Evening star., 1940-08-22


Steve BY long distance phone. Tom de.
cides to take the next plane West, Gut
Il 0S. to Sbo1s 1s ha has to csr.
CHAPTER III.
Tom called his fathers apartment
from the airport in San Francisco
next morning, but there was no
answer. It was past the time his
father usually arrived at the store,
so the fact was not surprising. He
got a cab and gave the driver the
address of the store in Chinatown
and settled down to disturbing spec
ulation as to what to expect when
he arrived there.
A typical San Francisco fog blan-
keted the city and traffic in the
downtown district was congested.
Twice Tom urged the driver to
hurry, but it was little use. And
with every block his nervous ten
sion seemed to increase. The damp
ness irritated his leg and the fire.
quent twinges Of sharp pain helped
to further confuse and disrupt his
train of thought.
At last they turned down the lit
tie narrow street on which the
gloomy old Oriental Emporium was
located. Tom, leaning forward in
the seat as the cab pulled to the
curb, let his eyes run swiftly over
the faded awning that made a dark,
wet gray frame around the dust
and rain streaked display window
The stuff inside looked like it
might have been there in the same
place for so. years; high-backed
teakwood chairs with dragons carved
on the arms and pieces of jade
laced through the back in obscure
patterns; bronze Buddhas green
with dirt and age; small tables and
cabinets once brilliant with intri-
cate colored designs, now depress-
ing in the decay of their long
lost beauty; richly ornamented pa
godas that might have once been
dollhouses in the children's rooms OF
Chinese palaces.
Tom climbed from the cab, peer
ing intently through the store win
dow in search Of some sign of life
within. He took a bill from his
pocket and thrust it into the drivers
hand, then leaning heavily on his
cane limped across the sidewalk to
the door.
The Door Unlocked.
With his hand on the doorknob he
caught sight of a dim light far in
the rear of the store. The door
wasn't locked-which meant that
Steve was inside-and he pushed 1t
open. The creaking of the hinge
startled him and he jumped; then
laughing silently at his nervousness
he pushed 1t shut behind him. The
silence was deadly and the musty
odor the furniture lying all about
in complete lack of order was op-
pressive. The light in the back, he
could see now, came from behind
the half CLOSED door of Steve's Of
fee.
Hello there!" he called out.
Blinking into the black silence
that followed he tried to accustom
his eyes to the darkness, and gradu-
ally the outlines of the merchandise
lying between him and the office
appeared. He saw the aisle down
the center leading toward the back
and he made his way in that direc-
ton.
When he was about half way back
he turned suddenly and glanced to-
ward the street. There was on one
in sight, but he had an uneasy feel
ing that some one had been watch
ing him. He took deep breath and
squared his shoulders. This shivery
feeling was new one to him and
completely unaccountable. Steve's
store was always dark as q tomb;
deliberately so to conform to Orien-
tai custom. There had never been
anything eerie about it before.
BY the time he reached the Of
nee his nerves were In such 4 state
that he felt like cursing. "You
there, Steve?" he said gruf1y, push
ing the door all the way open. Then
he stopped, one foot across the
threshold, and stared transfixed at
the sight that met his eyes.
Shock for Tom.
On the fleor of the small, dim
ly lit office, his dark business
suit in drab contrast to the dark
green carpet. lay the body of Steve
Callahan. He lay half on one side,
his knees slightly bent and his
right arm twisted awkwardly under
him. Near his head and a foot or
SO out from the wall stood a small
and elaborately craved teakwood
table.
These things registered in Tom
Callahan's mind at first glance as he
stood at the threshold of the office,
but they had no effect at all beyond
incredible shock. He stood there
dazed, his broad shoulders sagging
the ruddy brown of his lean, hard
face seeming to lose its ruddiness
and acquire dull pallor. His gray
eyes were wide and his lips parted
The only sound in all the entire
store was his barely audible word
-"Steve -"
He didn't know how long he
stood there staring at the body on
the floor. It may have been q few
seconds, 1t may have been minutes.
But suddenly he turned with al
most furtive caution and looked for
the light switch which he remem-
bered was just outside the office
door, found it and snapped it on.
Half a dozen ceiling lights flashed
on, thickly dimmed with dust but
Illuminating the vast room. He was
alone, he was sure Of that. He
| turned again and Hmped to his
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