinister-look-
ing heap in the corner-a heap rough
ly covered with an old rug. The wall
above 1t was stained q dull red, and
from under the rug stretched out two
long streams Of the same color
streams which were not yet dry.
What on earth has happened?"
There seems very little doubt
about that, sir" remarked the inspec-
tor. Evidently their idea was bur-
glary. What happened, then, Of
course, it is hard to say exactly. Pre-
sumably they started using explosive
to force your safe, and explosive is
funny stuff even for the expert"
The inspector waved a hand at the
heap In the corner.
And he-poor devil, was quite an
expert in his way. One Of the three
men Mr.. Atkinson-or what's left Of
him. Ginger Martin-an old friend of
mine"
For a moment Mr.. Atkinson's heart
stood still. One of the three men
Then, where in Heavens name, were
the other twof
"One Of the three, inspector" he
said at length, steadying his voice.
But what happened to the othersY'
'That is the amazing thing, SIR" an
swered the inspector. II can but think
that though three men entered the Of
flee downstairs, only Martin can have
been in here at the time Il the explo-
sion" He pulled back the blood
stained rug and with a shudder Mr.,
Atkinson contemplated what was un-
derneath. The mangled remnants had
formed one man and one man only.
Then what, he reflected again-what
had become Of the other two?
They had been in there-the lead
er of the Black Gang and one of his
pals. There was no trace Of them
now. Wherefore, somehow, by some
miraculous means they must have es-
capped, and the soul of Count Zadowa
grew sick within him.
Suddenly he became aware that the
inspector was asking him a question.
"Why, yes" he said, pulling himself
together, that is so. I was leaving
this Office here, and had removed al
most everything Of value. Only some
diamonds were left, inspector-and
what extensive dealings In precious
stones. Was there any trace of them
foundf"
The inspector laughed grimly.
"You see the room for yourself, sir
But that perhaps supplies us with the
motive for the crime. am afraid
your diamonds are either blown TO
pieces, or ii the hands of the other
two men, whom 1 have every hope Of
laying my hands on shortly. There IS
no trace Of them here"
In the hands Of the other two men !
The idea was a new one, which had
not yet come into his calculations, so
convinced had he been that all three
men were dead. And suddenly he felt
a sort of binding certainty that the
nspector-though in ignorance of the
real facts of the case-was right in
his surmise. Diamonds are not blown
to pieces by an explosion; scattered
they might be-disintegrated, no. He
felt he must get away to consider this
new development.
He crossed over to the jagged hole
in the wall and looked out.
"This has rather upset me, inspec-
tor" he said, after a while. "The
South Surrey hotel in Bloomsbury
will always find me-"
Right, sir" The inspector made a
note and then leaned out through the
hole with q frown. Get out Of this,
you there Go on, or I'll have you