The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-06-17
DANGiNG+DANvER

A chill shot through Madge,
lying on the floor back Of the
couch. Avery was the man who
had puzzled both Bryce and War
ing. To them he never had been
anything more than a name.
Even Mike Frankau hadn't
known who he really was. accord
ing TO the information his widow
gave Bryce in Paris, except that
while ostensibly the leader Of the
Clover Leaf gang. he merely
passed on orders from someone
else, more mysterious than he, who
was the real boss Of the under
world.
Identity
Bryce had specialized on his
identity. So had Vic Waring. They
had traced down every Avery in
Altonia, Investigated their private
lives, but none apparently was the
man they were after. If they knew
who Avery actually was they were
fairly certain they could trace him
to his superior.
That was how Bryce had wasted
So much time, and Waring, too. 1t
would have been comparatively
simple to get enough on lesser
members of the gang to send them
TO prison. but unless they reached
the fountain-head, the genius who
directed the operations of the sin
ister forces ruling the city, they
knew that all their efforts would
fail.
The men they convicted would
simply be supplanted by others and
they. in turn, by others so long as
the chief remained safely hidden
behind the impenetrable barrier of
secrecy.
No wonder Madge thrilled at the
mention of the name. Perhaps it
was someone she knew. If she
couldn't see his face, she might be
able to recognize his voice as one
she had heard before.
District Attorney
Dams voice, she already had
heard. There was no doubt about
him being one of the four men in
the room. Roland Beatty, the dis
trict attorney, too. she was sure
was present. He had followed Dan
into the room. She had heard him
speak over the radio on several
occasions, and her session with him
in his office was all too recent for
her to mistake the peculiar timbre
Of his voice.
The third man must be Louis
Tatum, or else Warnings deduc-
tons about the membership of the
crowd were entirely wrong Madge
never had seen Tatum or heard
him speak, so she had no way of
recognizing him.
Breathlessly, she waited for the
fourth man to speak and when he
finally did, she got distinct
shock. She had heard that voice
before, too! 1t was cultivated
voice, soft, but still with a quality
in it that revealed the man essen
TALLY as a leader.
His tone left no room for ar
gument. and the words he said
were uttered with a clear-cut de-
cisiveness that indicated that re-
CARELESS of who ruled from above
he was in command here.
You are taking care of that
Bryce matter Beatty he stated
rather than asked.
Yes, Mr.. Avery, I am. Every
thing is in the clear now. We have
two men under arrest, bad GUS
toners. both of them. If there is
too much said in the papers about
Bryce. we can easily put these
men on the spot. No one will make
much objection. and the city will
be better off anyway with them
out of the way
Good. I want no kickbacks on
that case, especially at this time.
have an idea Kendall is doing
a bit of investigating hoping to
turn up something. How about it,
Nichols ?"
IF he is, sir" Dan answered,
nervously, its being done so Sc
cretly I've no inkling of it. He
hasn't said anything to me, sir
We'll, keep your eyes open.
That's what you're there for"
Desire to Cough
Madge's lungs began to feel the
effects of inhaling the smoke-laden
air in the small room. and she had
an almost uncomfortable desire to
cough. BY an effort that seemed
TO. construct her throat, she kept
from il. She could expect no
mercy if she were discovered, now.
She had been right. Beatty was
there. This man called Avery had
addressed him by name And Dan,
too. Now if he would only call
the fourth member of the party by
name, her list would be complete.
A moment later, as though her
terrific concentration had willed it.
Avery did mention Tatum by
name.
How about you. Tatum? ?" the
soft, smooth voice asked Again
Madge was certain that il was a
voice she knew. II was slightly
different, there was this note OF
command which seemed a bit
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