Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-14

| and HankinSon'S spirits revived.
"Bloomin' queer" he answered. lie
| tried to move and for some reason
found movement difficult. 'Ow," he
! continued" 'ow did / come ere,
| guy nor
Il carried you into my house." said
the Chinaman. Il was taking the air
at my door when you darted by me,
| followed by a dog. The dog suddenly
caught you by the ankle and you
| stumbled and fell, and dashed your
! head against the wall. That" he
added. laying n delicate fingertip on
lump of wet lint which decorated Han
| kinson's right temple-''that is where
Your head came into contact with
something harder. 1t is well for you,
my friend, that your frontal bones
are of more than usual strength.
Hankinson stared. Then he referred
! to the only part of the speech which
seemed to him TO be really pertinent.
THAT there dawg, now" he asked
| anxiously. "Not about i'm, guv'nor?'
The Chnaman pointed to a door at
| the foot of the couch on which Han
kinson was lying.
| The dog" he answered, "is safely
| bestowed in there. He followed us
in-and 1 took good care that he
an animal of undoubted sagacity."
Hankinson moved again, and again
| found that movement was difficult, if
| not impossible.
I'm obliged to yer. guvuor," he
said, TIL be movtn' now, if you
amt no objection"
The Chinaman shook his head
| gravely.
Not yet" he said 1T will not be
we'll for you to move just yet. Let me
advise you to rest quietly where you
are"
AN why?" demanded Hankinson
I suspiciously. There amt nothink
serious. is there. guv'nor? A crack
on the ed, now--that amt nothink-
l got business. yer see. and
| And there are those who have
business with YOU" remarked the
Chinaman. The police"
| Hankinson felt cold again.
"Perlice?" he exclaimed. 'Wot
| about the periCe then" ! amt"
! The Chinaman stretched out an arm
and pulled a small, wheeled table from
| behind Hanltinsons head.
! He silently directed Hankinson's
/ eyes to II.
"Eavens" muttered Hankinson.
| The surface OF the table was COW
cred with an array of objects, pleasing
| enough in themselves, but not vel
come TO Hankinson under present cir
| cumstances. These objects We're laid
There was a row of gold watches, there
was another row OF gold chains-good
| and solid. There We're pendants, orna-
ments, bracelets-all of gold, for Han
! kinson had scorned anything Of less
value. And there We're precious
| stones-some fine pearls-some eX-
| cellent ruDies-and. In the center of
everything, lay the diamonds over
J which the old jeweler had chuckled.
Also, in one corner of the table lay
Hankinson's revolver.
| Hankinson felt very sick as he look
ed at these things. Yeti was about
| what he had expected. And all he
could do was to glare resentfuliy at
the bland features Of the specialized
| face. The Chinaman, however. re-
manned unmoved.
| That" he said, indicating the table,
will explain much. If you wish for
| further eXplanation-NIr. Marcovitch
| is dead
Hankinson jumped-as much as that
! curious inertia would permit.
He was quite dead when the police
| entered his shop said the Chinaman.
| You hit him too hard And perhaps
YOU are not very experienced in the
use of the gag. However, he is dead,
and the police are in pursuit OF YOU"
Hanlinson began to whimper.
| "Yer've trapped me- he whined.
Yer meanin' to and me over, Yer'd
deal better ave let me lie where 1
| was An you've done somethink to
me, an all-can't move"
That" replied the Chinaman, lis
the effect of a medicine with which |
have treated you. Rest awhile. and
to hand you over to the police. You
are quite safe-quite safe. / repeat
SO long as YOU do what j tell YOU"
Hankinson stared. He WAS suspi-
cious as ever, but there was a calm
confident assurance about the China
man which went far to allay suspicion.
You see me right, guv'nor, an I'll
| make it all right wiv you," he said IN
sinuatingly. Struth, l 'adn't no in
tentions O. finishing the old man! An
wotever you likes out O. that little lot
it's yours"
The Chinaman pushed the table out
Of sight again.
I'VE can discuss that matter later
on" he said. "At present you must
take some food, and after that you
must sleep until evening, and then we
will see about getting you away
Hankinsons small eyes looked
sharp inquiry.
'Strite?" he asked mo fetchin' the
perlice in while I'm here?"
You can trust me-" answered the
Chinaman. cit would not suit me to
have police in my house. l have my
own affairs"
That treasured Hankinson. And
presently he ate the soup-good rich
soup, with strength in (which the
Chinaman brought him, and after that
/ he went TO sleep quite calmly.
j: x :; Z
| N7HEN Hankinson woke again
w there were two Cinnamon in the
room with him. One was the big man
! of the previous interview, the other,
also CARRIED in Chinese dress, was a
younger man of about his own size
and weight-an almond-eyed. stolid-
| faced fellow who was regarding Han
kinson with an inscrutable expression
on his immobile features. The big
man was talking to the small one IN
gibberish which Hanktnson did not
understand. Catching sight OF Han
| kinson's opening eyes he broke or the
conversation.
| "You are quite better now" he said.
not questioningly, but in positive as
sertion. 'You-now you may get up.
! There is food and drink ready for you
in the next room. Come this way"
| Hankinson followed the two men
into an apartment which did duty as
living room and kitchen. There was
table set out in English fashion. Han
kinson was motioned to seat himself.
The smaller Chinaman sat down in a
corner and stared at him; the big one
served him with hot roast fowl. Never
y ~, tnr,