Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-23

running his thin fingers over the
skull and neck and back of the ears.
Tom watched him curiouSly OBJ
served once with start the revolt
ingly long flngernail on the index
finger of the doctors right hand.
1t seemed incredible that a prac-
ticing physician would maintain
such an unsanitary affectation. He
was about to mention it when his
attention was suddenly distracted.
Cranky, leaning too far forward
In his examination OF the skull of
the murdered man, lost his bal
anCe. A sharp exclamation escaped
him and, with lightning swftness,
he shifted his feet. touched the
floor on the far side of the body with
his left hand so as to push back and
keep from falling on the body. 1t
all happened so quickly that the
actual movements of the catlike
little man were hard to follow, but
In Fighting himself his foot touched
Toms cane which had been lean
ing against the desk few feet away.
The cane dropped to the floor and
nicked the leg of chair in falling
and bounced half way under the
desk.
so sorry :" Cranky started
to reach for the cane, but Tom put
out a hand to stop him.
"Wait--someone came in Even
as he spoke Tom turned toward the
front of the store and he was just
in time to see a small and aged
Oriental shutting out the door and
pulling it closed quietly behind him.
Hey" Tom shouted. and at the
sound of his voice the strange caller
turned in apparent fright. What
do you want?"
Forgetting the pain in his leg and
not waiting to retrieve the cane.
Tom started toward the front OF
the store. He was nearly half way
to the door before the strange visitor
moved from his half crouching posi-
ton in the entrance and broke into
a run. Tom shouted once more as
the man disappeared from view past
the window he hobbled as fast as he
could to the door, pulled it open and
stepped out to the street. There
were only four or five people in
sight. and none of them were his
caller. Shaking his head, he turned
back to the store and limped toward
the office.
Cranky was waiting for him. He
was sitting on the edge of the desk,
as Tom had been earlier, and he
was holding Toms cane in his left
hand. His right was thrust into his
coat pocket He extended the cane
to Tom as the latter came in.
III make out the paperS-death
certificate, you know-When 1 go
back to the office" Cranky said,
ITS clearly a heart case" He rose
and moved toward the door.
There didn't seem to be anything
further to say. Tom followed step
or two, then stopped. Thank you
for coming, doctor. You can send
your bill here to the store. Ill be
on hand for a few weeks I expect,
clearing things up"
The man turned with start. "Oh
oh, yes. of course" he said. Then
he walked quickly across the store
and disappeared into the street
Calls Undertaken.
As Tom turned back to the desk
he made an effort not to look at
Steve lying there on the floor. Only
vaguely he wondered why the
doctor hadn't moved him into less
gruesome position; his legs were
still half drawn up, he still lay
partly on one side. with his arm
still twisted awkwardly under him.
Again he took the phone book,
and this time he looked up the
number of nearby undertaken.
He thought for an instant that per-
haps he should call some of Stoves
friends. but the more immediate
need seemed to be getting the body
removed and put in some decent
place; he shuddered every time he
looked at his father now, lying
there on the floor with that black,
heavily carved Chinese table stand
ing at his head like heather
monument.
When the undertaken and his as
sistant arrived half an hour later
Tom was at Steve's desk, half
heartedly trying to make some kind
of order out of the jumbled papers
that Uttered its surface. He rose
when the dark-suited men entered
and beckoned to them from the Of
fee door. They walked toward him
somberly, quietly, in the way Of
their profession.
You are Mr.. Callahan's son?"
the older, gray-haired man asked
in a solemn voice barely above a
whisper.
Tom nodded.
MY name Is Davis" the man
said, and this is Dane" turn