mg.greeneyes-第16章

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asted　greatly　with　that　room　in　the　Aldebaran　Hotel；　where　Henry　Arnaud　had　disappeared　so　strangely。
　　This　apartment　was　a　luxurious　one…a　small　suite　in　itself。　One　of　the　most　expensive　rooms　in　the　St。　Thomas；　it　was　furnished　in　pletely　modern　style。　Yet　it　had　one　factor　in　mon　with　Henry　Arnaud's　former　abode；　a　factor　that　was　apparent　to　Henry　Arnaud　alone。
　　The　tall；　dignified　man　extinguished　the　light　after　he　had　entered　the　room。　He　was　silent　in　the　darkness。　No　noise　told　of　his　presence；　until　a　click　sounded　in　a　corner　of　the　room。
　　A　small　light　shone　above　a　glass…topped　mahogany　writing　desk。　Its　rays；　covered　by　a　green　shade；　were　spread　upon　the　surface　of　the　desk。
　　The　light　gave　no　sign　of　Henry　Arnaud。　That　individual　had　vanished　with　the　darkness。　Another　personality　had　replaced　him。　It　was　The　Shadow　who　now　occupied　this　room。
　　Two　long；　white　hands　appeared　within　the　glow　of　light。　They　were　hands　that　moved　as　of　their　own　accord…hands　that　belonged　to　no　visible　wrists。
　　For　the　arms　beyond　the　hands　were　masked　within　black　sleeves。
　　The　hands；　though　slender　and　perfectly　shaped；　were　hands　of　strength。
　　Buried　muscles　vibrated　beneath　their　skin。　They　were　the　hands　which；　encased　within　black　gloves；　had　loosed　destruction　upon　the　hordes　of　the　Tiger　Tong。
　　There　was　a　difference　in　the　hands；　as　they　now　appeared。　One　was　unadorned　but　on　the　other…the　left…a　gleaming　gem　shone　from　the　base　of　the　third　finger。
　　A　strange；　weird　stone；　it　glowed　with　many　changing　colors。　From　deep　crimson；　its　flashes　turned　to　darkish　purple。　It　was　a　rare　jewel…a　girasol；　or　fire　opal…this　stone　that　The　Shadow　wore。　Its　very　appearance　betokened　mystery…the　symbol　of　The　Shadow's　mysterious　existence。
　　The　hands　were　busy。　A　paper　and　pencil　were　brought　into　the　light。　A　clipping　lay　upon　the　table。　The　right　hand　took　the　pencil　and　marked　a　circle　around　words　in　the　clipping。　Then　those　words　were　transcribed　to　the　sheet　of　paper。
　　The　dying　statements　of　Stephen　Laird　had　been　copied　by　The　Shadow。　There　they　stood；　in　tabulated　form。
　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　In　the　box。　See。
　　　　　　　　　　　　Tag　A。　T…A…G…A　…
　　　　　　　　　　　　Green　Eyes。
　　
　　Cryptic；　unexplainable　statements。　Perhaps　the　ravings　of　a　fevered　mind。
　　The　Shadow's　pencil　paused　above　them。　The　hand　crossed　out　the　top　line。　At　the　right　it　inscribed；　in　capitals：
　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　IN　BOX　C。
　　
　　Moving　to　the　second　tabulation；　the　hand　crossed　out　the　statement　〃Tag　A〃；　but　the　letters　still　remained。　Now；　a　whispered　voice　spoke　softly　in　the　gloom　of　the　room。
　　〃T…A…G…A。〃　The　letters　were　repeated。　〃T…A…G…A。　T…A…G　…
　　A。。。〃
　　The　pencil　poised。　It　wrote　as　the　voice　spoke：
　　〃T…A…G…A。。。〃
　　Once　more　the　voice　pronounced　the　letters　that　the　dying　man　had　uttered。
　　But　this　time；　the　hand　made　a　most　important　change。
　　〃T…A…G…A。。。〃　came　the　whisper！
　　〃T…H…E…A。。。〃　wrote　the　hand！
　　Phonetically；　both　spellings　were　the　same！　Spoken　aloud；　the　letters　〃T　…
　　H…E…A〃　sounded　identically　with　those　which　the　newspaper　account　contained！
　　〃Tag　A〃　was　a　myth。　Stephen　Laird　had　not　talked　of　it。　He　had　uttered　a　word　which　the　conductor　could　not　catch。　To　make　it　plain；　the　dying　man　had　tried　to　spell。　What　he　had　said　was：　〃T…H…E…A〃；　what　the　conductor　had　heard　was：　〃T…A…G…A。〃
　　Perhaps　it　was　the　pause；　the　gasping　pause　that　Laird　had　made　before　the　final　letter　that　had　caused　the　deception。　The　result　had　been　an　error　by　the　listening　conductor。　His　ears　had　caught　the　syllables　exactly；　but　his　mind　had　misinterpreted　them。
　　The　Shadow　had　divined　the　meaning。　The　pletion　of　the　unfinished　task　required　the　addition　of　only　a　few　letters。　The　pencil　made　its　marks。
　　After　the　letters　T…H…E…A　appeared　the　letters　T…E…R。　The　message　was　plete。　Stephen　Laird's　misinterpreted　statement　had　been　understood。
　　〃In　box　C。　Theater。〃
　　The　only　remaining　tabulation　was　the　bottom　one。
　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　GREEN　EYES。
　　
　　The　Shadow　had　capitalized　these　words。
　　Were　they　a　name？
　　The　light　went　out　above　the　desk。　Its　click　signified　that　The　Shadow's　task　had　been　pleted。　But　nothing　had　been　written　to　explain　that　last　notation！
　　
　　
　　A　FORM　was　moving　silently　in　the　darkened　room。　It　stood；　lost　in　blackness；　beside　the　open　window。　It　was　from　this　spot　that　the　similarity　between　Room　806　in　the　Aldebaran　Hotel；　and　Room　1216　in　the　St。　Thomas　became　apparent。
　　From　this　window；　an　observer　manded　the　same　view　of　the　city　that　one　gained　from　the　window　in　the　Aldebaran　Hotel。　The　Shadow；　now；　was　gazing　straight　toward　Chinatown；　exactly　as　he　had　gazed　on　the　night　when　he　had　e　to　San　Francisco！
　　In　the　distance；　the　watcher　saw　the　crawling　lights　of　the　sign　that　topped　the　Mukden　Theater。　The　luminous　ring　of　stationary　lights　was　aglow　above　the　moving　lines。　From　the　center　of　that　circle　glowed　two　green　spots；　side　by　side。
　　Green　eyes！
　　They　sent　a　message…a　message　meant　for　others；　not　for　The　Shadow！　But　he　received　their　message。
　　Those　luminous　spots　were　aglow　for　the　first　time　since　that　other　night。
　　Like　focused　eyes；　they　seemed　to　glare　into　the　blackness。
　　Green　eyes　of　Chinatown；　peering　forth　across　the　city！
　　What　was　the　message　that　they　sent？
　　That　might　be　learned　tonight。　The　Shadow　knew　that　fact。
　　The　man　of　the　dark　was　preparing　to　accept　the　challenge。　Those　spots　of　green　were　the　instruments　of　some　unknown　personage。　Like　The　Shadow；　that　man　had　a　veiled　identity。　He；　too；　possessed　a　strange；　descriptive　name。
　　Green　Eyes！
　　Amid　the　darkness　of　the　hotel　room；　a　whispered　sound　arose。　It　shuddered　softly。　It　reverberated　from　the　walls。　It　mocked　and　taunted　as　its　eerie　tones　were　carried　forth　into　the　night。
　　It　was　the　answer　to　a　challenge。　The　distant　spots　that　shone　like　glowing　emeralds　were　the　visible　symbol　of　Green　Eyes。　The　sardonic　laugh　that　issued　from　this　silent　room　was　the　audible　reply　of　The　Shadow！
　　The　echoes　of　the　sardonic　laugh　died　away。　The　sinister　mirth　was　ended。
　　Silence；　alone；　prevailed。　The　Shadow　was　gone。　The　Shadow　had　laughed！
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　X　
　　　THE　CHINESE　THEATER　
　　IT　was　gala　night　at　the　Mukden　Theater。　All　the　elite　of　Chinatown　had　turned　out。　The　reason　was　the　return　to　America　of　Foo　Chow；　one　of　China's　most　celebrated　dramatic　actors。　Since　the　days　of　the　dowager　empress；　this　famous　impersonator　had　dominated　the　theaters　of　old　China。
　　The　prices　rivaled　those　of　a　〃Follies〃　premiere。　Chinese　first…nighters　were　entering　the　playhouse　so　eagerly　that　it　was　difficult　to　distinguish　individuals　in　the　throng。　Americans　were　there；　displaying　advance　reservations。
　　Joseph　Darley　and　Cleve　Branch　arrived　afoot。　Darley　had　discharged　his　limousine。　He　had　picked　up　two　friends　on　the　way；　and　with　four　seats　reserved；　there　would　be　room　for　all　the　party。
　　Within；　the　Mukden　Theater　resembled　a　large　American　playhouse。　In　fact；　it　was　more　American　than　Chinese；　for　in　its　construction；　the　builders　had　adopted　the　most　modern　plans。　The　seats　which　Darley　had　obtained　were　on　a　side　aisle。　Cleve　noticed　that　there　were　boxes　on　both　sides；　but　only　the　upstairs　ones　were　occupied。
　　This　was　probably　due　to　the　narrowness　of　the　stage。　The　aisles　converged　sharply；　And　the　entire　stage　was　not　fully　visible　even　from　the　spot　where　Cleve　was　located。　The　upper　boxes；　projecting　over　the　audience；　might　be　satisfactory；　but　the　lower　ones　were　practically　useless。
　　The　downstairs　portion　of　the　theater　was　not　entirely　filled。　Darley　explained　that　this　was　due　to　the　high　prices　asked　for　seats。　Later　in　Foo　Chow's　engagement；　prices　would　be　lower；　Then　the　less　wealthy　Chinese　would　throng　the　playhouse。
　　The　show　began。　It　was　Cleve's　first　experience　in　a　Chinese　theater；　and　the　costumes　and　gestures　of　the　actors　were　interesting　at　the　beginning。
　　Gorgeously　dressed　women　appeared　upon　the　stage。　Darley　explained　that　they　were　impersonators。　For　years　there　had　been　a　taboo　on　actresses　i