Evening star., 1925-03-22
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

Continued from Yesterdays Starr
Belcovitch followed him as rapidly
and as silently as a man can follow
whose very existence has for many
years depended on his proficiency in
these respects. He closed the stone
behind him with a good deal more
care than Henry had taken, and. hav-
ing done so, went up the steps at
surprising rate and in moment had
his quarry in view. Henry had
switched on a torch and was pro-
ceeding at a moderate rate down the
main passage. Belcovitch, moving
after him like a cat, did some rapid
thinking. 1t would be very easy to
shoot, but it would make noise. He
fingered a length OF lead piping in
one of his pockets and thought with
impassioned earnestness of the back
of Henry's neck. Yet, supposing that
Ember knew of Henry's visit-he did
not want any unpleasantness with
Ember. 1t would probably be better
not to kill Henry in case 1t should
prove that Ember would rather have
him alive. 1t was always better to be
on good terms with Ember. Molloy
had fallen out with him, and it ap-
peared that at this very moment two
comrades were on their way to elm
mate Molloy. All this Very rapidly.
He decided not to kill Henry. 1t
was a pity, because there was a most
convenient well into which he could
have dropped him. He decreased the
distance between them and unfas-
tened the black silk muffier which he
wore instead of collar and tie.
Henry pursued his unconscious
path, his mind occupied with Jane.
and plans, and Jane. and Ember, and
Anthony, and Raymond, and Jane
again. 1t is to be regretted that he
did net look behind him. The villain
ought not to be able to steal upon
the hero in the dark without being
heard, but Henry had not had Mr..
Belcovitch's advantages. The latter
had all the tricks of the half world
at his command, and Henry had not.
Just before the laboratory turning
Belcovitch came up with quick run,
and that was the first that Henry
heard of him. The next instant he
felt himself tripped, struggling des-
perately to keep his footing, slipped
in the slime, and came down choking,
with a black silk muffier tightly
knotted about his throat Belcovitch
was a very neat operator. First the
trip, then the twist. and then the
chloroform bottle. He had never made
a crisper job of it. He took Henry by
the heels and proceeded to drag him
along the passage toward the lab
oratory, Henry being mercifully OBJ
livious of what was happening.
When Jane heard that faint drag
ging sound she had just about half
a minute to decide which passage 1t
came from, and to get away down
the other one. 1t really took her less
than 80 seconds to realize that some
one was coming by the way that she
herself had come, and to dart into
the slanting passage which held the
we'll A yard or two down she turn
ed and stood where she had stood to
see Ember pass the day before. Who
ever was coming had no light. OF
course they could see the light from
the laboratory and were steering by
1t. 1t was a man coming; she could
tell by the tread. He was dragging
something heavy. What?
Or who? Jane sickened.
A dark figure passed between her
and the glow that came from the lab
oratory She took three light steps.
and saw that what he dragged be-
hind him was a senseless man-sense-
less or dead
She heard Ember call out, "Belco-
witch, is that you?" And a voice
with a strong foreign accent an
swered.
Then a great many things seemed