Evening star., 1928-08-03

Don't move" Ssergt. Delaney coun-
seled.
Alone. Levine disobeyed He stiffen-
ed at the words and spun about to
face the muz2ie OF Delaney's gun. AL
yolition seemed TO have been drained
from Cameron. stupidity he watched
while the little mans head came up
and his lipless mouth fiared in VIDE.
mad smile. Then. quite deliberately.
he began to raise the hand gripping
the automatic.
Drop It," Delaney snapped.
DROP"
The room shook to the thunderclap
of the AS. Another lighter report
echoed 1t. For an instant Levine stood
erect in dim whirl of powder haze.
Then he doubled over, arms wrapped
about his stomach, pitched forward
upon his knees, fell 10 one side and
lay still.
Esther Somers screamed family
Walker rushed forward as the sergeant
climbed in through the window and
bent above the body. but Cameron
stood motionless staring at the broken
needles and flakes CT artificial snow
that drizzled down from the fir tree.
Delaney lifted his head.
Dead, sir" he reported TO Capt.
Dover, who stood in the hall door. You
got the Bohunk?"
Hes cut" the captain replied, with
triumphant grin. 'Bannon had TO
slug him with his gun butt to keep him
quiet, when his little pal called him.
Voices rose In a confusion of sound.
The room was filled with movement.
Cameron continued to stare at the bril-
lance of the fir tree. He bltnked stu
pidly al Delaney.
Il said" the sergeant repeated loudly,
as though to a deaf man, where Is II?
The diamond chump?"
its gone" Cameron replied in an
aWed voice.
He did not distinguish Delaney's reply.
Slowly ne went forward and broke q
twig from the tree. About 1t was
wrapped = Tiny coil Of bright gold chain
Then he turned and looked blankly at
the others.
II snapped II up into the Christmas
tree. he said deliberately, when Levine
held me up. 1t caught on this twig and
hung. II was In plain view there all
the while he was locking for 1t. He
never saw II"
He locked from the twig to the bright
splash of lead high up upon the stone
chimney
His, his bullet struck It," he said
dazedly. 1T hit it-and it's gone"
Above the child Molly Sobbed loudly In
fright. Esther Somers rose and went
upstairs unsteadily. calling assurances
as she went. Beneath the tree, De-
laney and Walker squatted, searching
found nothing but fakes OF tinsel. The
Eve of L,tcifer was gone. the great
crystal smashed TO powder by the ham,
mer blow of Levine's wild shot,
Feet shufiied as Walker. TomlinSon
and Bannon bore the body OF Levine
from the room. The door clicked shut.
muffling the voice OF Capt. Dover at the
telephone cameron listened apathet-
ically His mind was drained OF the
ability to think; his body too exhausted
to move He sat. inert. and was con-
scious only nt an aching neck and sui
len throbbing in his head. Delaney held
The twig OF evergreen with its twist OF
gold chain in his fingers and looked
from 1t 10 his partner with whimsical
eyes.
We'll " he said at last "that's that"
Yes" Cameron acquiesced duly.
He did a good job. anyway" the ser
geant reflected aloud. this Levine
guy. He shot away a lot OF trouble
when he hit that stone
Cameron nodded assent and rubbed
his aching forehead.
Funny he said slowly They bring
It here 10 sell 1t and after Sirake'S
bought 1t. they find It's 4 talisman or
luck piece or something that what's left
Of Russian royalty would give their
right ermS to get hold OF and then---'
And then" Delaney illed in the
pause They try to get II back and stir
up seven different kinds OF hell. all at
"a
pretty darn near whipped" the
trooper confessed with a faint smile
II wish you'd roll me cigarette.
Danny"
ANYWAY" Delaney went on dcten-
sively. as he complied I'VE were bet
ter cops than We got credit for. II we'd
only got wind OF that damned diamond.
we'd have had 1t all guessed right, The
Levine guy and the Bohunk came to
sell II TO Strake. They got there early
before Ana and Boris arrived Levine
went in The Bohunk waited outside
in the car. Strake double-crossed the
i.yoffs and got paid for 1t. because he
let these two bad babies know what Il
really was they'd sold the Eye Of
lucifer They wanted II back then
Levine knew he could sell 1t for heap
more 10 one ug those dukes or princes
or something He went out leaving the
door ON the latch, aud hung around In
the yestlbnle maybe. until he saw the
coon so up on the elevator, Then he
went back, killed Strake and got away
clean We worked that all out between
us. didn't we9"
Cameron nodded and exhaled blast
Of tobacco smoke.
so" Delaney continued Ana comes
In aud finds the old man dead 4 fast
worker, that dame She and Boris beat
the others 10 the one~way stretch Of
road and he beans YOU and steals your
hat, gun and blouse. You've certainly
had the rough part of this case. kid
"They try 10 hold up this Levine |
There's some shooting and they get |
awav Boris and Ana hear the racket |