Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-21
BY
Sax RoHrner

ION the contrary, he's quite at large.
had Peter Champion call him last
Wednesday and ask him to come to the
house"
WHAT
champion put the case in his hands;
actual whereabouts of son. attempted
murder and all. He offered him hun
dred thousand dollars for evidence that
would lead to the arrest of the man
or group concerned!'
What happened?"
Meyer undertook the job. On Fri
ton as Champion suspected actually
did exist He even supplied few
crazy particulars. He said that the
whole of New York was mapped out
in a series of zones; that each zone
was in charge of zone officer; that
each zone officer had three sector cap
tains' under him-and lot more in
credible nonsense. He limited at the
existence of some awful being known as
head center and promised further rev.
Citations. Since then nothing has come
from him"
"But-Champion?"
HE hasn't left the house for a week!
He darent! We have six men on duty
guarding him; four outside and two in!'
IT say!" Stopford exclaimed, his eyes
cleaning This is simply tremendous!
Do you think these bandits know you
are out against emp"
1T know they dol And am begin
ming to wonder if Meyers insane story
had elements of truth in it. I received
this an hour before 'phoned you"
He passed a slip of paper across the
table. Neatly typed, the following ap-
peared:
Commander Drake Roscoe;
Leave New York at once.
By order
Head Centre.
Him" Stopford murmured, an oddly
steely CLINT creeping into his eyes,
'crisp, and to the point. Have you
done your packin'?"
Yes" said Roscoe, "I've got gun
packed in each pocket"
He replaced the slip in his case.
Have you any clue to the sportsman
who tried pottin' old Champion"
mot thing. There was a gang Of
workmen about the house up to week
ago. though, installing new furnace
and overhauling the heating plant.
They would know his movements.
had all work suspended and the bunch
cleared out"
Excellent" said stopford, nibbling
an olive. "Takin' it all round, look
for CHEEKY time"
MY dear Stoppy"-Roscoe bent for
ward over the table, and his voice had
that curious, grim note which Stopford
knew-'unless am greatly mistaken,
there will be an attempt some time this
evening to murder mel"
In an otherwise perfectly dark room
a point of red light glowed.
III. O." said clear voice. Group
Master l, Sector 3 A I, covering the
tap on the Champion house telephone
line, reports that Louis Meyer called
Peter Champion at $40 pm. from
Brooklyn, stating that he had new and
important information-that he had
seen the map and could describe Head
Centre. He was told by Peter Cham
pion to come to the house as soon as
possible. He agreed. Report ends"
Instruct Divisional Chief B." another
voice-a suave musical voice-"to re-
move ex-zone Officer Louis Meyer from
the rolls Immediately. Notify
wnen TINS order mas been carried out.
Communicate with Group Master 4,
Sector 3 A I, inside the Champion home.
His hourly report is nine minutes late"
The red light vanished.
But, could the speaker have seen,
clairvoyantly, into a bed room high up
in the house of Peter Champion he
would have realized that his last order
could not be executed.
Some little time after speaking to
Meyer on the telephone, Peter Cham
pion had observed a curious phenome-
non. Through an opening in the partly
drawn curtains of one of the study win
dows he had seen tiny light flashing
in and out, dot and dash--in a high
window OF the house which faced his
own.
Peter Champion was swift to act. He
knew the point exactly from which he
could see into that room opposite. He
reached it in a matter of SecondS-a
room occupied by Pedro, Cuban man
servant. The room was in darkness,
the door ajar, and Peter Champion, cat
like for all his bulk, crept in expecting
a clear view of the mysterious light
A surprise awaited him:
The Square-shouldered figure Of
Pedro appeared silhouetted against the
window. In his hand he held q small
electric torch. And as his employer
silently came up behind him Pedro be-
gan rapidly to Morse to that other win
dow across the street!
Not two words had he signaled when
mighty fist was hooked to his java
fist backed by hundred and sixty
pounds of Drawn anS bone.
Group Master 4, Sector A I, was of
duty
You will now realize" said Roscoe
to Stopford, why tonight represents q
crux in the case. I have taken certain
measures to protect Peter Champion.
until tomorrow morning. So that, as I
feel responsible for his safety, 1 shall
probably spend the night there" He
ceased abruptly, then: by Jove!" he
murmured. what pretty woman!"
Stopford turned, following the direc-
ton of his friends glance. A woman
was walking toward them. A silver
figure. Her hair cleaned like polished
copper in the subdued light. She
walked slowly, taking the short steps of
the Parisienne.
In view of their table she paused and
her expression changed in a very odd
way. One would have said that she
had seen something or some one whose
presence had positively alarmed her.
At the same moment Stopford jumped
up and
Can it bel" he exclaimed joyously-
can it be Nine. CZerna?"
The woman swiftly lowered her
laSheS to hide the expression which had
so suddenly leaped to her eyes. When
she raised them again she was smiling
and composed. She held out her hand.
Why, DR.. Stopford," she said, speak
ing with a charming French accent,
how surprised I am!'
And no one could have doubted that
she was really surprised. Stopford
turned.
Roscoe" said he, 81 want to present
you TO the ruin of the Ruritania! We
made the sloweSt run on record within
Nine. Czerna crossed. 1t was a con-
spiracy between the bridge and the
engine room Comdr Drake Roscoe"
They chatUeu by a while. Mime.
Czerna, it appeared, mad been dining
alone, owing to the inexplicable failure
Of friend to turn up. She was quickly
at her ease, except that when neither
man was watching her a queer sort OF
aNnrnScinln crnrnt nj kn,.