Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-12-05
CHAPTER VII--Continued

men, Mr. ALhlHSou-OF Wilat 3 leII 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
ehe other two?
zone Of the three. Inspector" he
said at length, steadying his voice
"But what happened to the others?"
THAT Is the amazing thing, sir" an
Bwered the inspector Il can but think
that though three men entered the Of
fee downstairs, only Martin can have
been In here at the time Of the explo-
sion" He pulled back the blood
stained rug, and with a shudder Mr.
Atkinson contemplated what was an
derneath. The mangled remnants had
formed one man and one man only.
Then what, he reflected again-what
had become Of the other two7
They had been IN there-the lead
er of the Black Gapg 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 ! was leaving
this Office here. and had removed al
most everything Of value. Only some
diamonds were left, inspector-and
they were in that desk have some
what extensive dealings In precious
stones. Was there any trace of them
found7"
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 IN the hands OF the other
two men, whom / have every hope Of
laying my hands on shortly. There s
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
sort of blIading certainty that tne
Inspector though in ignorance Of the
real facts of the case-wrs right in
his surmse. Diamonds are not blown
TO pieces by an explosion scattered
they might be- dlsintegrated, no lie
felt he must get away to consider this
new development.
lie crossed over to the jagged hole
In the wall and looked out.
"This has rather upset me, inspec-
tor he said, after while. "The
South Surrey hotel in Bloomsbury
will always find me"
fright. SIR The inspector made
note, and then leaned out through the
hole with a frown. "Gel out Of this,
YOU there Go on. or I'll have you
locked up as a vagrant !"
"Orl rite, orl rite Can't 2 bloke
ave bit o fun when e aln't doing
no 'arm1"
The loafer. who had been lgnomlnl-
ously moved on from the front door,
scrambled down from the lean-to roof
behind. and slouched away. muttering
darkly. And Ge was stll mutterlng
q himself as ne opened the door of a
taxi a few minutes later, into which
Mr.. Atkinson hurriedly stepped For
a moment or two he stood on the pave
ment until Il had disappeared from
view: then his prowling propenslties
seemed TO disappear is II By magic.
Still with the same stumbling gait, but
apparently now with some definite OBJ
ject in his mind, ne disappeared down
a side street finally coming TO halt
before a public telephone-hox. He
gave one rapid look round. then he
stepped inside
Mayfair 1924" He waited beating
= tattoo with HIS pennies on the box.
Things had gone well that morning
very well
Hello. is that you. Hugh' Yes.
Peter speaking The man Atkinson is
the hunchback stopping South sur.
rey hotel, bloomsbury He's Just got
into taxi ana gone or TO the RITZ.
He seemed peeved 10 me Yes.
he inquired lovingly about the what
nots. what's that? You'u tod
die round 10 the Ritz yourself. Right
no, III come, too Cocktail time.
Give you full details then"
The ioater stepped out OF the box
and shut the door Then. sim sucking
a filthy clay pipe. he shambled OF I'll
the direction OF the nearest Tube sta.
tion. A slight change Of attire before
lining up az the Ritz seemed Indicated
And II would, indeed, have been a
shrewd observer va would have lden.
titled the Immediately dressed young
gentleman who strolled into the Ritz
shortly before twelve o'clock with the
dissolute locking object who had SO
aroused the wrath Of the police few
hours previously in Hoxton The first
person he saw sprawllng couteuted1y
In an easy chair was Hugh Drum
mond, who waved his stick in greeting
Peter Darrell took the next chair
and his eyes glanced quickly round
the lounge
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