Evening star., 1936-10-13
NsTALLMENT xxx

~ Happy" Chance, manager OF
4 u the club and chieftain Of its
gorilla personnel, q troubled silence
fell upon the table, broken almost in
~ stantly by Fentress. He stood up
smiling.
I'm not sure that I entirely like
that summons" said the lawyer in his
pleasant voice. ."I'll just trail along
behind-for company"
"I was thinking something OF the
sort, myself" said Goliath, rising
also. Just hold the fort, you folks.
till we get back"
He slipped an arm through that OF
Fentress and urged him forward in the
direction taken by the disappearing
Blackwood.
Dallas too was on his feet. "What
the devil is the meaning of this?" he
growled belligerently. He glared al
Constantine, the only male remaining
seated.
The novelist smiled and shrugged,
ct imagine Riley knows his business,
he answered. "of course. If you want
to make an expedition of tt"
"Sit there till I get back!" snarled
Dallas, in sudden rage. He hastened
away after the three who had preced-
ed him.
Riley Blackwood, piloted by the
pudgy manager, was just passing
through a rear door into the noise
and clutter Of the wings. The dancing
girls, waiting their turn upon the
floor, were swaying in the corridor
Beyond them, the door that led to the
dressing room Of Valerie West was
closed.
Blackwood had no illusions abou,
The incident. It was a murder as.
signation. If Dallas did not follow
quickly, there might be savage head
lines in the Morning Cronicle. 1t was
possible that he had been too reck.
less.
Wen 60 right in," said Happy
Chance. He flung open the dool
and stood back for his companion tc
enter.
An odd sound trembled on Black
woods lips-a cry Of incredulity and
disbelief. His eyes seemed bursting
from his head.
Across the dressing room, squatteo
cross-legged on small divan, he saw
the smiling. costumed figure OF Hara
Singh, the Hindu.
At the same instant. there was q
rush Of bodies from behind.
He felt himself seized and fune
across the room. The door slammed
shut. A pistol cracked with shocking
violence in the small chamber, then
another and another. A woman
screamed and cursed.
Already falling, the amateur pitched
heavily against the far partition anc
fell sidewise against gaudy toile'
table. The room was filled with thu
acrid odor of powder and a sense
. Of whirling confusion.
Clinging dizzily to the object thai
had obstructed his fall, Blackwoot
realized that he was looking into a
mirror. There was a sharp pain ir
his side: he knew that hs was wound
ed. And slowly he was slipping to the
floor.
His vision cleared and for an In.
ttant-before darkness overwhelmed
hin-he saw reflected in the glass the
gnttering eyes Of Rollie Goliath and
saw that there was . smoking pistol
In his hand.
Dallas had not arrived.
Fundamentally" said the great de-
tective, recharging his pipe with snag,
'the human race Is bad. NOBODY Is
born 'good'-we are all Of us poren-
TALLY criminal at birth. The sur
vival of the race depends upon the
lnhibitions set up in us by education" 4"
He merged slowly with the smoke
that curled upward from his pipe, be-
came a sardonic question mark OF
vapor and vanished in a crackle OF
sudden laughter.
That is thought that has been
frying in my skillet for some time"
said Riley Blackwood. But don't you
think, my dear Rassendyl, Wherever
you have gone"
He opened his eyes and looked
around him. This was curious, lie
was in bed!
He stirred and endeavored to sit up,
but q soaring pain shot suddenly
across his side and he yelped and
fell back upon the pillow. Somebody
rushed forward and seized his hand.
Good heavens, Riley!" said the
voice Of Zelda Lansing. you're not
trying to get up!'
His wandering wits returned and,
with a little shock, he remembered
where he was. He was In the hos
pital, of course. He had been badly
Wounded-hadn't he?
"Oh-hello, Zelda" he remarked.
"I was dreaming, guess. How am /,
anyway"
you're doing splendidly," she told
him. "If you'll only lie quiet and
give yourself time to heal you'll be out
Of here in no time"
The man who had been seated In q
corner of the room came forward and
stood beside the bed.
Hello, Colbath," said Riley Black
wood, grinning. This Is reversing
things with a vengeance! The same
room, isn't it?"
The detective smiled. IT had It
yesterday" he admitted. "But knock
out drops don't do nearly as much
damage as bullet"
1T seems longer ago than that"
said Blackwood, musing. His eyes
narrowed to a frown. Look here
they got Fentress, didn't they? I'm
itill little hazy about last night"
The detective nodded. II got him. !"
STUDY PUTS STRAIN