Show BELOW THE DEAD LINE BY E SCOTT SCOT CAMPBELL G BELL I The he C Case of f the Tan Glove I y I No no Timmie Jimmie you cant keep a good man down smiled Mr Felix FeIL Boyd Its utterly impossible You Tou may get him down mind you and by fixing a cast iron grip upon him you may perhaps keep him lim down for a time But the instant you loose your hold take my word for it Jimmie hell bob up serenely from under your our arm armor armor armor or betwixt your legs or from some ut utterly utterly Utterly terly unexpected quarter and have at atOU you OU again No no Jimmie you cant keep It p a good man down The central office man smiled com corn complacently complacently over his Blue Points in the consumption cons of which he lie was too dil diligently diligently absorbed to reply and Felix FeIL Boyd presently added in ruminating mood So it is with the Big Finger Jim Jimmie JimmIe mie nile Weve had him down half a score of times Umes In tn the past year or as good as down and in each and every case just before its culmination Just jUS before b fore our finnY final blow was dealt wed we d have nave wagered our very lives against his es escape esa s cape a pe peSo So we would Felix admitted Cole Coleman Coleman man roan with a dubious nod Yet in each and every ever case Jimmie lIe he has slipped like an eel through our fingers lingers continued Boyd Owing to tono tono tono no fault of ours mind you no lack o precaution or shrewdness on our part but merely because Satan so it seems to me often derives infinite satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion from serving his own at such crit critical crItical ical leal moments Very likely laughed d Coleman surely a philosophical l way of looking at It ItI ItI itI I think so Jimmie He certainly is a good man map this Big Finger or he never could balked and baffled baffie you as he has done Yes hes he s a good man manIn In his infernal bad line Une And as aB I said in the beginning Jim Jimmie mie inie you cant good man down added Boyd a bit grimly Take TaIe my word for it the cover will 1111 slIp again before we fairly know it and like an ugly the Big Finger will ivill again bob up to give us renewed anxiety and additional trouble Think so Felix SI I do indeed Jimmie nodded Boyd Idleness is as alien to that evil genius as beneficence is to a hog bog We certain certainly certainly certainly ly shall hear from him again Yet a month has passed since that Sing Sing affair resulting from the convict code codeA codeA codeA A month is but little in the life Ilfe of a aman aman man true enough Felix Yet we succeeded tn th landing every man of his gang save him alone Humph He soon will organize an another another another other Do you believe it Itts Its ts as sure as death and taxes Jim Jimmie Jimmie Jimmie mie A month did you say Yes so it is Two weeks in Bellevue nursing a brace of broken ribs and two weeks recuperating ing in the Adirondacks I marvel marve that the Big Finger did not seize spize the opportunity presented by my absence to develop and and execute one of his h is infernally crafty and Hello break off for fol a moment Jimmie Ive Ivean Ivean Ivean an Idea that yonder men are talking of me ule And Felix Boyd bent a furtive glance in the direction of two young men who were ere seat at lunch l in Jhc the main room r m of the cafe afe I The scene was a popular downtown I restaurant within a few blocks of the thebus busy bus section of New York included be below low nv the deadline the territory specially sp assigned to Detective Coleman Of r the central office and the field of most of Felix Boyds remarkable exploits It as as Coleman had said mid Just a n month since that great police raid raia de designed signed and directed by Boyd which had resulted in the wholesale capture of the gang bang of o r accomplished crooks dom dorn dominated dominated mated by the notorious Big Finger whose criminal operations below the deadline long had been a L menace to toE E very great financial institution there located As previously related the escape of this obscure master criminal had been entirely accidental a mishap which had cost ost Felix FeUx Boyd not only his chief chi f prisoner but also two broken ribs and other less serious injuries The couple referred to by Boyd as above noted appeared to be discussing some fome object which one of them had pro produced produced produced from a small wad of white hite cot cotton cotton cotton ton taken from his fob pocket and which had led his companion to glance occasionally in Boyds direction Re Returning Returning Returning turning it after a brief examination e he remarked with a smile It looks all right Gerry In my opinion the diamond is a valuable one Gerry replaced the glittering gem in inthe inthe inthe the wad of cotton then than jammed it back Into his pocket Glad to hear you ou say sa so 50 Delmore lie rejoined As a matter of fact however my opinion Is valueless Ss for I am not not a judge of precious stones added Del Delmore Delmore Delmore more who was a reputable Wall street broker of the younger set But theres theresa a very easy way of getting at the thet truth ruth t How so 1 Submit the stone to Mr Ir Felix Boyd Bo d lIe very quickly will pass upon It for or you ou and his judgment is infallible Mr Ir Felix Boyd 1 Dont you ou know him himI 7 I cant say that I do brows arched perceptibly Humph Is that so he murmured I thought everybody knew Felix Boyd BOid I r have been abroad for three years remarked Gerry with apologetic humility ity What about this man Mr Felix Boyd 1 Delmore dipped his fingers into the cut ut glass bowl the waiter walter had placed maced aced before him then deliberately dried them ith his napkin Well Gerry he presently rejoined Jone one might say a good deal about Felix Boyd and nd then th n leave much unsaid There are few indeed who could tell it all for Boyd and his secret relations with some of the financial kings of Wall Vall street are mysteries yet to be un unveiled Unveiled n veiled If you have finished your lunch Gerry I will introduce you to him He sits at the single table in the alcove yonder with DetectiVe Dete Coleman of ot the central office Ill go with you at once said Gerry Gerr They are corning coming this way wy w y Felix said Coleman as the two men ap approached approached approached So I see Jimmie Know them One only young Delmore His fa La father father Lather ther is On my list of clients Boyd did not so much as glance up when hen the two men drew near yet Jet Del Delmore Delmore j more at once said familiarly How are you Mr Boyd Bo d f f I hope we dont intrude I wish to introduce a friend of mine Mr rr Talbot Gerry He Helas has las just returned from a jaunt ja un t abroad and I wish you to know him Boyds Bo ds drooping lids were raised with Indolent interest yet his gaze lingered oddly for a moment upon face He laid aside his napkin with lips re relaxing relaxing to a smile and extended his hand Pleased to know you Mr Gerry said he I saw sanS you in Algiers two years ye rs ago last Thursday Gerry started slightly then laughed Well really r Mr lIr Boyd he ex exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed claimed curious I confess I Iwas Iwas Iwas was in Algiers about that time At precisely that time Mr Gerry smiled Boyd I was there seeking an antique Moorish which I wished to add to my m T collection I observed you only by b r chance Well wen well you ou must nave have an excel excellent excellent excellent lent memory Mr Ir Boyd to have re recalled recalled called caned the date so readily Tolerably good yes the news Delmore Ani F Boyd bowed and smiled to the one turned conventionally to the theother theother theother other and then relapsed into his former indifference much as if the episode had ended Nothing new Boyd Bo d replied Del Delmore Delmore Delmore more By the way wa Gerry lets lees see that stone Well ask Mr Boyds opinion opinion opinion ion of it Delighted I am sure cried Gerry hastening to produce the wad of cot cotton cotton cotton ton Have Haye a look at this Mr Boyd will you You are said to be a judge of or such things and wed like to know what you mike make m le of or it I call it a dia diamond dIamond diamond mond and a Very good one Mr Felix FeUx Boyd accepted a the tIle proffered gem and studied it for several moments in the palm naim of his hand Presently he looked up end md nd said Where did you get this stone Mr Gerry Gerry colored deeply then covered his momentary embarrassment with a laugh Well WeIl to tell the truth Mr Boyd I loaned an acquaintance forty dollars last night and accepted that stone as collateral He was a a bit hard up UD eh 1 smiled smil d Boyd with a sharper glint in his lifted eyes e res resSo So It appeared CIA A friend of yours i Well no not exactly faltered I Gerry Merely an acquaintance Been long Ions acquainted acquaint d with him 1 Gerry laughed again rather half halfheartedly halfheartedly heartedly As a matter of fact Mr Boyd I never saw sa him until last evening said he I r ran across him while doing the town in a rather rakish fashion and we traveled a bit in company In Incidentally Incidental Incidentally he complained of being temporarily strapped and I made the tile loan mentioned Naturally you learned his narrie The TIle name he lie gave me in return for formy formy formy my card was Avas Peterson Yet I cannot Sa ay it was reliable nor where he lie now may be found That is very much to be regretted said Boyd with curious intonation A Why so sir Is there any doubt about the stone Boyd rolled the glistening bauble across the damask table toward his questioner The he stone is a production of art Mr Gerry not of nature na ture said he with quiet significance It is one of the best artificial diamonds I ever eyer saw Artificial Precisely Yet itis it is so good that it might deceive ve even eyen a a practised eye e eI As AsI AsI I remarked r mark I Mr Mi II Gerry Ger it is Ts s much to tobe tt be regretted that you Ou cannot locate your friend of last evening Should you again encounter him I would suggest that tha t you ou have ha Ye him detained by the police i urn Ill do that at least exclaimed Gerry G rry quito quit red and heated Conic Come Delmore I feel the need of a stimulant stimulant stimulant lant Will you join us Mr Boyd I think not now thank you ou said aid Boyd smiling Some other time if f agreeable to vou you Charmed at any time I assure you Boyd gazed after the two men as they left the room room Only his eyes be betrayed betra betrayed tra ed his quickened interest They had taken on a gleam like that reflected from a polished blade In the moonlight Presently he drew out a leather note notebook notebook notebook book and an with a pencil jotted down the name of or Mr lUre Talbot Gerry What do you vou make of that Felix inquired Coteman curiously uIt It is another of those paste diamonds Jimmie Timmie of which I told you he re replied replied replied plied This is is the second I have seen yet et I plainly could ha hae re learned no nomore nomore nomore more than before concerning the ma maker maker maker ker He must be found located anni annihilated His art is dangerous His skill is a menace Such imitations threaten aten the financial safety of every jewelry dealer In the country if not In the world I again must warn my clients in that line of the existence of these remarkable counterfeits Are you through Jimmie Come then Ill III at attend attend I tend to it this very ven day Coleman had merely nodded In re response response response to the th question and the two men left the restaurant in company As they emerged to the sunlit street thronged at that hour h ur with hurrying people Boyd briefly paused and asked Where now Jimmie Im going up to headquarters for a aspell aspell spell replied Coleman I have a re report report report port to turn in and two letters to write Shall I see you later Ill drop in into co your office about five So long then The central office man mart bowed and de departed departed parted Boyd lingered for several moments in the restaurant doorway with his brows knit in thought He had In tn mind the artificial gem he had just seen a most remarkable imitation of a genuine genuine ine me diamond and no man was quicker to discern the alarming possibilities such counterfeits afford Boyd had on his list of clients zev sev several eral oral wealthy diamond importers and brokers of Maiden Lane Iane as well as two large retail jewelry houses and of them too he was thinking and of the tIme warning with which he lie might serve them hem Thus coming events at times cast their shadows before For as Boyd pre presently presently presently turned to depart he lie suddenly observed his office boy Terence Go Gowan wan bolting across the street toward him Gosh Im just in the nick of time gasped Terry Terr r flushed and w lInI breathless Youre wanted at once Mr Ir Boyd Boyds attractive face changed like a flash instantly taking on that flinty determined look which invariably characterized him when en engaged engaged engaged by any professional emergency em By B whom 7 he curtly demanded with eyes dilating f Dabney Co sir Maiden Lane cried Terry Terr with amazing volubility They The sent a messenger to your office and I rushed d here to I Stop a bit Do you know what has I happened at Dabneys i Not sure sir A big swipe of ot dia diamonds diamonds diamonds monds I think the messenger said He lie Hei i waited only c Co moment Which is km longer than I should waiL interrupted Boyd with startling vehemence vehemence mence when the diamonds were men mentioned mentioned mentioned Here Her you cabbie cabble this way I I f r 45 J I m may wap wait you ou Terry Terr so in with you Dont Don t spare your cabbie A dollar doUar a minute your fee To ro Dabney Dabny Co jewelers Maid Maiden Maiden en Lane at the top of your speed Then a bang of the closed door an J Ja a vehicle tearing through the crowded street Passing people stared and wondered won ered IL ILA ILA ILA A dollar a T minute was not an extra extravagant extravagant fee for Felix Felb Boyd to have of offered offered offered his cabman for scarce three min minutes minutes mm utes had passed when the carriage drew down at the curbing fronting f the great retail jewelry store of Dabney Co in those days one of the noteworthy attractions of Maiden Lane Iane Wait here cabbie abbie commanded Boyd as lIe he sprang spang out upon the side sidewalk sidewall sidewall wall walk You Terry follow me n as asI asI asI I may want you Display no interest in my m doings however r Not I sir rejoined the lad Trust Trust me for that r Boyd entered like an ordinary cus customer customer customer tomer yet strode quite briskly y one of the broad aisles between the splendid counters with only cursory cursor glances at the magnificent display of merchandise on every side Yet before Boyd had passed Dass d half through the long aisle isle he was hurried hurriedly ly approached by an elderly man obviously much agitated who whispered rapidly as he hegr grasped gr sped Boyds arm This way quick Thank Heaven H aven youre oure here des a messenger i for you at once oice 0 We have been swin Idled died J j Hush Be prudent prudent Boyd with a glance at the 1 he man nan Whatever the occasion of your agitation agitation tion Mr Ir Dabney it cannot warrant the slightest betrayal of our et business relations Compose yourself at aton once on Ce In order ord r to dispel the misgivings of or any observer for the popular store was filled with customers custo ers at that l hour our Boyd fell feU to Jo laughing softly before the thelast thelast thelast I last was said and the man addressed sed who was the head and front of f the fa famous famous famous i firm at once took the cue so quietly given him All Ali true he softly exclaimed d with an attempt to force a smile to his pale paleface paleface paleface face I will be more discreet Mr Boyd What That Is the trouble Quietly I have just been robbed of a doz n valuable |