Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-11
TWENTY-SECOND INSTALLMENT.

Il
TIME door of house on an East
Side street opened in response
to the ringing of the bell. A
i man entered and the door was
closed quickly. There was no
light in the lobby. AS the car in which
he had arrived drove off westward:
H. O." said the new arrival. Any
thing to report?"
The second voice spoke out of the
stuffy darkness.
Stand by" the first directed
There was a sound of movement
Then the man who had just arrived
switched up a light in the room which
he had entered and looked about him
briefly. He wore evening kit covered
by light overcoat and a soft black
hat. His pale features had a Ma
poleonic contour. Finding the room
empty, he quilted it and deScened a
staircase into another room, a semi
subterranean. He locked the door be-
hind him. Fully half an hour elapsed,
however, before figure wearing black
robe took his seat in a high-backed
Spanish chair, ornamented with stamp
ed leather, behind long, narrow table
set before the western wall of the room.
A ghatsly yellow mask and rubber
effectually disguised his identity. One
of the flexible yellow hands manipu-
lated a keyboard. A man wearing a
black half-maSk entered through an
arched doorway on the right, bowed,
and stood still. A further manipulation
and a similar figure entered from the
left. A third entered behind the first
and fourth behind the second. Then:
Divisional chiefs" said the musical
80 fLn Ii
Number"
They answered in oddly varied tones:
ga"
"B."
&C.
Cd"
Division B." continued the uncan-
ny president, you are newly appointed
and your first divisional duty will be
an important one. Tomorrow night.
upon the Broadway area. 1t is be-
cause of the Importance of this opera
ton that you are here in person. The
Zones require new capital. Tomorrow
night we shall acquire it,,
DR.. Stopford paced the room rest
lessly Drake Roscoe watched him.
1T asked you to come back, Sloppy
he said, almost apologetically, land to
bring Madame Czerna because I feel
that her knowledge of the Zones is in
valuable
Splendid said stopford. ''But ]
want to marry her, and you've lugged
me back into all this murder piff1e
Oh! I'm not grousin', Roscoe. know
the things too big for man to grouse
But you know how feel about her"
II know every time" Roscoe replied
warmly. 1T was fine of you tc come.
She is safe enough at the moment, but
I admit"
Stopford finished the sentence for
him.
THAT her future prospects are pretty
bloodsome," said he.
Roscoe nodded, smiling grimly.
I'VE thought" he went on, that the
New York Zones had been cleaned up.
We raided their headquarters, with its
mass of secret passages, elevators, labo-
fatories, and so forth. 1t was only then,
Sloppy, that we learned the truth. The
Zones are not confined to New York
City. There are Zones in every city!
We smashed one Head Centre. There
are heaven knows how many other
Head Centres. And there's Great
Head Centre controlling the lot Of EN-!
They have been quiet for while.
They are active again"
$50 it seems" said Stopford dryly.
"They have established new head
quarters" said Roscoe THE thing I
thought was dead is alive again, and
buzzing. The Zones are active. Head
Centre is back, the spider in the center
Of the web. Meanwhile, look at this"
He tossed a note upon the table.
Stopford bent over 1t, read, and then:
"An invitation from the DucheSse de
Greuze," he murmured, "to join her
In her box at the Roxane Theater on
Sunday for the gala performance in
honor of the King of Turkestan. Char
min woman! take it you'll go?"
II shall CO." Roscoe returned. And
admit she's a charming woman.
But"
But what?" Stopford demanded.
confessed. ITO put it bluntly, I don't
trust the Duchesse de GreuZe. But
the Zones have never hitherto attempt
ed open assassination. They have all
ways covered themselves. don't think
I'm in any danger of being shot in
a box at the RoXane Theater. But I
have an uneasy notion that there's
something afoot regarding the King
OF Turkestan.''
what d'you mean?"
"Well, I mean this: Apart from the
fact that his wife carries on her per-
son a small fortune in jewelry this
performance will bring to the theater
other displays scarcely less noteworthy.
The ultimate aims of the Zones we
don't know, but that they are pirates
we do know. They have to get money.
You and have seen them getting it."
"It occurs to me, also" said Stopford,
shat you're rather anticipatin' things.
Perhaps I am" Roscoe conceded.
But" Stopford went on, remember
In that the Zones are primarily preda-
tory organization, / can see the dan
ger. But I don't admit that it's any
part of your troubles"
"It isn't!" said Roscoe, jumping up
excitedly. 81 might have overlooked it !!
invitatnon lying upon the table.
Deeper and deeper" Stopford muir
INJURED. Lets tabulate your suspicious.
You believe the DucheSse de Greuze--
absurd idea-to be associated with the
Zones. Don't answer me. Let me
purge myself in spoken thought. I
can see this possibility. She invites
you to a certain entertainment. II
there was any funny business con-
templated at this entertainment, you're
about the last bloke in New York one
of the gang would invite. I trust
make myself intelligible?"
&. "You do" said Roscoe. But the
Zones never do the obvious thing,
Il don't suppose you'll see eye to eye
with me in this" said Stopford, "be-
cause you are not in love. But the
first point that occurs to me is Madame
Czerna. All the time you're talkin'
although I'm tryin' to be with you,
and meanin' to be helpful-1'm think
in Of her."
Roscoe turned to him impulsively.
Don't be so sure, old man." he
said. Perhaps do understand. And
all you do appreciate most highly"
"Good" Stopford murmured; that's
reasonable. In short, if you think
there's dirty work at the performance,
Madame Czerna is out. Is that q beta"