Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-07
By Edmund Shell.

! keep his identity a mystery is always
safer to play solo game. The police
have taken this business to heart. A
coupie of lives were lost getting tina
sirl away--and they're not going tx
FORGET 1t in 4 hurry. II you can manage
10 Slip EN- a decent picture OF Mis-:
Have they'll track her right enough
and where they find Miss Haye They'll
find the Lizard"
Taverner looked at the ceiling.
And supposing they don't?
If they dent then Dighton Will
II there's any sense in his dellrlun
ct all, he's crazy on your niece, chief.
The barcnet nodded again.
Il was afraid So"
Thers was a long silence.
"D.ghton's a mighty good fellow,
said Marney at length,
Taverner paid no attention.
Aren't YOU a trifie optimissic?" he
suggested presently. The police have
been aware of the Lizards activities
for some time past-snd Dighton Will
be a back number fer weeks, possibly
months"
The American shook his head.
Don't YOU believe it, chief. I'll lay
even money with anybody he'll be about
again inside 10 days. That's what ]
meant when l talked about his luck
It's the effect Of the fall that's holding
him down now.
The bullet hit flask he was carry
Ing and took a sideways turn. 1t
wouldn't have done that If 1t had been
you or me, but Dighton's got lucky
streak in his makeup that's better
than a shirt Of mail. The Lizards
poor shot with an ordinary plstol-at
least that's how l figure 1t out. He
can raise Cain with the pocket DEATH
because that's foolproof. A clean shot
would have drawn a, bead on Dighton
skull and made sure OF him: The
Lizard wanted a bigger target"
Taverner rose to go. The long jour-
ney by air had rendered him drowsy.
He yawned as he spoke.
"Ten days is long time, Marney.
Where is he now?"
IN a private nursing home in
Genoa"
II see. You'd better meet me at the
Porto Principe tomorrow at II and
we'll run along and see him. He's done
well while he's been out here, eh?"
Chief" declared Marney, when !
tell you some details about that raid
on the villa you won't believe me. 1t
made Langley's stunt look like childs
play. Al1lborg had got his long-range
gun playing on the drive, too-and his
dogs didn't help any!"
The other held cut his hand.
well, goodnight, Marney. We meet
in the morning. Glad to hear all you
say about Dighton. 1 always found him
a good man myself"
The other let him out by the street
door.
On the way back to the hotel
Taverner made up his mind. He would
send Dick along to the police on the
morrow. Haye was known in Rome.
1t was quite natural that he should
have hurried to the scene of his daugh-
ter's disappearance as soon as possible.
He need say nothing about his brief
visit to England.
His presence at police headquarters
would serve two purpoSes-it would put
the authorities in possession of fuller
particulars of the missing girl and 1t
would remove from Dighton any suspi-
cion of having taken part In the Villa
Sabine affair.
The story was straightforward
enough in all conscience: Creta had
been travelling from London to visit
her father in Rome and had stopped a
night in Rapallo to see her fiance, who
was spending the Winter there. Fiance
sounded better than acquaintance.
According to italian standards, for a
young girl to visit young man in the
way Greta had done was barely re-
spectacle.
The Lizard would not be mentioned
of course. 1t would be fatal to
Taverners other interests and 1t would
not make the task of the police any
easier, for the simple reason that no
body had the slightest idea who the
Lizard was.
He turned out two photographs of
Greta before retiring to bed.
TO be continued tomorrow.l