10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Paul Hanmand glanced from left to right, gauging the strange assem- ats of which he was a member. He wondered if the chief actually knew of a traitor’s presence or was speak- ing from experience. Outside, metropolitan New York _ roared, but the meeting was held in a darkened, sound-proof room, where blue lights made clear sight doubly difficult. No one spoke except the cen- tral figure, so that no voices could be recognized and identified. Ham- mond and his companions had been __ assembled in such a manner that no one saw his neighbor until he was masked and robed. They would dis- band in the same manner, the chief had told them earlier. Half a dozen in number, they were the élite of Amer- ica’s undexcover agents. “T am not suggesting,” the voice of the cowled speaker went on, “that any of you is a traitor—yet. But we must face facts, Even in as small | 22 and as well-selected a group as this, ‘there is liable to be one weakling who ae will succumb to temptation, It is for the protection of the others, as I have - already said, that these precautions are taken. “There are many others which you must take for yourselves. Under no cireumstances admit to anyone your _ identity as a member of this group, - no matter what evidence is presented. Such an admission would be disas- es ss = _trous, yet you will face pee a test Sages to the department should be signed with your letter and number. If you want the despateh to be read = ow, me alone, reverse the signature, ¢ NCE more Paul Hammond jooked around. His eyes traveled from 3 one Bohed figure to another. He won- < ve a5 a x ale dered if any of the group were wom- en. There were only five besides him- self and the chief. His gaze centered on a slight figure seated just in front of him. Those slender shoulders could not be a man’s. Then he caught a glimpse of tawny hair, A curl had fallen below the edge of her hood. It Was an unusual color, that almost leonine shade. Hammond straight- ened in his chair. That tawny curl stirred a vision in Hammond’s mind, a picture of hazel eyes, flecked with gold, and a laughing mouth. Where had he seen that mass of curls and smiling, gold-flecked eyes? Words from the chief cut through Hammond’s musings. “This much we know.” The speak- er’s voice sank to a whisper. “The blow will fall somewhere in Califor- nia. The information obtained thus far is fragmentary. We have reason to believe that the cleverest group of criminals ever assembled is converg- ing on the West Coast, “The police and the Department of Justice have failed to find any tan- gible clues, and have asked our as- sistance, We are a new corps, a corps élite, and this request is a challenge. You may call on either organization for aid, but make no explanations, and do not hint that you belong to this organization. Use them at will, but give no confidences. This is our first major effort. Let’s make it one that will not only protect our coun- try, but win a victory that will put D-1 in the van of America’s under- cover armies,” The blue lights dimmed as _ the speaker finished. Then a voice sound- ed through the darkness. “You will leave by exits according to letters,” the voice instructed. “Au- tomatic elevators will be waiting to conduct you to the floors which were designated for your arrival and de- parture. Please use them as soon as you have left your gowns and masks in the anteroom, Letters A to G will be the first es leave, You may go now.”