THE LAW OF THE KNIFE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22005, 11 January 1935, Page 17

THE LAW OF THE KNIFE

CHAPTER Xl.—(Continued)

Passener, tftir—Nicholas Passener, that's what'n over the door." " Well, we'll proceed to introduce

oursel vcs -" . Slotioning him to stand well within the shadow of the overhanging entrance, I pushed the bell again and acain, but without receiving an answer. The door was next assaulted. It was a quiet street, anil the noise reverberated loudly. In quick time a window went UP) a head was pushed through, and a ' surly voice demanded what we wanted. ,r A word or two with you, Mr. pansencr," I said, stepping back to the kerb and looking up. "Too late," he answered; "house closed." " But it's important. ' tt House closed," he repeated; *«come in tbe morning." His accent suggested a foreign origin. '•"it won't keep, and I'd rather tell it to you now —inside. Your neighbours will be opening their windows presently." " Who are you?" he growled. a Police," I said, and beckoned the Constable in view. Without further demur he slammed flown the window; but it was a full five minutes before he opened the door, quite long enough to have a look through the back window and perform other "urgent matters. "•Now what do you want? he began truculent ly as we stood in the passage adjoining the saloon b<\r. He was both colla.rless an 1 coatless, and jt fakes a remarkably fine-looking fellow to look well thus disarrayed. He was not a fine-looking fellow; in fact, quite-the contrary. ' ~, " First, a word with Marie," 1 told

him. " What for? » , L a „ "A mere inquiry after her health. " I can satisfy you there; she was never better." "All the same, I'd like to see her. " Well, you can't," he snapped; •'she's in bed." *f Sorry, but I'm afraid she 11 have to get out. Inconvenient, I admit, but these things happen." He scowled, hesitating; then went to the foot of the stairs and called in a surly tone, "Marie!" ' "What is it?" a female voice answered immediately. Apparently she had not to be awakened out of her first sleep. "Come down; you re wanted. Marie tripped down the stairs arrayed in a flaming dressing-gown of red. and yellow. There was .a smile on her lips, which, however, faded as she saw the law in uniform. " Good-evening," I began. 111 Good-evening to you, she answered. ' ! Sorry to disturb you." "Don't mention it." "As a matter of fact I'm really delighted to see you, as'l thought you would have gone before this." " What are you trying to get at? she asked suspiciously. " Him; where is he? " "Which him? There are always so many hanging round." Her lip curled in a curious smirk. " j am not surprised. But the one I'm referring to was prepared to rescue the Princess from the ogre." funfiy? she asked. , ~ . " Where is he, Mane? - ; - "1 don't know what you're talking about," she snapped. "Better own up, Kitty," .Constable Warn ton here interposed in an ingratiating tone, "no good trying to come that stuff." , " Kitty! " I echoed. " Kitty Flindon, sir; three months' hard for finding a gent's wallet beforo it was lost." " You're a liar! "" she flung at him. her face flushing. " Come off it," he said: " I was on that job. That's her all right, sir, Kitty Flindon; can't have been out more than six weeks. "Wondered when I should meet her again." Once more she called him a liar, but with less vehemence. - "Aw! " he muttered, shrugging his shoulders contemptuously. ■" Well, Kitty," I asked, " where is he, that noble fellow who was prepared to rescue beauty in distress? Have you also found his wallet? '' " ! Think yourself damned funny, do&'t you ? " she sneered. it was curious how her eyes narrowed and her brow flattened as she looked at me, "And to think," she said suddenly, " I didn't tumble to you." Then you have seen before? " Couldn't forget that mug once I'd eeen it." At this there was a strange sound, not unlike a suppressed gurgle. It came from Wally's direction. " Mr. Passener," I said, addressing the landlord with such dignity as I could command, " I'm afraid we shall have to institute a search." " Then you'd better begin, copper, by looking in there." She pointed to a door at the end of the passage. I motioned to Warnton, who advanced to the door and shook it. Locked, sir," he said. We had to lock him in," Mr. Passener hurriedly explained. "He got very drunk and violent and wanted to fight everybody." <,: I quite understand; it was most thoughtful cf you. And you'd better stay where you are, Kitty," I called to her as she turned to mount the eta'Tfj. " No use trying to bolt for it; my men are guarding the back entrance." " Damn 'you, you ugly devil," she snarled, " damn you! "* Again I was sure Wally, gurgled low down in his throat. Meanwhile, Air. Passener, who had been fumbling in his pockets, eventually produced the key and opened the door. Switching on "the light, I entered •—to find Albert lying on the floor bound • and gagged. W'ally was close behind, and ' between us we soon had him free. Looking up and recognising Wally he smiled. "Feeling good, old-timer? " Wally '' asked, slipping an arm round him and helping him to his feet. "I'm all'right, sir, thanks; just a tit stiff." " How did it happenP " 1 asked. * They must have put something in tty grog." I had guessed as much. . Though he was more than a little that stiffness vanished as soon ■j. a B-he saw Marie in her flaming gown. He smiled in his own grim fashion, i- ~ fair had me," he said to her. ®hei sniffed contemptuously. He turned to the landlord, "I'm going to talk to you one. of these days." . . ' And I'll be paying you another visit Presently, Mr. Passener." 1 reminded jtoti, " so; hold yourself in readiness. « goes for you, too, Kitty." "Kitty! " Albert echoed, looking at Hie, " Kitty Flindon; three months' hard for finding a gent's wallet before it was • You're a pack of dirty liars," I ; the 1 girl. 1 Well, I'm damned," said Albert.

CHAPTER XII.

DIANOVA was t°<J old a campaigner to be unduly affected by a rebuff. Wlint|s[r he may have, thought of himself or adventure, he hid it under his usual ' °f indifference, and on our return «o:ine produced the whisky and soda hiß accustomed stolidity. .We

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By CARLTON DAWE Author of " Leathermouth.f "Lawless." "The Amazing Woman.

AN AMAZING STORY OF THRILLING ADVENTURE

pledged each other silently. Then his eyes began to twinkle as he looked at Wally. " I'm through with women, Mr. Wally," he remarked. Wally nodded appreciatively. Once on a time lie too had sworn off with many earnest oaths. " Sure, boy," said he; ''never know where you are with them." Albert looked at me and uttered one word, "Poliski?" I nodded. Seems to me sir, that we shan't have much time for love-making," he grinned. I though not, it being quite clear that our enemies had not forgotten us. The removal of Albert, for I had no doubt that such was the intention, would have meant a serious lessening of the force against them. If, as Lenate had said, they knew of me, they would also know of him, and know of him as a person who might be dangerous. A very nice plot, and not the less interesting because of its antiquity, son finding his Delilah throughout the apes. New plots come and go, but the old ones endure for ever. " Looks to me/ said Wally as we shook hands at parting, "that Ive come just in time." " For trouble," I reminded him. , " It's great," he grinned; "I seem to have stepped right off the boat into it. First night in London and the fun begins. New York, Chicago 1 Pooh, nothing; a few dirty gutter rats sneaking round with guns. Police jobs. But here we deal with the big events of lire, governments, politics, maybe the fate of nations. Old Europe takes a mighty lot of beating when it comes to the things that really matter. Intrigue, a thousand underground channels ,aIJ seething with revolt; murder maybe, and maybe war. Never still; always fiehtinc above ground or under; always giving a lead to the world." "And we the little flies on the big wheel liable to be flung off at any moment." " Sure," he agreed; "but I guess the flies enjoy the ride while it lasts. " These people arc out to kill," I again reminded him. " Are you trying to tell me to keep out of it, because if you are, son, you're wasting good breath. Think Albert's much cut up?" " Just feels a bib of a fool." _ " Don't I know what it's like. By the way, heard any more of the Crumpled Lilies?" " No." " Well, I guess I'll be getting along. A good start, boy, but I wish I'd looked in earlier. What are you going to do with that guy over at the Royal Regent?" . . " I always give my friends plenty ° f "Let us hope they'll oblige by getting nicely tangled. Say, Peter, I d like to meet your friend Poliski. He seems the goods." « He is." " And that hairy Hungarian, and the little knife-throwing guy." " You'll probably meet them all. " You really think he murdered the As there was no question of Albert s pressing a charge of assault, Mr. Passener was left to imagine possible developments, though it was pretty certain that when he again applied tor his licence he would be met with a refusal. , , , . Apparently the misadventure had not seriously affected Albert, for when he appeared the next morning he was alert and positively smiling. " Fairly had me, sir," he said; 1 was a proper mug." . " We're all mugs when it suits us. " You say she'd done three months* hard?" , "So Constable Warnton informed

me n << Of course, they would have carted me off if you and Mr. Wally hadn t come " The advantage would certainly have been with our friend Poliski." " If he gets another chtmce like that he's welcome to it. So she got months for finding a gent's wallet before he'd lost it," he mused. " I hope she didn't find yours £ " Now you mention it, somebody did. Five quid in it, too. _ Pretty smart; but then we always did think women wonderful, though Mr. Mayford don t believe in them over-much, . "He sadly lacks our imagination, Albert." . . " Must save him quite a lot in a year," he said. , That night George and I dined with Wally at his hotel. Knowing ot George's capacity for the stowing away of food, nothing was stinted, and as a consequence, about ten o'clock, his eyelids grew heavy and he began to babble incoherently, so we bundled him into his car and sent him home. He protested that he wanted to make a night of it, whatever he meant by that, and upbraided us for a couple of selhsh old bachelors who were out to keep all the fun to ourselves. 1 "We are thinking of Molly, I said. " The best girl in the world, he gU " g And the kid," Wally added. " The finest little chap ? alive, and clever as they make 'em." " You've said it, George. " 'fell me what either of you can show in the way of kids." he demanded. " Ought to be ashamed of yourselves, the pair of you." " We sure are, George, but once vie start in they'll be springing up .like mushrooms all over the old town. After seeing him safely stowed away in his car, with a huge box of chocolates for Molly and the boy, Wally and I returned to his suite tor a final talk. And a very serious talk it was. Assumptions were swept aside and probabilities realised. . As the enemy was still active, we might expect him to strike at any odd moment. This was the situation that had to be facedl, iand I made it quite clear to Wallingtou that if he mixed himself up. . . . «e threatened, as I knew he would, .to sock me if I pursued this vein. 1 tboucht it prudent to switch off. H was not dubious of what to expect Kaplan had meant to kill me tlia night in the dressing room; he had killed Lenate and between tjjem 1J el sure they had made away with Ilulus. Albert would have been the next. And this guy Poliski was still at large, and he was acting under.orders from the Commissar Krazan who was out to spill a little personal revenge. Yes, sir, it was the goods. One would have to ba michty quick on the draw. A week later I was in the once more, led thither by Wallj, had mentioned one Dianova, a Russian dancer. He had seen her over in New York, and was enthusiastic in approval. Supposed to be an exalted Rl ' ss exile; all sorts of stories told about her. Pretty as a picture. Dianova! Where had I heard that name? And then I suddenly remembered. Poor Lenate had mentioned it in association with the Commissar Krazan. This made her interesting. Krazan's mistress; one of many. Ihat enthusiastic patron of the arts—and ai^' S l guess," Wally continued to comment, " the exalted exile stuff is all bunk, like the generals and colonds of the Imperial Guards. There s a lemon of the Tsar's personal equerries hanging round well-to-do women over on our side who were never nearer hun than the width of a street. I guess it's the same with you here, and they tell me there's still more of them in Paris." Must have been a blessed revolution for quite a number of people. " About Dianova, I asked; did you meet her in New York?" (To be continued daily)