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Show - PAPTWIFP (TW THR fCUT Qy LER0Y SC0TT IV. The Third Watchman. What ll.is Oono Before- in "r.utiVMS of the Niht.' l.lcui.-uani I vi.vtivo Clmord. n onim ato m.i.iiuiU'. i. dismissed tl0!U t I'.O dcL'Ct 1 O fl I Co MS It IV- v.i.t ol a (i-.iiiir -np by I 'll st 1 vput v IV) h CommisMonor BrmlUv. lu-.ul Ol the deleclie hiiu-au, who i.s In lean tic Willi gamblers and other law-breakers law-breakers ami know s i ! .t t CI u ford know;. It. Commissioner Thorne, who Know s a No I hat tb ad'ev is crooked, hut luti! to dismiss Clit'oid been use evidence was against Mm, employs ChMotd to woik h'f him privatelv to "get" Bradley. On shlpboatd Clifford Clif-ford met Mary Began. He funis that she Is a niece of Joe Uussell. tainous i TOOK, illl-l SIS' r t of S ia n I- I' Ui't' He-a He-a noted pickpocket. Alter several encounters with Brad-ley, Brad-ley, who alwas gels awav without incriminating himself, Clif'.otd goes to Mary's apai t ments to it'll her that Slant-F;uv is a pal of throe of the most desperate crooks in New York. V little later ihev loll Mm that Jennie, Jen-nie, w hom lie shoilly humus t o marry, lias "'put the hooks into a rich booh." and lit' shoots Jennie and the voniii millionaire-, whom the three introduce to her ,1'as't to make their story plausible. plaus-ible. Thinking he has killed them hot'.1., he runs away. Later, after wandering about, a liui'.hc, he sneaks back to New- York for money Irom his pais. They u-il him th.ey were iV-Ming him that Jennie was alwavs s: ram ht as a die. and true to him. Mad with ra so at their trickery, for he thinks Jennie dead, as he has imt seen a paper in his wanderings, lie snoot the throe deal. Then he goes to get monev from his sister, and finds ' Clif"o:d with her. She tells him Jen nie is living, and will shortly leave the hospital. Then Clifford mses Resau for his sister's sake lo floe. Just then Br.v'ley conies in. It appears, of course, that Ohfford 1s in league with SlaT'.l -Face, and Bradley savs he will iirrest them all. But S ant - Face, grateful to Clifford for befriending him. slips on a pair of handcuffs which he steals fvm Clifford's P'"u-k-ets. an. I s:i s Clifford has nlieady aneste.i him. Tie then goes to prison, securing the bis reward for his arrest to Clifford. SO much for Slant -Face Reean," ended Commissioner Thorne. When he spiTke a pa in his voice was savage, low. "But his case is not what we're here for. It's my ease. I'm in u hole! And the police department's in a hole, too!" .Clifford glanced with instinctive caution about the bed room in the Bill more, to which he and the commissioner had come in separate anl roundabout ways for this secret meeting. He drew nearer tiie chief and spoke In a whisper. "'Those bank robbery cases?" "Yes! The police have not done a thing, and have nor een a clue!" 'In-i'!enta'ly, chief. I have seeri how the papers have been praising Bradley. As a manipulator of the newspapers, Bradley has :he world beaten." "And on ton of that, he gets sick " "J nst so." said i 'ill ford : ai d. nfier a moment ; "Hllu c vmi'Vf asl,tl me here, chief, I'd pKr to sav Just lle tilings." "A hundred If von waul to!" "Firt Bradbv wants to ho the head of l he depart men t. Thlh w hole ha nk robbery rob-bery epidemic s parllv n liaiiieup. on l!rudle's putt, lo .net you in so bad that uui will hae to icmii in renpoiist; lo public pub-lic clamor. And public clamor, Inspiied by him, will demand that lie be made chief m your place, "Second, there are oilier bin safe John '''inn planned this minute. "Third, examine the records of 1 he transfers of detectives Bradley has had von sIku during I lie la si Iuj or t hree mouths. Bradley hasn't left an honest detect i ve on J u oad way, who'd know a sa ! e - man if he saw one. "Fourth, those safe-nieii have mil away clean with those bit;' iohs because everything every-thing was fied with Bradley before, they bewail to operate. "Flfih. Bradley knows exaiily whal'H dolnir, a lid could have every man eraek-im; eraek-im; cribs in New York locketl up within two hours." "Couldn't ou." asked Commissioner 'I'lioriif ironically, "iust to out me entirely at my ease, add a happv little sixth?" "Well, the other day 1 happened lo see Billv Hawkins on Broadway. "You t Bl it's I la w kins'."' "He's the smoothest safe-man In America. Amer-ica. And t he clean si ie of t he jobs makes it look like Hawkins." Com i miss, one i Thorne leaned forward, his face set. "Clifford." he said sharpie, "somebody I can trust has koI l help me. Ami l ha', somebodv has uoi to he you!" "That's a mighty Aa assignment, chief." said Clifford, slowlv. "All ri'ht, though. Hut you must let me go my own way and pick my own men." "Anylhin you want! Ami while you're at It. i;et Bradley, if you can!" As Clifford came down Into the lobby of the hotel, he saw just before him Bradley himself supposed to be ill tun! spending this mont h (f Peoembcr on a leave of absence li. tlie south. "Hello. Clifford," called Bradley. "Have a drink." "Thanks, chief, I'm on the wanon." Clifford saluted his former chief and present arch-enemy and passed on. smil-ins smil-ins f;riml' to himself and knowing Bradley Brad-ley was doinc likewise. Clifford blamed at Ids watch; It was iust 7 o'clock. The most likely place to find an operator of Hawkins's caliber was at dinner in one of the best known hotels, for Hawkins preferred, for business busi-ness reasons. to mix Inconspicuously j among the well to do and respectables. Ch fiord looked into the dining rooms of 1 i he Bill more Pelmonieo's tne Kitz the Astor and again the. Billmore. This time he enteied, secured a corner table, and out of the tail of his eye watclu-d a man who sa t alone at a table with places arranged for three; a man of rerhaps for-t for-t v-five. in even ins; clothes. Iran of face, cold of eyes, reserved in manner. Mr. William Hawkins always looked the part, of a reticent man of affairs. Clifford save his dinner order. When he glanced again at Hawkins's table the two empty places had been filled. He started. Sir. Hawkins's guests were Joe Kvssell and Mary i:e-:an. At otve all of Clifford's senses were on the trai? Were these two merely guests of Hawkins? Was this merely an informal infor-mal lii tie dinner partv of three aristocrats aristo-crats of crime? Or was Joe Russell or Mary Recan in some way involved in the. plans of aw kins'.1 Tin- in-xt In -Unit Cllfloid roiuciiiUcrod noiiicI hlnr. : Y.':irs ay.o ':.- man Jim" Wan. Mary M.ui'h lather, had h.-.-ii paiimT in many , of Ha wklns's upi-rallon. 1 ndnill.trdlv. j Clifford iva.- .iird, Man' Kn;;ui uuo;i , have known Hawkins from her j;irlhood daH. And tli.-ic wnv a do..n uas a hand.somc. q nick - w 1 1 1 ed, ovnlcal Kill lik-; lik-; Mary lb Kan could aid In the Ki'oal ' schemes of .such a subtle criminal, Chlford rose, Intending lo wllp "ul unobserved un-observed ; but .loo Unwell sigh led him , and motioned him to their table. Hob," said Hie sii.au Kus.-ell, In a 1 balliiift tone, "lei me present Mr. t'hil-! t'hil-! hp. Mr. rhilhps, this in Mr. Kobei t ' Clifford, l'oruu-rlv llouletiaul deteclBu ot : police." Itussell, since I chanced lo meet you 'uid Miss tiean," Clifford said, "I waul j to loll ou that It'H going to be the best I thing for ou if you come rigid through ' willi w hat on know about Slant-Face ! Began." I "H this I.s goillg tO be What I belleW' I vou poller call the Hdrd degiee." said Mr. Phillips, rising, "I'm sure you'll nil excuse me white I make a telephone , call." Clifford hail this bit of satisfaction he had made Hawkins caiimate hliu as a "booh." "I In tended 1 1 ying to see vou tonight , Miss Regan." Clifford went on. changing to a 1 1 ii let lone, "to give you the latest iiisid,; dope on how your brother's case sizes up." " Ves---ye.s?" she breathed. "Since Slant - l-'a'-e has been indicted, of course I've got to go t lirougli with my end of It and take the stand against him, Bui as for his alleged snooting ol Jennie Maloae and that college fellow, I Slant-Face switched out the lights before be-fore t be shoo i ing was done; I lie Mate can't prove he did the shooting; iL can only prove that he switched out I la lights. And Jennie's standing bv him, a nd I heir intent ton to get ma i Tied, that'll Weigh an awful lot wilh the jury. And as for I he t hree men w ho wu-e killed Biff Fan-ell. Uipsv Joe and lt-l 1 Mike v. ere shot with each ol hers guns, 'and t !ie sta le can't prove I hey didn't j shoot each other during a three-sided i quarrel. Besides, the jury will think it a j public sen ice lo remove three such cangs tors. As things stand. Slant- Face , is sovc to heal the case." "But how about your ten thousand reward," re-ward," ouerlcd Kussell after a moment. "And your rc, nst ate men t in the department depart-ment ?" "I'll never set eilher-not out of Slr-nt-Face. Regan's case," Clifford returned. "1 suppose we (Might to thank vou. Mr. Clifford." said Marv n n low voice. "By the way. Bo1'." .said Russell . "what do you think Mary is going into business "Business?" exda imed Cltffoid. and i looked at Mary Kecr-tn In sarin Ise. "What sort of business"" "Public stenographv,-' Fnld her un e. Mary Regan coing into besiness! There was no opportunity to follow this up, for a t this moment ( "lifford saw 1 faw -kins returning among the tables. Clifford Clif-ford rose and sai-i good-nigh!. Outside t'no dining-room he eovertlv plan red hack. Marv Regan and the cold -faced master-cracksman, leaning toward each other, were tnlkirg in low vob-cs. A pa In the insistent questions asked themselves: Was Marv Resan Involved in Hawkins's sciit-ne? And if so. how? 'A hat followed was an education, if t lifford needed r ne. in how n great mod- rin ,-.if.'-man gorH ahont 1 1 1 M elin:-.n loisl-lie.v-i. Mawklin, ;,M ( lirinid lli w, bad apenl sl inonlioi planning his giral i'llts-hmg i'llts-hmg pdilioi ,', and onlv 1vn hyuis in 1 he uotnal .'xenKloM ,,!.,! had made smli a el. -an gidJiwav thai Ha n- in no cvidenei-ooiinei cvidenei-ooiinei ling him wllh that atlalr, , t'llllord hail to niah'h path-no- agaln.-d pa I le i irt1, ca ii I Ion ar.a ins I raiillun, wit. against wil. I ' 1 1 1 oi'd beg a n to shadow Ma W'k I no. Then- w ,-i-e nl ih' da vm of tailing ; tln'ii one day liawkijiH wchl Into the oily holldiio- di part inent. Mier he had ruao-out, ruao-out, ('infold hinir.elf enl.-r.-d Hie depart-nirnt depart-nirnt , a nd by "lever mo-st Inning, which did not irvi-ai Ins own Idi-nlily or puipose, lraincd thai Hawkins, JtM .i , , Ivabody, an atrldlerl, had examined the plaiiM of m-v-eral great offh-,. hiiildmgs there an file. A tew daM later I "Hilord tailed aw-i kins to Hm ofllerM of a great vault build-I Ing ronrrin. lb-re Clitloid, again ent.-r- lug alter Hawkins had goio-, hain-'l that HawkiiiH. as Mr. Kort.-r, i -j 1 1 -esenl i ng big. San l-'raneisro hanking Interests ih-Mnam 1 ol InMalllng a new vault of must modern I defensl c power, had been hIiow ii. h t .sample s; erlm. ns of what miild he done, t he pi .HIM of neveral nf I lie Hi ron g est vauliH in New York. I'ndouhtrdlv Hawkins had alrr-adv picked his hank. Hot ,hirh was the bank'.' Clllfotd was certain that the plans of Hawkins Were going carefully foruanl. Then one dav came a leport telling of an aroldenlal ineeling- brleen llmvkiliH and three men, evidently fnnids whom lie had not seen for some lime, at a road-honso road-honso near Yoiikern, and their return together to-gether tn New York In a hired touring ra r. From t lie deserlpt ion g Iven In t he report t'llflotd ree.-gnized the three acquaintances: ac-quaintances: "Pig" Kd Johnson, a llou-dinl llou-dinl at picking looks: and "Splinter" Sill-; W ell and "I tutcb" Prow u, cracksmen of smaller caliber ihan Hawkins, but both, ii"io- t hi; le.--s, what are termed at head-ii!,irl"i-s as "good Hate men." The car and chauffeur Clifford also set down lo be part of Hawkins's eiih; nieiil. The veiy dav on which this report was 'leMvered ho enteied tlie Holel Aslor for his hiiich. At a table alone he saw Mary Regan. He crossed to her. "Miss Rega n. (In ymi mind if I share your table?' he asked. "If vou wail a few mi miles, vou may have the whole of Mt." she said coldly, witli a ?'anc mIdiokI contemptuously hr.ef. "I'm Just finishing. I've already asked for uiv check. Put do as you like." He .w.U down, gnmlv but uncomfortably. "How ainut vour public stenography office?" of-fice?" he asked. "I'm opr ning it tomorrow. Would you like one of my cuds?" t'llllord glanced at her card. Only his loog sclion'ing (n self -font pit saved him from a Marl. The card rend: , Till-; Ml'TL'AI. STPNOHRAPHY CO. , First Mutual I Pank Puihllng.-- Proa d way. Oiff'-rd looked up and steadily met her dark eves. i 'a rta Inly I'll be glad to give "Vou any work I l.a c." With a slight nod. which gave him mocking giatitudc and good -by, she walked away. He gazed after her, his breath held tensely. So Marv RcL-an was in it! Ami the bank was tlie First Mutual ba nk 1 From that day on. unobserved. Clifford centered his attention on the I'll tt Mutual Mu-tual bank. A I so, lie kent watch on Marv IlPC'in's office. He had Tarleton snd Mary Penan work; be bad oilier fiiend:-! do tlie witna; In- had his agent keep li. Mutual Sle-nog Sle-nog i aphv oni a li v under eons la nt wr il-tinv. il-tinv. All repoitf foi-ed the ddur-tion thai her office wan not only bny, but wan lerlllnialely ho. A the days passed. I bat pha.-in n the situation began to puzzle ' him. j Two Vecks -Hirer; WeckH passed; nlll! lad hm bill legit 1 1 1 la to htislhess; people , bringing in wink to be copied, men cum- I ing in lo dh'l ale. Clifford might ha ve I lout pa I if nee had ,e not re i ne u ) he red I life j ma ii wllh whom he wa s dealing. The. budm-.-s of the office .b- elo;.ed be- yond what could be handled during the usual work-dav. The fourth week a night MhifL w;im Imiuguratfd lo meet the exigency exi-gency of much legal and brokerage woi Ic that admitted of no delay of execution. Men eamu In to give, rush dictation or to lake away completed woik. Then the Hex of Hm: operatoin began lo change; .soon onlv men typist appeared a! night. Tlie next ih- elopineiit. w;is a nigh l manager; an ah- i, prompt off ei-nt young man. ; Clifford secured a Hnaie-hot of bun; out! being a discharged officer. Clifford did not have p,:rHonal a .:-a to the records, at heijilipiiiriers. So he ent Hie photo- grain to Co m mi. -'Hi oner Thorne. i When Thome's report on I he photo- irraph came to him, Clifford fell that at last he knew nil the cauls in Ibiwklne's hand and knew how Hawkins was going to pluv them; that at laf-t he understood evervt hlnc. Kvervt hi ng. that lfi. except Mary Regan. Re-gan. The detective in him was expectantly expec-tantly exultant, but the man in him was sbi( "over a young woman of such quality allvinii herself with a ruthless villain like Rillv Hawkina. V1I Mary ReLan, or no Mary Regan, he had now to see. tin; matter through. Mr. James Anderson, president of the First Mutual bank, greeted Clifford wilh that neutral diirnity which financiers have as part of their equipment for life upon stra ngers who penetrate their pre-enre. Mr. Anderson slatted to glance perfunctorily perfunc-torily through the letter Clifford hnnded him." TIkti his glasses tumbled .from Ids nose and he stared short-sightedly at Clifford. " What's tills mean? No wait ! Ill take this letter at its word. I know Commissioner Com-missioner Thorne." The next moment he was speaking into his telephone. "Is this Commissioner Thome? i en. Just one moment. " He replaced his glasses and referred to the letter, which contained a lew code phrases devised for tlie benefit of the score of w!frhbonrd operators at heidoun rters through whom so many intended in-tended police secrets find swift passage to intended rolice victims. "This is Feter Jackson talking. Yst yes, feeling fine commissioner. A Mr. Hardy, Fd-ward Fd-ward H.'irdv. has applied to me for position posi-tion ay manager of my dairy farm. He cava be knows vou. Can you recommend him? Yes," yes thank you very much," The florid pxeentivc hime up, and pushed a pa1 across the great glafis-tot.ped glafis-tot.ped de,-k to Clifford. "Siuri your name on that, please." When Clifford had done; to his expert eves compared the signature ; on' the pad with a sample signature on Commissioner Thome's letter. Mr. Anderson's manner chaneei to that ba'nkerlv benignity which is a forecast of I pi.-iant weather to one desirous of making mak-ing a loan. "And now. Mr. Clifford, what can T do for vou?" t ; "You ran let me do something for you, said Clifford. "Von an let me do homt.lhln;.' for you," m.f f'llflord. , , " Whal l hat !" The banker Huddenly lost bis prob-sMional bin nd i e. "I hell-ve that when the Kir:d Mutual - lose.s this a M ernoon you will ha vt? on hand, what with Hie deposit made today with vou by the njhlreasoi y, the laro-M amount of any dav this month close, on half a million, i-hj-Ii." I "Ve, today is our regular monthly maximum. max-imum. Hut Hen here what are you drlv-i drlv-i in at?" "At lids It's one hundred to one tnat 'Hie First Mutual will be robbed tonight." "The FitKt Mutual rohbed' My dear sir, vou are alKoiher absurd: Break into the First Miliual it Is impossible I We have the Htronesl vault in America; our burglar wirlim is penect; betud';.-., our wa I c hmaij " "My dear sir," interrupted Clifford, "the ma u who plans to rob t h( First M utna I known your vault, your wiring, your whob , bulldliiK, the routine of your nifiht watch-11,1111, watch-11,1111, as well as you know tio-m, fit jknowR the ex:o't intervals ;vt which the watchman punches the clock; be knows the exact hnUts of all the policemen ta- tioned hereabout; ho known the habits of e ery 1 m port ant person connected w ith ! the. bank." I Mr. Anderson sprang up. j "If that's true, I'll notify the commissioner commis-sioner and have, a police guard here at once, ami keep it. here day and nifcht!' "Tha i s exactly what we don't want. We want to let the panir rob your bank." ! " I j- t them ro b the First. Mutual!' i Mr. Arnjerson collapsed. The idea wa ; preposterous bevond belief. I "Exactly." said Clifford calmly. "We , I have KUs.picionH. hit? suspicions. We've ! -ant to have evidence, and lo get evidence I a gainst this mob we've got to catch I ihern in the act." "Do you think, as chief official of this Institution," exploded Mr. Anderson, "I'll ever consent to its being robbed ' Be-side?, Be-side?, think of the lo.n of confidence lu our reliability such an event would bring about !" "There another fiide to that matter. Mr. Anderson,' Hald Clifford. "Think of I he increased confidence the public will have In you, when the public learns, as it will, that you were so watchful of the interests of the bank that you knew in advance all about the scheme against ii and were prepare'!. Further, think of the general service you will be rendering render-ing In helping apprehend men wiio are a. menace to all the public. And further, think of tlie valuable publicity sensational, sensa-tional, but at the eame time dignified publicity.' Mr. Anderson gazd at Thorne'? le' ter gazed at Clifford considered. Clifford had judged him aright; heavy, conservative, conserva-tive, but with a fcecret liking for what the newspapers might say. "Very well, Mr. Clifford." the banker conceded Impressively. "The First Mutual Mu-tual will co-operate in all wavs possible." The darkness up there in the balcony, where the executive offices were located, was like the center of a can of black paint; the silence was as that of the heart of infinite space- Noiselessly, Clifford stood at the crack of the -door of the president's presi-dent's office. His senses could perceive nothing at all. Then again he heard a soft, regular pad-pad upon the marble pavement below ; the rubber-soled nlght-watHimiin nlght-watHimiin making his regular rounds. Clifford held his tiny flash almost against the crystal of his watch. Close on twelve o'clock. Something would soon begin to happen. Clifford siipped down the stairway and j crouched on its first landing. The night- watchman, whom Clifford from his dusk-protected dusk-protected crouching place could make out , to be a strongly built body, a grayish uni-: uni-: form and cap, and a heavy mustache, 1 went pad-padding across the bank's pavement pave-ment as he had done mechanically every ! hour for the last twenty years, and inserted in-serted a key in his watchman's box. In tlie office of the burglary protective com-panv com-panv flashed the signal that all was well. The night watch man twisted his mustache mus-tache this in previous observations of the guard Clifford had noted to be a habit saluted a snow-drifted policeman without us lie passed the grated windows and ; disappeared into the darkness behind the stairway where was a chair for his occasional occa-sional rest. Clifford strained to hear faint expected sounds off left where was the side door through which, if he had deduced cor- I recti v, Hawkins and his confederals ; would enter. He could hear nothing. But i Bier Ed Johnson could handle the most I difficult lock almost as noiselessly and ! easily as by the utterance of a magic word. Perhaps even then Big Ed was j working silently outside. i And Man Regan where was she. what was she doing ? More minutes throbbed away. Thus far Clifford had not heard a sound within the bank itself except the watch-, watch-, man's rubber tread. But now, as the ! watchman passed into the darkened area. I he heard a gasp, a gurgle, the shuffle of a brief struggle then silence again. : Though he saw nothing. Clifford knew that the watchman had been gagged and tied up and Hawkins and his confeder- , ates had made their entry. Silence again. Then from out of the darkness sauntered a strongly built figure, in grayish uniform and cap. He pulled characteristically at his heavy mustache; ( yawned, saluted" the policeman who again' appeared outside. Then he turned the key of the time-lock and once more, in the office of the burglary protect! ve agency, a buzzer announced that all was well at the First Mutual. Clifford hardly breathed in his excitement. excite-ment. Thus far everything had been done, and was now being done exactly as he had calculated. Hawkins, this moment, mo-ment, was alreadv at swift work upon the vault below; and Big Ed Johnson, in his uniform prepared in advance, marie a perfect and reassuring fac simile of the regular watchman, as he stood there in the full light, stroking his big false mustache. mus-tache. Clifford, rehearsing to get correctness of manner, stroked the big false mustache mus-tache on his own upper lip. and pulled his watchman's cap a little farther down. Noiselessly he crept back up the bal-conv bal-conv stairs and Into the blackness of the president's office. Groping, he found the telephone. The wire had been open all evening; six blocks away, in a dark room, sat Commissioner Thorne, on his head a telephone operator's helmet. "Hello, Commissioner," whispered Clifford. Clif-ford. "That you, Clifford?" came back over the wire. "Yes. The mob's here and at work. : Thev got in through the side door." "I'll be over with a squad In ten min- j utes." ! Clifford slipped down the stairway. He had practically done his duty to Thorne. The law was the same as served. Within With-in the next ten minutes he hud to do ! what was now for him the great busfness of the night to learn about Mary Regan. 1 Earlier in the evening lie had had a report re-port over the open wire that she was in her apartment. He wailed, crouching at the stairway's foot until Big Ed again passed out into the lighted area of the bank. Then Clifford Clif-ford ducked swiftly around into the darkness dark-ness behind the stairway and pressed himself into a corner of tlie wall in his left hand a handkerchief. In his right a wide-necked little bottle stoppered with his thumb. Big Ed sauntered back into the shadow and stood over the dim. prostrate form of the bank's guardian. He stooped as if to thrust a coin into the clothes of the prostrate man. This was Clifford's chance. He dashed the contents of the bottle into the handkerchief, flunz himself him-self on Bin Ed from behind, and clamped the dripping handkerchief azainst Ed's mouth and nose. Big Ed jabbed backwards back-wards with his elbows, swung viciously over his shoulders at Clifford's head: many -f the blows landed and pained frightfully, but Clifford held the anesthe-tizer anesthe-tizer into place with an embrace of" steel. The pair swayed about in their struggle noiselessly because both were rubber-soled. rubber-soled. One they swuni: out inbi the light, but the next Inst a nt Clifford had dragged his ra: live into the shadow. Willi a final burst of energv Big Ed ti ied to break the grip upon him. After another moment bis body was an inert weight. .Clifford let him flide to th' pavement. and for H'-'-iult y'.s :V.t- ,c ha nd' -of fed the rrai -;.tiii.in b.jrid behind us, ba- k and b-ft tfj'; Katijiatt.-d haridkei. h),-f upon l.i Then, ma king oir- that ca p. "n i for 1 and j(jud ;che were fall in or dec, idiom crept ft; down ti.e wta ii a ay .cad.r.-' into the vault. The ! u np'oii of H'l-f- arid r on ere t e, down in the remote siillne:- of ti'e earlo. v.af-: ablaze wit, its own e!wiric Ji-hl. H 1h b oi si eps. unhea rd, Clifford Mood within tite shadow at 1 i.e. e.nlranc:, and for a riioii iet! t gazed a'T's the :ha m be r al the ha lit dexterity of the three men in front of the massive ooor of the vault. Hawkins, as a great surgeon might prepare, pre-pare, for a major operation, was ci.alkifig a line around the combination. At hit-sidf hit-sidf weie two lil lie j-ieel tanks, eorinected wilh a flexible s.tee tubing. Fnlwell v.av at the little rank which Clifford knew ron-lained ron-lained acetylene gas; BrOwi was In charge of the tat.k of oxygen. Already S' dwell had turned on the acetylene, arid from the nozzle which be held spurted a white flame. Slow!;- Brown turned on the o:y-gen; o:y-gen; in the "mixer" it joined tlie acety-iejje; acety-iejje; the pair regulated, tested ai.u gradually the flame of the torch turned from white to blue. Five thousand degrees of heat, that wa what Clifford knew the blue fang of fire would have a ttalned w hen the pa ir had It in readinesff. And when applied alonu th chalk rnatk with which Hawkins was ootllnintc the vital orkans of the lock, i.e knew that knife of flame wnu.d carv through the armor-plate of the heavy door as easdv as a kit-hen knife wou:d cut sC plug out of a watermelon-. Clifford moved a pace nearer, but st.h remained in the semi-shadow. His neait pumped wildlv. Would the men recognize recog-nize that in him was yet a third nigtu-watehman? nigtu-watehman? .. "Evervt hint: going all right, Billy . he H.sked in a muffled whisper. Hawkins turned: his thin face v.a.-tPn v.a.-tPn with the task before him. "Fine as silK. Ed." Hawkins answered, and resumed drawing his white outline upon the vault door. Clifford had passed muster. Now for the matter that had made him so arrange ar-range his scheme that for a few moments mo-ments at least he would be accented by these men as one of them- His next remark re-mark had to be a hazard ; but as he spoke be had his hand on tlie automatic in his side pocket. "Wonder what Mary Regan's doin now. Billy?" "Sleeping a sieep that T hope will las: till S tomorrow," said Hawkins. "I guess after this nobody'll ever think they can t brow me down and get away with it. Her father tried i' just once! "But since Gentleman Jim died a nd heat you out of It " Clifford led him on. "He's got to pay through his family and bv God, his familv Is paying all right!" Clifford endeavored to put uneasiness into his tone. "Marv Kegan's a clever girl. Billy, and I'm still afraid she may take a tumble." "I've told you she doesn't suspect a thing," said Hawkins sharply, barely veiling his contempt for the lack of nerve of his supposed first lieutenant. "She thinks she's been running a per-feetlv per-feetlv straight office." It was with difficulty that Clifford forced a gleeful chuckle. "You sure have framed her for fair. Billy. After we've blown, she'll be pinched as an accomplice; the police')! say she was running that office just t" give us a chance to get Into the bank." "Nobody'll ever try to throw me down again!" Hawkins repeated with triumphant triumph-ant grimness. His swift diagramming done, Hawkins put the chalk in his pocket, drew on heavy gauntlets, and pulled over his head a goggled hood like a diver's helmet protection against the heat and the sparks of consuming steel. "Give me ihe torch, boys," he ordered sharply. "And you, Ed, better get bak upstairs and punch that time clock." Clifford trembled with two great feelings: feel-ings: amazement at the ruthless, ur.fo--getting vindii t iveness of t his man. and the surging desire to shoot him down as he reached for the torch of blue flame. "Hawkins." Clifford said sharply, in his full-toned natural voice. and lie stepped out in the light toward them, "I guess you'll be stopping work on that vault right now." , Hawkins and the two others whirled about and found Clifford's bla"k automatic auto-matic upon them. Hawkins jerked off his, hood; his lean mask of a face wa? now contorted with savage bewilderment. "If any of you three make a move for your guns it'll be a job for the coroner.'' said Clifford. "Hawkins. I suess you'll not turn that trick on Marv Regan. When this case oomes to trial "I'M take the stand and swear to what yo,u've just told me about your plan to frame her." "Who the devil are you?" choked out Hawkins. "I'm not Big Kd: that's enough for you to know just now. He's upstairs, handcuffed and doped, beside the other watchman." The next moment footsteps sounde 1 behind him on the stairwav rather sooner soon-er than Clifford had calculated. "I've got them. Chief." he said, the covering of hfs prisoners not permitting him to turn. "Just put the cuffs on them." The voice that answered Mm was a heavy bass not at all the friendlv voice-Clifford voice-Clifford had expected. Startled, Clifford looked sharply about. At the foot of the stairway was Chief of Detectives Bradley. Brad-ley. In the instant that Clifford stood dum-founded, dum-founded, off guard. Hawkins and the two other men leaped upon him. The automatic au-tomatic was wrenched from him, hands clutched his throat. Even during his surprise, and while he struggled fiercely. fierce-ly. Clifford guessed at how Bradlev came to be here. Bradley, in full knowledge of what was happening and with Hawkins's Haw-kins's consent, had from some dark window win-dow across the street also been "covering" "cov-ering" tlie robbery, his purpose be:n;. If there was any serious sjipup in the consummation con-summation of Hawkins's plan, to rush in himself and have the glory of making a spectacular arrest. Clifford felt tlie life being strangled out of him; a blow from his pistol butt aimed at his head laid open his cheek and fell heavily upon his shoulder. But even as he fought these three silent, determined men for his life, even as he burned with the chagrin of this unexpected defeat, he was conscious of Bradlev standing motionless mo-tionless in the entrance of the vault room his square powerful face alight with ma-licrnant ma-licrnant triumph; and he was vfvidlv Von-scicus Von-scicus of what was passing In Bradley's mind. Clifford realized, as one'blow half dazed him, that he had lost. The next blow or the next, would be his end. This wa? Bradley's hour Bradley's triumph. Just by keeping his hands off. by merely doing do-ing nothing at all. Bradlev' was getting rid of his worst enemy. And Clifford realized, if he were done away with, that his icdimonv would die with him that Mary Regan would surely sure-ly go to prison. He struggled wildly, with weakening power. Tlie pistol butt f o u nd his h ea r i again. All seemed up. Then his dazed senses thought they discerned other oth-er footsteps descending into the vault. At that same instant his blurring vision was amazed to tee Bradley spring forward, for-ward, his pistol drawn. "Put up your mitts"' savagely cried Bradley. Tiie three cracksmen fell away and their bunds went up. The next moment Clifford j sjiw Com mitbi oner Thorne step into the I vault. I "You understand. Clifford." Thome said i half an hour laler vben they were alone. I "that though 'vad to accept Bradley's I statement about all of us having been at j work on the same job, I wasn't fooled for a minute, and that 1 recognize that you're the man respons'ble for to'ijght'.-Hrrest, to'ijght'.-Hrrest, and that J'm setting you down in ! rn mind for a big rew a rd u hen your day comes." Clifford mumbled something, intended to be thanks. H i.s aching head wa not then thinking of rewards. It was thinking think-ing of Mary Retail. The title of the next story In this series se-ries is "The Gordon Masterpieces." |