The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-09-23
CHAPTER VII-Continued


an men, Mr.. Atkinson-or what's left c
Il him, Ginger Martin-an old friend O
of mine"
ed For a moment Mr.. Atkinson's hear
i'd stood still. One of the three men
h Then. where In Heavens name, wer,
the other two?
L. Zone of the three. Inspector" hi
= said at length. steadying his voice
! But what happened to the others?"
g "That is the amazing thing, SIR" an.
=. swered the inspector. II 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
J. stained rug, and with a shudder Mr.
l Atkinson contemplated what was I'M
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 question.
why, yes" he said, pulling himself |
together, that Is So l was leaving
this Office here, and had removed al I
most everything of value. Only some
diamonds were left, inspector-and
they were in that desk. I have some
what extensive dealings in precious
stones Was there any trace of them
found?"
The Inspector laughed grimly.
You see the room for yourself, sir.
But that perhaps supplies US with the
motive for the crime. 1 am afraid {
your diamonds are either blown to |
pieces, or In the hands Of the other t
two men, whom I have every hope of J
laying my hands on shortly. There IS
no trace of them here" Il
In the hands Of the other two men C
The idea was new one, which had h
not yet come into his calculations so n
convinced had he been that all three
men were dead. And suddenly he felt c,
sort of binding certainty that the W
nspector-though in ignorance of the
zeal facts Of the case-was right in
lis surmise. Diamonds are not blown
o pieces by an explosion; scattered
hey might be- disintegrated, no. He
cit he must get away to consider this
lew development.
He crossed over to the tagged hole
the wall and looked out.
This has rather upset me- inspec-
Dr. he said, after a while ''The
outh Surrey hotel in Bloomsbury
i'll always find me-"
Right, sir!' The inspector made
ote, and then leaned out through the
Die with frown. Get out of this.
)u there Go on, or I'll have Won
cked up as vagrant!"
"Orl rite, orl ritel Can't a bloke
We bit O. fun when e amt doing
'arm?"
The loaferi who had been ignomini-
SLY moved on from the front door.
rambled down from the lean-to roof
hind' and slouched away, muttering
rkly And he was still muttering |
himself as he opened the door of a III
Il a few minutes later, into which III
;. Atkinson hurriedly stepped. For III
moment or two he stood on the nave II
mt until 1t had disappeared from
W: then his prowling propensities
med to disappear Is if by maqic :"
Il with the same shambling gait, but
'arently now with some definite OBJ tera
in his mind, he disappeared down lassj
lde street, finally coming to a halt him
ore a public telephone-box. He whic
one lapiu look round, then he and
,ped inside. onn
Mayfair 1884" He waited beat,no tion
'''oo WIN his pennies on the box. ferOC
ass nau gone wei that morning indie
veil thout
'eiio' is that you. Hugh? Yes. tongl
+ speaking. The man Atkinson is 81
hunchback. Stopping South Sur write
hotel, Bloomsbury. He's Just got mark
a 'aAi anu gone or to the Ritz. Peter
pee'eu, 10 me- Yes, one:
'-ao'ieu ioVlnsiy ABOUT the what luck
What's that? You'll tod two:
ound TO the Ritz yourself. Right has q
I'll come, too. Cocktail time 70 l;v
you full details then" Bloom
ioaIer stepped out of the box Point
smut the door. Then, still sucking is clio.
ny clay pipe, he shambled Off in sius 7,
Erection of the nearest Tube sta- are nj
slight change of attire before downs
up at the Ritz seemed indicated lot in
II "ouiu' indeed, have been a meet?'
"a observer wl6 would have iden- 81
the Immediately dressed youno and Fl
a" "ho s'rohed into the Ritz obscur
y before twelve O'clock with tho That 6
ute-looking object who had so been +
- sne wan Oh the police few then I
p,.''ouS's III Hoxton The first help t.
ne saw sprawling conference.-the exnect,
easy chair was Hugh Drum- was ab
w "a,eu ms SUCK in greeting. ly dras
II Darrell took the next chair "Coir
is eyes glanced quickly round the he,
1nge. ~,
We Won Spen hin, r., -.