The Washington times., 1934-12-03

Exotic perfume and a blue
haze of cigarette smoke hung
heavy over the room where, at
the farther end, a tall Christ
mas tree blazed and sparkled
with innumerable lights and
glass-ball decorations. Every
where gaiety and warmth and
the exhilaration that attended
the passing of another year.
But in all this the two men
at a corner table took no part.
Something sinister yet inde-
finable marked them as alien
to the scene about them. They
were not part of it; they had
no place in the atmosphere OF
that glittering night club where
Washington's officialdom were
gathered to hold high festival
at the coming of New Year.
It was as if, like migrant
birds, these two had suddenly
emerged from the blackness out
side to meet in secret council,
then quietly. to be gone again
into the frozen immensely of
that December night.
At a nearby table the wife
of a Belgian diplomat watched
them curiously, and at last
shrugged plump shoulders.
POise
An oddly assorted pair. About
the younger man lurked some
thing Of the 1.-the gracefulness
of a great cat, and in his tawny
eyes the lights caused little
golden fleckS to CLINT as he
looked slowly and incuriously
about him. The well-modeled
head and fine, almost sensitive
features contrasted strangely
with the powerful columnar
neck. The hands, long, white,
and tapering, seemed strangely
predatory in their very grace
fulneSs. In some vague way he
reSembled an animal crouching,
unhurried, calculating, and ever
wary.
The other might have been
more easily placed. Nothing
elusive there. The thick, squat
nose had been flattened against
his face, as if from the impact
of some terrific blow, and his
right ear stood out, thickened
and misshapen, like the ear
of a boxer. Deep pock marks
Scared his heavy face, and
when he spoke the close-set eyes
remained fixed on the empty
demitasse before him, as if un-
willing to met the others gaze.
The tone, when he spoke, was
low, almost cultural.
"Chief, I got one thing on my
mind, now that you talk about
sending me back to the Coast"
He hesitated, then lighted a
cigarette, while his companion
smiled, revealing strong white
teeth beneath the black, short
cropped mustache.
"Shoot."
"Well, it's this: I'm finding
it hard to believe that you
called me East just to blow me
to a lot of good whisky and
send me up the Washington
Monument. Now, I'm not trying
to force your hand, and I know
that when it comes to brains
I don't figger jack-high in them
deep plans of yours, but
what's behind it?"
Again he hesitated. Again he
inhaled deeply on his cigarette,
then, leaning forward, asked
quickly, "Give us the low-down,
Sari. What's it all about?"
The man addressed as Sari
nodded and the smile on his
thin lips deepened, but his
voice still held an overtone of
indolent contempt. Always
after action, eh. Steve? Always
yearning to wash up one little
job and get going on the next.
Ever realize that this passion
for quick action has landed
you into more than one nasty
meSs?"
Sari's catlike eyes rested for
a moment on the pockmarked
face, and fleetingly a look of
amused derision passed over
them. Then again they were
viled behind that eternal mask
of quiet watchfulness.
"Well, it happens" the
guarded voice went on, that I
called you East to look at some
thing that's going on here to-
night. I may have a job for
you, Steve"
A grin wrinkled the others
face, and his thick, twisted ear