THE GREEN SHADOW

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 966, 8 May 1930, Page 4

THE GREEN SHADOW

By

HERMAN LANDON

Copyright bp Publio Ledgmr

CHAPTER XXVIII. “That's enough." said Dr. Moffett j impatiently. “Take her away, Axel- j son.” The old man came forward, but the | visitor wound his arm more tightly i about the girl. “Not yet,” he said, and there was j a strange, defiant quality in bis voice, j “This is the end of your game, Mof- j fett. I didn't come here alone. There j are three policemen in the woods outside the gate. In a few minutes” — j he glanced at liis watch —“in exactly , two minutes and a half they will j hammer their way in.”

A dead silence fell. It was broken at length by the sound of footsteps. ; A gleam of steel flickered in the green light. Dr. Moffett was coming j forward. He moved in a slow, creep- j ing manner, like a beast crawling j upon its prey. The ugly outlines of I an automatic emerged out of the green mist. The doctor’s arms, legs : and torso came into clear relief, but still the face was only a green blur. “I think that's a lie,” he declared I evenly.

“Wait and see,” was the response. Still closer came the doctor, the bluish steel of the automatic gleaming menacingly in the verdant light. At length there was only the width of the table between him and the other two. He leaned forward. Out of the green smudge blazed a pair of eyes, scrutinising the visitor’s face. The doctor’s shoulders jerked hack. “The Picaroon!” he exclaimed. DR. MOFFETT’S FACE

As he spoke, the doctor's arm came upward. He held the pistol pointed straight at the visitor. The latter had dropped his arms, releasing the girl from his embrace, and now he stood in front of her, looking straight and smilingly into the greenish blur that was all he could see of Moffett’s face.

“Your noble countenance seems to be in eclipse, doctor,” he remarked pleasantly. “You will he in eclipse before long,” remarked Moffett grittily. “It was very clever, Dale. 1 never suspected—but then I thought Miss Castle acted a bit queer when you wound your paternal arm around her. Maybe the paternal part of it wasn’t convincing. Anyway, you whispered in her ear, and she gave a start. 1 almost suspected something then. Will you tell me how- you got out of gaol?”

“I was never there. I shun gaols, doctor. I was fortunately saved from that, sad experience.” “Saved? How-? By whom?” “By a few thunderclaps. You see, there was no thunder the night Miss Conway was murdered. But it did thunder last night, while you framed up the evidence against me. There was enough thunder to curdle every pitcher of cream in New York. That’s where you made a mistake.”

Evidently Dr. Moffett did not quite understand, “ft doesn’t matter,” he declared. “It would have been better for yon if you had gone to gaol.” “That sounds ominous.” “It is just as ominous as it sounds. I think you are bluffing, Dale. I don't believe you brought any policemen with you. The police and the Picaroon usually travel separate paths. But if you did”—t here w*as a blurry motion of a hand, and the pistol rose a trifle higher—“if you did,” Dr. Moffett' added, “your career ends right there.”

The Picaroon made a wry face. That s an awfully unpleasant thought. I am deeply devoted to my career ”

"The career of a thief!” “You’re mistaken, doctor. Nothing so vulgar. I’m a collector.”

“A collector of other people's jeweller}- ! ”

“No, a collector of autographs and rare books—first editions and such things. It’s a pleasant hobbv. You ought to cultivate it. It’s far more agreeable than murdering people. " “I’ll consider your advice.”

The Picaroon glanced at his watch ‘They are a little late,” he observed. ‘Maybe their watches are slow.”

A pair of eyes blazed at him out of the greenish haze. “I still think you are bluffing,” Moffett declared. “However, if any strangers come to the gate, T shall know- it instantly. A gong will give me warning. The moment it rings I'll put a bullet through your heart.”

A gasp sounded behind the Picaroon's back.

“Through my heart, eh?” He appeared to consider. “Not such a bad idea. It's a quick death, and almost painless. It' shoot you must.

please shoot straight. I should to be mussed up. Being a you know, I suppose, on which atfe my heart is?” ”1 do,” said Moffett grittily, I promise to shoot straight.” “Thanks. Awfully decent of Don't forget, doctor.” “Don't worry. I shan't forget. It s the custom to humour people who haven't long to live. I'll humour you by aiming straight at your heart." “Thanks. Do you know, doctor l picked up a most curious edition'ol Bobeira's ‘Amadis of Gaul’ the other day. As a mark of my appreciation I'll will it to you.”

“Oh, thanks,” said the doctor drily “The only question is how l to mention you in my will, shall l designate you as Dr. Moffett, or by your real name?” Again the doctor's eyes blazed at him out of the green blur. Yo. think you know mv real name?” , “Oh. yes. I discovered it the morning following your visit to mr apartment. Surely you haven't torgotten. “That was the night you flashed a green light iu my face and gave me a

wallop ou the jaw. Not that I bear you any hard feelings on that score I dropped my grievance when my jaydropped back to its normal size " “Oh,” said Dr. Moffett in a soft and curious tone. “So you think rou know who I am, do you?” “Yes,” said Dale. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the white-faced girl standing behind him. He felt a wrench at his heart. She must knowsome time. Why not now? < As if sho had construed his backward glauce as a question, the cirl filially spoke. “I know-, too,” she declared. “I «•» his face.” w Dale whirled round. “You you saw?” he stammered. “Then von know?” She nodded. He marvelled at the casualness of her reply. He had feared the discovery would temporalily crush her. but instead she seemed to bear up amazingly well. Perhaps her infatuation had not been as deep ns he had feared. “Yes, Miss Castle knows,” said the doctor in a queer voice. With a start Dale swung round again. The four words had been spoken in a way that sent a chill through his being. In a moment Moffett's meaning was terrifyingly clear. The doctor's safety demanded that she should be silenced. She had signed her own death warrant when she looked into his face. “Yes, Miss Castle knows.” the doctor added, “but I don’t think you do.” “Oh, yes.” Dale controlled his sharp, tumultuous sensations. “Your left sleeve is empty, isn’t it? I cant see very well in this light, but " “Left—sleeve?” Moffett interrupted in a dazed voice. “Yes, Ainsworth, -your left sleeve," Dale began, but even as he spoke a sense of bewilderment crowded hit brain “Ainsworth?” the girl exclaimed hi a voice of stupefaction. “Why. how ridiculous! You don’t think " Moffett's laugh interrupted her. “What an amusing misapprehension!" “If you are not Ainsworth,” said the Picaroon lamely, “who are you?” Before the doctor could reply a loud gong sounded somewhere in the house. Axelson, standing near the door, gave a sharp exclamation. For in instant the pistol wavered in Moffett’s hand. “Who am 1?” he echoed ironically. “That is something you will never know. Through the heart, did you say?” The girl screamed. There came a sharp crack. A. muffled cry of horror rang out. aud Adele shrank away, hands clasped against her white cheeks. The Picaroon clutched his heart, staggered back, gazed with a groggy expression at the little curl of grey vapour that eddied in the green light, reeled with a drunken corkscrew motion, threw- up his arms and went tumbling to the floor. A groan sounded, a hoarse, shuddering gasp for breath, then silence. And then another long, strident peal broke through the silence. Dr. Motfet dropped the pistol to the tabic. “It will take them several minutes to batter down the gate in the fence." he remarked. His voice was curiously quiet. “We’ll have ample time to get out the back way. Get the brown bag from my room. Hurry!” (To be Continued Tomorrow.)