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BRADY COUNTY PLOCKAHS, CAIRO. KttUltUiA.
AUTHOR OF "THE OCCASIONAL OFFENDER,"
"THE WIRE TAPPERS," “GUN RUNNERS." ETC.
NOVELIZED FROM THE PATHE PHOTO PLAY OF THE SAME NAME
IQFVmillT. 1.11. HY AUTIIUK imiNCfft
bug oscapod Ills attention* It was per-
Uaiis duo to tho lrasto with which ho
hud to mnko ott with his prisoners. Ho
wus blinking cautiously about, to
mnko suro tho const was cleur, when
n voico startlingly closo to bis own
portly carcass culled out with a sud
den warning:
"I.ook out for tho Iron Claw!”
"How's dut?" was tho answering
cry of the tingling Itastus.
"I.ook out for the Iron Claw!" re
peated tho voice so closo behind hint.
"Wha—\Vhut iron claw?" demanded
tho nwentlng Rastus.
"I'll got you!" announced tho bodo-
ful voico behind hint. And at that
threat utter nnd unreasoning panic
seised tho terrified Itastus, who, with
a throaty hollow of agony, charged
across a newly-dug garden and bound
ed like a rotund juckrabbtt down a
moonlit alley bordered with shadowy
fences.
At tho end of tills alley Rastus
plunged through a narrow gate, and
charged;bodily Into tho peaceful beer-
garden belonging to tho roadhouse of
willed Aunt Agatha disliked animals j 5no Antonio Dlhollo, whero sat four
almost as much as she disliked mys- ‘ ncn * n nuiot conference about one of
torios. And about her tranquil Co-! 5tho litUo iron tables well out of pub-
dur homo she folt were transpiring ^ en *
events altogether too inexplicable to [ t hnsa men sh6wcd prompt rcsont-
On Windward island Palldori intriguos
Mrs. Golden into an nppoaranco of evil
which causes Golden to capturo and tor
ture tho Italian by brnnding his fuco and
crushing ids hand. Pulldorl opens, tHo
dyko gates nnd Hoods tho inland and in
tho general rush to cscapo tho flood kid
naps Golden’s six-year-old daughter Mar
gery. Twelve year’s later In New York a
Masked One calling himself "tho Hammer
of'God" rescues an clgh teen-year-ohl girl
from tho cudet Casavantl, to whom Jules
Logar has delivered her, and takes her to
the home of Enoch Gulden, millionaire,
whence she is rocnptiired by Legnr. Lcgar
and Stein nro discovered by Manley. Gol
den’s secretary, setting lire to Golden’s
buildings, but escape. Margery’s mother
fruitlessly Implores Enoch Golden to
find thoir daughter. Tho Masked One
again takes Margery away from Legar.
Legnr loots tho Third National hank, but
again the Laughing Mask frustrates his
plans. Legnr sends Goldon "Tho Spotted
Warning,” demanding n portion of a chart
of the Windward island. Margery moots
her mother. The chart Is lost during a
light between Munloy and one of Legur’o
henchmon.
SEVENTH EPISODE
“THE HOODED HELPER.”
Margery Golden’s Rcronoly solf-
rematn lone to her liking.
So when Hannah, the plump but less
practical-minded caretaker of that
ment at this unheralded Interruption
to their talk. Rut as the parrot, with
its bead thrust through a hole in tho
orstwhllo abode of trn:i(|0!llil.y, trem- ! E um, 5’snclc, repented Its shrill cry of
. . . .... “T/vtlf mil fnr Gin Plow ” Girtun
ulously announced that a stranger in
a yellow mask had loft a bright-col
ored parrot, answering to tho name of
Tito, nt tho door for Miss Margery,
tho bird in tiuosllon was viewed with
open .disfavor, and Margery was sub
jected to many disturbing interroga
tions.
None of tho girl's answers proving
satisfactory, however, her flrm-willoil
maiden aunt proposed .that they pro
ceed with their interrupted gamo of
Rook out for the Iron Claw,” those
men rose in n body to thoir feet.
Their leader, who in even tho dim
light from tho garden lampB showed
himself to be a ono-anned man with
a Etrangely-Bcarred faco, sprang for
the terrified negro. Rastus, however,
was in no mood for cither interruption
or argument. Ho merely emitted a
| whoop of reawakened terror nnd head
ed for homo.
There lie burst in upon tho astound
Preference"." 'ilu't n /Vrcon pnrrot’s In- 0,1 Jo "' ,ma mld . collapsed with a
stlnct and enigmatic cry of "I.ook 'levering groan of exhaustion. Rut be-
out for the Iron Claw" proved in no : ' foro Jolnln,a could either understand
way consistent with so -trnnqulllzlng
tho nnturo of his ailment or Invhstl-
a game, nnd tho owner of tho houso 1 Ka, ° ‘I 10 contents of his gunnysack, a
finally and firmly commanded the do-1 ?, econd " nd , evel ' violent «"up
parting Hannah,*, who “slopt out,” to
carry tho disturbing creature oft to
her own cottage for tho night. .
This Hannah did, with much mum
bling, and deposited it in her cliickon
coop.
There Tito would havo spent a quiet
and uneventful night, In all likelihood,
had not a certain mildly-prodacious
negress answeringfto tho name of (o {, e nasius merely wheezed anr
Jemima Matson, returned all hut E i 1C iok in^llie legs and showed the
empty-handed to her suburban homo. | whi , os of his cyoa . It waa lndoed
For ono of the by-products of this BeV eral minutes beforo ho was so
dusky lady s activities as a scrub- niuc i, ll3 awakened to tho fact that he
woman was the gathering of those wns not ln tho g ,. lp of tho law . But
trifles which find tlicir way to the 0I1( , G convinced of that fact, he became
tion took place. Lcgar and his men
dragged tho quaking nnd gasping Ras
tus to ills loot, shoved hlm'lnto a chair,
nnd snatched up the gunnysack. From
It they took out tho loudly-protesting
green parrot and wonderingly ex
aminod it.
"Whero did you get that parrot?’
was tiie quick demand of the man who
wore an Iron liook whero a hand ought
wnsto baskets aiul refuse eons of of
ftco buildings. And her only harvest,
on this occasion, was n half portion
of a tlmo-ycllowed codo chart and
map, which had blown from tho dizzy
balcony of the Central Tower building.
She Was Sitting in Front of the Suit
of Japanese Armor.
Rastus Watson, Jemima’s lord and
master, flung tho sheet of paper down
on their kitchen table in disgust when
It was placed before him as the
extent of a day’s "pickin’s."
Now, Rastus, who was of much port
lier frame than his spouse, wa3 a firm
believer In the efficiency of forced
feeding. And since the day’s harvest
had been a lean one, mid the larder
showed disturbing signs of emptiness,
that plump-bodied negro possessed
himself of a worn gunnysack and an
nounced his determination of'acquir
ing a few pullets while hunger ran
high and tho moon swung low. In- j be murder done in this Viliago before
stlnct combined with fate to lead Has.] tho sun rises!"
tus by the nose, take him stealthily j The man in the yellow mask waited
over the backyard fonco of tiio afore- for nothing more. A minuto later ho
mentioned Hannah, and from tlicro to was o(T, running shadowlifte through
the door of tho padlocked coop, the darkness. Shadowliko, too, lie ap-
; If in the excitement of the moment the proached an ivy-bowered bungalow in
Tightness of ono bird tossed into the which three women were quietly play-
olublo enough In his protestations to
obligo tho "white gon’l’men” with any
Information they desired. lie even led
thoso white gentlemen hack to the
neighborhood of Hannah’s chicken
coop.
So engrossed wero they In thoir dis-
i covcrie3 that they thereupon paid
scant attention to Rastus himself,
who took advantage of that diversion
to disappear.
Tlicro wore certain phases of that
hurried pursuit, however, which had
not entirely oscaped tho attention of
a circumspect stranger who had mo
tored casually about tho quiet streets
of Codnrton earlier in the evening.
Aunt Jemima Watson, in fact, had
| scarcely recovered from tho shock
consequent upon tho sudden' invasion
of her cottago when she discovered
herself confronted by still another
stranger. And tho fact that this
stranger woro a yellow mask did not
; add to hor immediate peace of mind.
"AH I want to know, my good wom
an, i3 wlioro thoso men aro taking
your husband."
"Dey’s tailin' him back t’ wliar he
done gat dat bird," explained the no
gress. The stranger started for the
door. Then ho stopped, dead short.
For lying overlooked on tho floor,
closo beside a battered water bucket,
ho caught sight of a familiar-looking
oblong of yellow paper. In another
moment ho had possession of U,
"Wlioro did that paper como from?”
ho demanded. For ho know that It
was tho long-sought Golden chart
which ho held in his hand.
"Dat ilono como from mall offus
sweopln’s," explained tlio other. "But
mah Rastus allows It lialn’t oven wutl
a green tradin' stamp!”
“Your Rastus may ho right," was
the stranger's quiet reply. “But it's
worth this much to mo." And Aunt
Jemima found n tcn-dollar hill thrust
Into her astonished pink palm. "That
is yours, my good woman, If you do
just ono tiling, and do it quickly. 1
want you to go to the sheriff's, wako
him up, and get- him to tho house
whore that woman called Hannah
works. Tell him to get tlicro In a
hurry, and to bring his men, or there'll
ini? “lil'Ofereiice" In tho light of a
green-shaded reading lamp. But tho
nmn 111 tlio mask, preferring to louvo
that peaceful gamo undisturbed, -stole
quietly In through tho hack of (he
houso, locked lllmsolf In n small room
above stairs, and them adroitly hut
quickly made a facslmlio of tho map.
Beforo that map could bo completed
though, strange events woro already
transpiring dlroctly borieath where ho
f.,U. For Margery Goldon, glancing up
from her gunto, stared Idly Into? tlio
old-fashioned mirror of bevel plato
facing hor from tho opposlto wall.
And peering ln nt tho window l-ofioct-
ed In that mirror sho Baw a hoarded
face seamed with an unmistakable
scar.
Sho did not scroam aloud, ua her
first Impulso had prompted, but she
sat.staring down nt hor cards, trying
to study out tho dilemma which con
fronted her. For tho face sho had
scon wao Logar’s,
Tho move she qulotly decided upon
was to call tho ntrangely roticent
chaulTour of hor strangely oluslvo de
liverer nnd ask him to malio ready for
an immediate flight to tho city. She
watched that chauffeur as ho throw
on a heavy bear-skin coat and cap,
wound a muffler about his nock, and
started for tho garago. Sho watched
him as ho stepped out into tho dark
ness. Then tho bear-skinned figure
bocamo tlio center of strango and un
looked-for activities, for It was plain
that several men, lurking (here In the
darkness, had sprung upon him. It
was equally plain that they lpst litllo
tlmo In overpowering him, for before
the startled women could rise from
tho card table they found that homo
of peace Invaded by a group of nu-
dnclous-cycd rullians headed by Le-
gar hiniBelf.
The latter bowed Ironically to tho
white-faced girl as ho confronted her.
His advance towards her, though, was
interrupted by tho suddenly renewed
struggles of tho chauffeur, who, as he
tried to break away from Ills captors,
calloil loudly for help. Legal-, looking
that fool In tho mask trios to move,
plug him ono."
He handed tho automatic to one ol
tlio men nnd motioned to him to un
lock tlio closet door. Then ho or
tiered tlio chauffeur to step out.
"Now, you boat it with these riba,
and bout it quick!"
That chauffeur had not tri.kcn six
Btcps across tlio rcom beforo n slid
den cry broke from ono of the mon
standing closo lioslda tho card table,
“Your map’s gono!" was tho be
wildering messngo that foil on Lcgnr’s
ears ns ho leaped to tho table side.
The man In tho boar skins nt tho same
moment stepped out through tlio door.
“That guy gave you a copy, a fake
copy dono in disappearing ink."
Lcgar gnvo ono glauco. Then, with
an oath, lie leaped for tho closet door,
lluiig It open, and Bprung bodily on
tlio masked figure, dragging It out to
tlio light ns ho toro away tlio hand of
ycllo-.v that covered tlio latter's face.
"That's the chauffeur!" cried ono or
tlio men. “They switched makeups
in that closet, and tho main guy's gut
away!"
Then came a sudden tramplo of
feat, a chorus of shouts nnd the
charge of armed officers of tlio -law
through tho houso. For tlio sheriff had
at last arrived.
Lcgar, knowing what that meant,
with ono sweep of his hooked arm
filing the groon-shadod lamp from it3
table, jumped through a window and
vanished from sight.
*<■«*♦**
The Shell of Deceit.
Margery Golden, nil tilings consid
ered, was once moro in very oxcollent
spirits. There wero even moments
when young Dnvid Manley considered
those spirits aa hotli doplorahly and
disturbingly excellent.
For tho girl’s happiness, ho felt as
sured, wns duo to the prcsenco of young
Count Lugl da Esparcs.
Ho liad come, as moro than .one im
poverished young nobloman had como
(o America, to dispose of thoso can
vases and curi03 which, if they had
“Where Did You
nonchalantly about, crossed to a door,
swung it wide, and saw that it opened
into a closet.
“.Throw that grizzly In hero until he
learns how to keep quiet!" was thoir
leader’s crisp command.
"And now, my girl, I guess it’s your
turn again!" was Ills next sinister ex
clamation.
At the samo moment that these
words woro spoken still another unex
pected intruder ontcro tlio room.
Only, this time it was tlio oddly inter-
ruptlve figure of that man of mystery
known ns tho Laughing Mask.
"Not a movejjfrom any man here!"
ho cried out as ho faced that threaten
ing circlo, gun in hand.
It was Legar hlmsolf who stepped
hack a pace or two, closely watching
tlio automatic.
“Beforo wo start nny shooting
around liorc," tlio Laughing Mask
calmly suggested, “I want just a word
or two, Legar, with you. 1 know what
you'ro after. You want Golden's por
tion of a Windward Island chart.
Well, I havo that chart, and I havo it
with me. But thero is no reason why
women should he dragged into this
fight. So tho first thing you have to
do, if you want that chart, is to al
low Margery Golden and liar mother
hero to return quietly to the city .with
my chauffeur, and return tonight!’’
Logar’s lip curled.
“And then you’ll as quietly hand
mo over the paper, I suppose?” ho
scoffed.
'I’ll hand you over tho papar,"
agreed the Laughing Mask, for abovo
all thiugsTio know It was necessary
to play for tlmo.
The gun nnd tlm map together,"
was tho prompt demand.
"And then what?” inquired tho
l aughing Mask.
"Then you wait in tills closet until
I mnke suro it’s tho map I’ve got,” an
nounced tlio audacious Legal-.
"I .await your decision, gentlemen,
In the jury room,” mockingly an
nounced tho latter as ho stepped into
the closet.
Quick as a shot Legar shut and
locked that door.
"We’ve got him, whatever Ills gamo
Is!" ho announced us he darted across
the room to the green-shaded lamp
and placed the sheet ef yellqw paper
down on tlio card table close beside a
second piece which ho had already-
drawn from Ills pocket.
"By God, l’vo got it!" exulted Legar.
“Let out that driver in tlio bear
skins first," ho commanded, "nnd if
Get That Parrot?"
not onco graced Ills own ancestral
lml!s, had at least been conscientiously
made, on tliiTfar side of tho Atlantic,
after models hearing every earmark of
tlie'authentie. And one of the treasures
which he had succedod ln disposing of
to Enoch Golden was a full suit o!
medieval Jnpancso armor, complete
oven to tlio long-hladcil Kngisaki dag
ger and grotesquoly fashioned metal
fuco mask.
That leering metal faco David Man
ley bail hated from tlio first moment
ho saw it in position nt the far sido of
tho somber Gulden library. Tho qgli-
ncss of that metal monstrosity, in fact,
seemed-j-nccontuatcd by tlio soft toned
canvas painting which stood immedi
ately behind It.
'Must what ilo you see to lilio about
that thing?” ho somewhat brusquely
inquired. Tlio girl’s face grow seri
ous.
That leering metal faco makes me
think of tlio Laughing Mask, and now
I’m almost certain I know who this
Laughing Musk 13."
"Who?"
‘Count Luigi da Esparcs himself!’
“I don’t beliovo it!”
“Yes, hut listen: Quite by accident
yesterday, when wo wore having tea
together, a yellow domino dropped
from his pocket. He was confused and
seemed unwilling to make any real ex
planations about It.”
“Even a count could afford to invest
ill a ten-ceut domino," was Manley’s
retort.
"Isn’t it beautiful ?” she asked a3 she
swung tlio armor about. "You see It
is quito open ln tho back. Tho count
says they wero made that way hocause
they wore worn only by heroes. And
n hero must always ho bravo enough to
stand facing his enemies! '
“Well, swing It -round then, for I’m
its enemy all right! I hate the
tiling!"
Throe hours later he was peremp
torily summoned to tho billiard room,
where he found Enoch Golden in slip
pers nnd dressing gown feverishly
pacing the door. Manley stared in
terrogatively down at tho paper which
the older man held In slightly tremu
lous fingers.
“It’s nnother of Legar's -Spotted
Warnings!" explained Golden, in a
voico heavy with apprehension.
"Did you speak to Da Espares about
tills?” Manley asked,
“No. Da Espares went to bod an
hour ago."
“And Margory?"
"Margery Is with her mother. ’
"Are you suro?"
"They wore tlicio thirty minutes
ago.’
"But are you suro7’’
"Yes; I saw them."
"Then the first tiling to do ta to
make mire tiint she is still saio.”
Yet hurried ns Manley’s fljght was
through that quiet house, lie took time
to circlo nliout to Ills own room and
tlicro thrust nn automatic pistol lnlo
Ills pocket. Then ho called Colcstlno,
who was promptly sent to Investigate
Margery’s boudoir. Sho returned with
the disquieting report that tho girl
wns not there.
Manley, with a sinking of tlio licnrt,
continued ills search through the low
er regions of tho houso. And ho did
not breathe freely until, quietly open
ing tlio side door Into the library, ho
caught sight of Margery Iiersolt', ln a
narrow-hacked Jacobean chair, bent
low over a hook which lay open on
her lap.
Sho sat clearly outlined ln tho
bright fulcrum falling over hor care
lessly-posed body, leaving her In a
luminous 3howcr from the single wall
light, which sho had loft turned on
Immediately nbovo hor. This silvory
shaft of light brought out tlio beauty
of hor heavily-massed hair; it brought
out tho tender lines of tho white
throat and neck, tlio wistful girlish
ness of tho sloudor figure. Then Man-
ley for Ilia first tlmo noticed that she
was sitting v dIroctly ln front of tho
suit of Japanese* armor. He could sco
tlio polished metal of that armor flash
venomously in tlio cirong sidelight.
As lie stood there, clinging to the
portloro and continuing to staro at
thoso two strongly-divorgent figures,
lie found something almost hypnotic
ln tho virulent brightness of the pol
ished metal. Then a gasp of incred
ulity hurst from lii3 lips. For a3 ho
stared at tho molaleil hand holding
the lonG-b’adcd dagger, ho saw, or
thought he saw, that hand slowly
raise, ns though some miracle had en
dowed Its insensate links nml plates
and vambraces with life. Then the
very blood in his body seemed to cur
dle with sudden horror, for now tlicro
was no doubt about it. The mailed
hand holding tho glimmering knife
blade above tlio softly-breathing -girl
wn3 slowly but surely being lifted,
higher nml still higher. And in an
other moment, Mauley felt, It would
surely strike.
Quick ns a flash he caught the au
tomatic from Ills pocket, swung it up,
and trained tlio barrel on tho glinting
high lights along tho mailed fist. Then
ho fired.
Thero was a mulllcd shout of pain,
a short scream of terror from tho
3tarlled girl, and answering calls from
ahovo-stairs as tho uproar echoed
through tho midnight house. But to
all of these Mauloy paid scant atten
tion. _ With ten steps lie had crossed
tho room. Then ho flung himself on
tho suit of mall, twisting it about and
sending it toppling from ti3 stand.
But ono glance showed It to bo empty.
Tho framed canvas that stood behind
It he jerked from the,wall. Then an
exclamation of wonder hurst from Ills
lips. For, in tho wainscoting at each
side of where tho canvas had hung ho
discovered two holes cut, not a yard
apart, nnd sufficiently largo to admit
of a man’s arms being thrust through
them. And n3 he saw them, and be
gan to batter on tlio dark-wood wain
scoting with hi3 heavy pistol-butt, ho
realized what had taken place.
Somo enemy,- secreted behind that
wainscoting, had thrust an arm into
the liictal shell of an arm holding tho
dagger, and, hail lifted it to strike
down tho girl so closo beside it. And
that enemy, Manley resolved as ho
battered down tlio panel and crowded
his way through into a narrow pas
sageway, he would discover mid cap
ture or know tlio reason why.
Yet that passago, which led to tho
abandoned conservatory and from
there back to a long unused butter’s
pantry, proved to ho entirely empty.
All that rewarded Manley’s frantic
search was a 3leovo button and a
shred ,ol cloth torn from a scrvico
coat, caught on a nail where the pas
sage Itself ended against the wain
scoting. And by tlio tlmo ho had
pushed Ills way hack to tlio library
Golden nml Da Espares and Wilson
woro already thero.
“Wlicro’s Wrench, that new foot
man?" ho domandod.
"I saw Wrench In the upper hall,
sir, two minutes ago," was Wilson’s
prompt reply.
“But monsieur, what lias happen’ to
my beautiful armor?” domande’d tho
softly-speaking Da Espares.
“I’ll tell you that when we find
Wrench," was Manley’s curt reply.
“Wilson, you guard tho front door,
and you, Eir," added Manley, turning
to Golden, “I'd advise to watch the win
dows there."
“And I, monsieur, what may I do to
bo of assistance?” inquired the imper-
turbablb Da Espares.
“You 'go up those front stairs and
stop anybody who attempts to c’oruo
down. And mind you stop them! I'm
going up by tho servants’ stairs. And
somebody watch tho elevator!”
Ilo was off tlio noxt moment, run
ning with all Ilia speed through tho
houso, with his automatic in his hand
as ho went.
It was not until he had mounted a
second.and then a third flight of stairs
that ho enmo to a stop. That wa3
close beside tlio door of Wrench’s-own
room. Ami listening there ho heard
the sound of movement within.
Ho did not even try the door. Back
ing • quickly awny, ho shouldered
against the wooden panels with all his
weight. Tho lock gave way nnd he
.vont staggering into tlio room.
Thore, bent over a suitcase, ho
caught sight of Wrench himself. Ono
glance at that startled and pallid faco,
ono gllmpso at tho sleeve of tho serv
ice-coat from which a button nad
clearly been torn away, convinced nim
that nil his vaguo suspicions of tho
past week had boon only too well
founded, And ho wasted no wordB on
argument.
He icnpotl to that startlod flguro,
thrust 1.1s automatic against tho waist-
lino of the sorvico coat and command
ed Wrench to back up against the wall.
As lie did so a sudden shout Bounded
from tho doorway behind him and in
stinctively he glanced about to ascer
tain tlio meaning of this Bhout.
Wrench, soolng his chance] knocked
Sprang Bodily on Manley.
the menacing automatic-barrel to one
sido ami sprang bodjlji on ilaploy. As
ho did so nn unexpected and strangely
mantled figure glided Into the narrow
room. It was a figure wrapped and
hooded In heavy velour and only’ a sec
ond glauco at its Btrange coverles
would havo revealed tho fifbt that It
was a portiero quickly torn from its
fastenings and improvised into a
mask to conceal,its wearer’s .identity.
But Manley, as ho fought with Wrench,
had small time to rogister this fact, or
tile further fact that a rent had been
made in tho portiero to serve ns an
eye-hole for tho head which it so com
pletely covered.
It was not until that hooded flguro
had joined In the contest that Manley
became aware of the second portiere
which his newer opponent carried. For
this portiere was deftly thrown over
the young secretary's head anfl sudden
ly drawn tight about his arms. Tho
white-faced and struggling footman,
realizing that Ills final chance nad
come, promptly took advantage of Man
ley’s momentary helplessness to full
hack, leap for Uio open door and make
good his escape.
Manley himself, maddened by tho
thought of that culprit’s escape, swung
about on his hooded assailant with a
fury that sent the latter*also retreat
ing towards the hall. That unknown
enemy even sought to escape as his
coileagua lind done, but at the stair
head Manley overtook him. Together
they wont down the stairs, a tangle of
limbs ami striking fists and portiero
ends. They fought and rolled along tho
lower doorway, fought until Manley
had freed himself from tho other’s
clutch and was struggling to {ear tho
drapery from abput his mysterious en
emy’s head. But that. enemy, fran
tically bent on remaining unknown,
fought back with an addfcd fury which
brought tho two swaying and clinging
bodies full, force against tho stair
railing. That railing, under the strain,
suddenly gave way. Mauley, clinging
desperately to tho portiere folds, felt
that voluminous drapery follow after
him as he fell gasping over the well oS
tho stairs
He fell sprawling, tangled up ln
many yards of velour, anil landed on
Hie cowering head and shoulders of the
astounded Wilson, who, at tfiat stiddon
assault, promptly and vociferously
shouted for help.
When Manley, stunned for a minuto
or two by the fall, once more opened
his eyes and blinked Inquiringly about
him, he saw both Golden nnd his wife
and Margory herself clustered at his
side.
“Did you got him?” h? demanded.
“Get whom?” asked Enoch Golden.
“That murderous blackleg, Da Es
pares!" was Manley’s reply.
"But Count da Espares has nothing
to do with this,” protested tho girl,
with a frown of bewilderment. "He’e
only been helping us, as he always
helped us!"
‘‘As ho always helpod you?" scoffed
the Incredulous Manley. .
“Yes, ns he will tell you himself!”
For at that moment, suave and smil
ing, the count joined the wondering
circlo.
"Ah, monsieur, I keep watch abovo,
as you ask," he explained with a*shrug.
"But nozzlng happen. 1 see nobody.-
Then, mon dleu, I hoar the tumult,
and come down to you. But I cannot
comprehend. So tell me, monsieur, I
bog, what ,1ms happen?” >
Manley rosa stiffly and slowly to his
feet.
"You don’t understand?" ho asked
as his fixed staro met the mildly ques
tioning eyee of the count. '
"No, monsieur," was the other’s
softly spoken answer, as ho still gazod
with solemn wonder into the scoffing
face of tho American. *
"But what do you mean by this, any
way, Manley?" demanded Enoch
Golden.
“Oh, I guess he's merely the guy
that put tile Laugh in the Laughing
Mask," was Manley's embittered yot
enigmatic retort.
(TO BE CONTINUED.). '''