The Washington times., 1934-11-24

a hatchet to pry the front door
loose. The chief of police, the cap.
tain of detectives, and half the
force were waiting on the front
steps and pavement when got
the door open. 1 took them to the
cellar and turned Big Flora, Pogy
and Red O'Leary over to them,
witt the money. Flora and Pogy
were awake, but not valking.
While the dig nitaries were
crowded around the spoils l went
upstairs. The house was full of po-
lice Sleuths. I swapped greetings
with them as 1 went through to
the room where I haC left Nancy
Regan and the old gi.-k. Lieuten-
ant Duff was trying the locked
door, while O'Gar and Hunt stood
behind him.
I grinned at Duff and gave him
the key.
He opened the door, looked at
the old man and the girl-moStly
at her d then at e. They
were standing in the center of the
room. The old mans faded eyes
were miserably worried, the girls
blue ones darkly anxious. Anxiety
didn't lin her looks a bit.
If that's yours don't blame
you for locking it up," O'Gar NUT
tered in my ear.
You can run along now" I
told the two in the room. Get
all the sleep you need before you
report for duty again"
They hooded and went out OF
the house.
That's how your Agency evens
up?" Duff said. The sheen
ployes make up in looks for the
ugliness of the he's"
Dick Foley came into the hall.
"How's your end?" l asked.
"FiniS. The Angel led me to
Vance. He led here. I led the
bulls here. They got him-got
her"
Two shots crashed in the
street.
Bad Miss
We went to the door and saw
excitement in a police car down
the street. We went down there.
Bluepoint Vance, handouts on
his wrists, was writhing half on
the seat, half on the floor.
I'VE were holding him here in
the car Houston and me-" a
hard-mouthed plainclothS man ex-
planned to Duff. He made a
break, grabbed Houston's gat
with both hands. I had to drill
him-twice. The capll raise hell!
He specially wanted him kept
here to put up against the others.
But God Knows I wouldn't of
shot him if it hadn't been him
or Houston!"
Duff called the plainclothes-
man damned clumsy dub as
they lifted Vance up on the seat.
Bluepoint's tortured eyes focused
on me.
I-know-you?" he asked
painfully. "Continental-New-
York;"
Yes" I said.
Couldn't - place - you Lar.
rouy's-with-Red."
He stopped to cough blood.
"Got-Red?"
yeah" told him. Got Red,
Flora, Pogy and the cush."
"But-not-Papa-dop- oul -
os."
Papa does what?" I asked inn
patiently, shiVer along my
spine.
He pulled himself up on the
seat.
"Papadopoulos," he repeated,
with an agonizing summoning OF
the little strength left in him.
Il tried-shoot him-saw him
walk 'way-with girl-bull-too
damn Quick-WiSh
His words ran out. He Shud-
dered. Death wasn't sixteenth
of an inch behind his eyes. A
white-coated inferno tried to get
past me into the car. pushed
him out of the way and leaned
in, taking Vance by the shoulders.
The back of my neck was ice.
My stomach was empty.
Listen, Bluepoint." yelled IN
his face. "PapadopouloS? Little
old man? Brains of the puSh?"
EYES," Vance said, and the
last live blood in him came out
with the word.
I let him drop back on the
seat and walked away.
OF course! How had I missed
1t? The little old scoundrel-t
he hadn't, for all his ScarineSS.