Newspaper Page Text
8YN0P3I8.
On Windward Island Pnlldorl Intrigues
Mrs. Golden Into an appoarnneo of evil
widen muses Golden to rapture nnd tor-
turo tho Italian by branding bis faeo and
crushing Ids band. Palldorl opens the
dyko gates nnd Hoods the Island and In
the general rush to escape the Hood kid
naps Golden's slx-ycnr-old daughter Mar
gery. Twelve years Inter In New York a
Masked Ono calling hlmsolf "the Hammer
or God rescues an elghtoen-yenr-old girl
from the cadet Cusnvnntl, to whom Jules
L«ff fl r has delivered her. and takes her to
the home of Knoch Golden, millionaire,
whence she Is recaptured by I^egnr. Ixtiiur
nnd Stein nro discovered by Manley, Gol-
den's secretary, setting lire to Golden's
bui dings, but escape. Margery's mother
fruitlessly Implores Enoch Golden to
And their daughter. Tho Masked Ono
again takes Margery away from J.cgnr.
Logar loots the Third National hank, but
again the laughing Mask frustrates Ids
Plans- L*gnr sends Golden “The Spotted
Warning.;; demanding a portion of a elui
of tho Windward islund. Margery met
her mother. Tho chart Is lost during ..
fight between Manley and ono of Hogur's
henchmen, but Is recovered by the Laugh
ing Musk.
EIGHTH EPISODE '
The Stroke of Twelve.
Enoch Golden had never been known
as a half-hearted fighter. Ho was. In
fact, of that pertinacious breed who
fight best when half defeated. And
ns ho grow Into a fuller realization of
tho virulence of Jules Legar's haired
for him and Ills house, ho proceeded to
tako moro effective Btopp to protect
himself.
One of his precautions was to plnco
an armed guard about tho homo which
had boon repeatedly nnd audaciously
invaded by Legal 1 and his agents.
But tho mere posting of n couple
of paid sontinels about his doors did
not mark tiro limit of his activities.
Ho strovo for still moro substantial
protection by Installing in ono of tho
upper rooms of his liouso a huge bur-
glar-proof vault of chromium steel.
Tho Installation of go ponderous a
vault, however, Involved much mate
rial strengthening of a structure not
primarily designed for the support of
seven-ton safes, and for days a small
body of oxpert workmen had been busy
putting In pillars nnd girders nnd
disguising thoso pondorous supports
under a veneer of mahogany celling
beams jtnd oriental lonkwood columns.
In JJ10 ornamentation of thd latter, In
fact. th£ owner or tho hous'o fottnd a
valued assistant in Count Luigi Ha
Espnres who, with his finished taste
nnd his knowledge of tho lino arts, ad
vanced many suggestions for beautify
ing what might otherwise lmvo been
an ungainly nnd cumhersomo innova
tion.
It was Margery Golden, oven moro
than her father, to whom 15a Esparcs,
In thoso small efforts, looked for grati
tude. And tho moro Margery Golden
saw of that gallant young antiquarian
tho moro mysteriously impressed sho
became.
David Manley, who waB not nlto- _ 0 ..„ 0
gethor ignorant of this now turn In I to go to'hls old-tlmo chief and report
the tide of events, found llttlo to add j that Margery Golden might be found
to his happiness in this overgrowing ut such and such a spot, at such and
Intimacy between Margery and her such a time. Sho would bo ulono. And
guest. For Mauley, by this tlnio, did ■ to Legar nnd his men, waiting there,
moro than moroly distrust Da Es- I it would seem a simple enough matter
pares; ho hated him. to roenpturo tho gift. But that cap-
Theso vnguo misgivings of Man- I taro would never bo cITocled. For n
loy's extended oven to tho costume , squad of police would bo held there,
diuner-daneo which this esthetic for- | in hiding, and when tho moment nr-
elgner undertook to engineer for Mar- ; rived, they would promptly surround
gery's amusement. Anil in talking j Legar nnd Ills men and put thorn
over Ills plans with Golden himself, j whoro they belonged,
as tho latter was making ready for : "In other words, monsieur, what wc
one of his hurried trips to Washing- ; proposo to do is to sot a trap, nnd
ton, tho young nobleman ovon ven- I when this Iron Claw is about to gather
tured tho liopo that this feto might j in his prey, ho himself will ho gutli-
bo mado tho occasion of an even moro ! ered in.”
auspicious announcement. | “You’proposc to sot a trap," ropeat-
I3ut tho morose-eyed old mtlltonalro ' ml tho Incredulous Manley,- "and you
did not qulto follow tho other's lino also calmly proposo to tako this un-
of thought. So Da Esparos was driven protected young girl and uso her as
to the expedient of openly yet cour- tho bait for that trap!"
teously requesting tho prlvllego of "On tho contrary, monsieur, she will
pressing his suit for the hand of this not bo unprotected. Many duly ap-
^ al, Khter of America. pointed officers of tho law will bo
hat d you mean by that?" do- thoro. And, ns I havo already de
manded tho astounded financier. “Aro plained to h6r, I also will ho there,
jou trying to tell mo that you want to j And Miss Golden, 1 think, knows that
mairv mv , nni.1,> . j woul ,j relu n|y g| V o my ||f Q f or [ho
Author of
"THE OCCA
SIONAL OF
FENDER; THE
WIRE TAP
PERS," "GUN
RUNNERS,’ETC.
Novtlited from'
THE PATHE
PHOTO PLAY
OF the:
SAME NAME
•* AJ*1MIA ITRMCtA
' u means that I am about to make
a move which will deliver you and
your father from his enemy. And this
time I think the plan will succeed,"
Mysterious as that plan was, It de
veloped through an Incldont which
soon brought tilings down to tho plnno
of tho practical. For whon tho ma
sons and Ironworkers who wore com
pleting tho installation of tho now
Golden vault returned from their mid
day meal n fnr-from-nttructlve stranger
Stole Into tho liouso ut tholr heels.
And when David Mnnloy happened to
catch sight of this stranger deep In
talk with Count Da EspareB, hoi
promptly Jumped to tho conclusion
that ho had at last discovered sorno-
Ihtng oil which to concontrato all tits
earlier Scotch-mists of suspicion.
For Da Esparos’ visitor unmistak
ably boro tho earmarks of tho un
kempt denizen of tho hop-joint and
tho Bowery saloon.
“What Is tills man doing hero?” he
nuked ti3 he confronted tho Intruder.
"This man Is hero nt my request.
And the happiness of this house de
pends much on his visit," was Da Es-
pares' retort.
"What has a crook liko Hud Egan
got to do with tlio happiness of this
liouso?” scoffed tho Irate Manloy.
"And what right have you to bring a
tool of Lcgnr's into this room?"
Hut still Da Esparos remained out
wardly eaVhi.
"Pardon," ho replied. "But this
man you call Itcd Egan Is no longer
a crook nnd no longer a tool of Lo-
gnr's!"
"Then what Is he doing here? 1
"That, monsieur, concerns mostly
tho young lady for whom I havo sent!
Tlio soft-spoken v foreigner swung
nbout ns Margory Golden stepped a
little wonderlngly Into tho room.
"This, Miss Golden," said Da Es
pares, "Is tlio man of whom I spoke
lo you. As your friend here protests,
this man has been a tool of Lcgnr's.
lint lie lias tired of being tho serv
ant of so evil a man. Ho now scolcs
lo havo tho stato oxtond Its pardon
to lilm. And as a prico for this par
don ho 1s willing to deliver Into our
hands Jules Legar!"
. "' B “t wliut Is tho plan?" asked the
girl, with iy touch Tot impatience.
Da Esparos, with upthrust shoul
ders, looked from tho one to tlio other.
It Is a plan which wo had thought
It wlso to keep a secret," ho suavely
explained,
’ Mr. Mnnloy 1ms earned tho right
lo ho included in any Bccrets which
may Involve tho capture of Legar,
Margery Golden quietly assured the
faintly smiling count, who bowed In
ncquiosconco. And realizing the note
of authority in that reply, ho outllnod
tlio ifinn In ns few words as possible
That plan, with Red Egan ns tholr
emissary, was not a complicated one.
Tills renegade from Logar’s gang wriS
The Unbidden Guest.
The gallant Count Luigi Da Espares,
In view of Ills niuch-talked-of victory
on tho Turnpiku bridge, found himself
forced Into the not uncongenial role
of u hero. If that disurect nobleman
took advantage of tho high esteem
which lie momentarily stood to push
lliiougli to completion certain arrange
ments for the costume hall on which
ho soomed to havo set his heart
Knowing wliut he kuew, the secre
tary still rcgnrded that Impending
function ns a (lunger in disguise,
ho still nursed very substantial
coverles. Tho first Was that tho ap.
pointed tlmo for tho coup had bocn
suddenly changed to an hour earlier.
Tlio nocond was that tho trap for l.e-
gar was not lo ho Bet along tho wood
ed road loading up to the clubhouse of
tho Greonoch golf IlnkB, ns first dcckl-
oil upon. ' But Margery Golden was to
motor alone to the west end of tho
turnpike brldgo nnd thoro encounter
her old-tlmo enemy of tho Iron claw.
And tho police, Da Esparos assured 1
hor, lmd boon duly warned as to tho ‘
eh an go of location.
Manloy, on overhearing that doclara- nf , 10
and’made 1 tho s'llnt, U P boa <l<luartors doubts as to the actual death of Legar.
authorities there.
In five minutes ho was In his own
car, hastening to a conference with
central olllco Itself, in another five
minutes, on learning from Wilson
over tho win; Hint Da Esparos nnd
Margery had already loft the liouso In
Lie limousine, Manluy laid his rnr
filled with armed plain clothes men
ironi tho central office and was speed
ing out through the city ii 3 * fast ns a
motor could carry him. As they swept
up tho dusty approach to the In-nico , i
hey even saw tlmt they were nono h ° US ° dC “ k,lowu ns the LttUBh 'l
too 80011,
1’or already, in the bright afternoon
sunlight, they could mako out a glim
mering limousine as it carno to a stop
t tiio end of Hie bridge. They could
see a comowhnt hesitating nnd white-
need rlrl step from tills limousine nt
aightofa Kraii'°of mciwmc'i-c as of 110 grcat inl l>orlance, had not Bravely to Golden, reached out two un-
y from tho shrubbery at ti.n K " nch t:o,don boc “ lho recipient of elovod hands to greet the two hands
cions, however, that 1m Insisted un u
conference with Enoch Golden him-!
self. Front Hint conference he wrung j
small consnlatlnn for his suspicions, j
Manley, in fuct, had given up any j
lmpo of further argument on thu ques-j
Hon, when a trivial yet dlsqulotlug In-1
cident occurred, mid lit occurring
brought about a slight change In
Enoch Guidon's attitude. This Inci
dent Involved Hie receipt of a strange
missive bearing the signature of that
elusive Interloper in tho nffulrs of the
Musk. It read as follows;
Count Luigi Da Esparcs is not only
an impostor, hut also your cr.cmy. And , flgttro, for all Its height, was strangely
ns a friend I herewith warn you that stoop-shouldered, moving with a dig-
Tha Merriment at the Crowded Table Was at it* Height.
ho is not to be trusted. ! nity of step which went well with the
Even this opistio, which boro only | voluminous drapery In which it was
tlm emblem of a 1 nughlng Mask for ; clud. And Manley watched closely as
signature, might havo been accepted this Btutoly Arabian chieftain, bowing
marry my daughter?
“That is tho honor of which I havo
-dreamed," was Da Esparos' quietly in
toned reply.
"Well, the point is, has ray Margory
been dreaming along tho same line?"
"That I cannot venturo to Bay," re
plied that unctuously gallant suitor.
“Well, in America that's nbout tho
first thing that counts! And I guess
we'd better call off this courtship talk
until wo find out how the girl feels I
about it!"
Tho disappointed, but not disheart
ened, count, accordingly, proceeded
quietly yet earnestly to sound Margery
Golden herself as to hor feelings in
the matter. But hero, too, ho was
met with a reply which, If graciously
worded, wa3 at least noncommittal.
"But you at least know that I wish
to bring you happiness, that I was
your friend in the past, that always
In tho future I want to be your
friend!"
“But when friendship remains
masked, It remains harder to under
stand!”
“Then the mask may be withdrawn,
and withdrawn sooner than you ex
pect.”
"Just what does that mean?" asked
the clear-eyed girl, studying his face.
sake of koepiug her from harm
"Is that tho way you fool about it?"
demmidod Manley, swinging about to
(ho slightly frowning girl.
"Count Da Esparos and I will carry
out this plan, nnd wo will carry it
out, I liopo, qulto as successfully as
wo muy carry out still other plans.
And in tho count's hands I shall al
ways feel that I am fully protected!"
David -Manloy, thus dismissed, had
’ho dubious satisfaction of knowing
that Iro had once more made a mess
of things.
Yet ho did not remain altogether in
active. Ho watched his chance nnd
luictly installed n dictaphone in the
room, attaching tho transmitter-disk
:o the undershlo of tho desk ledge
.vliero Dn Espnres did most of his talk
ing, and running his well-hidden wires
down through tho floor to a linen
closet, which tho over-dependable Wil
son throw open for him. Thoro Man-
ley made tho discovery that police
headquarters had actually been com
municated with nnd that the feint for
Lcgnr’s capture, however its end, was
Intended to carry every sign of sin
cerity.
Before another hour slipped by, how
ever, 'Manloy mado two further dls
shrubbery at tho end of
the bridge Itself.
'iheso men, spreading out fanllko,
swept past the llmousino In which Da
Esparcs nnd the chauffeur were still
seated. Four of them, rounding tho
car, cut off the girl s avenue of retreat.
Another four advanced o:i her from
tlio bridge-cud, at the name tlmo that
a fifth man leaped to the running
board and started to struggle with tho
chauffeur. j
Even ns lie stared at that quickly |
shifting sccno Manley could make out I
tho figure of Legar himself. Ilo could
sgo tho Iron Claw reach out for tho
startled figure of tho girl, crouched
back ngnlimt tho bridge railing, even
ns his own ear-wheels leaped from the
approach to (lie bridgo timbers them
selves. Ho could also ninkc out Da
Espares’ sudden leap from tho waiting
limousine. Mnnloy, on beholding tills
gave a cry of warning to tho plain
clothes men about him. for he could
plainly soo tho glint or a rovolver I:
Dn Espnres' hand. But Da Espares
ns that car of dclivoranco thundcre
oil across lho bridge, did hot turn tc
faco it. Instead, ho fought his wa.
thiough tho circle of burly figures em
rounding Margery Golden. Ho fougb
till another communication. This which Ills host extended to him. About
tlmo it was a telephone message from these hands ho saw at a glance, there
a stranger, acknowledging himself to' 1 could be nothing doubtful,
bo an active collcaguo of tho Iron j But Manley had little time to give
Claw's. j further thought to tho sceno, for at
Vl.egar may ho gone,” said this un- i that moment ho became aware of the
known voice over the wire, "but his j fact that Da Espares had slipped away
work is going to go on, and don’t you lo another part of tho house—and dur-
forget it! You still hold that chart.
It tlio chief didn't get his chart, before
lie cashed in, I'm the guy who’s going
to get it!”
"All right," was Golden’s shouted re
sponse. "You como up hero and get
It! Ami nt tho Bntno tlmo you'll get
what you dcsorvo
Then, having slammed down tho re
ceiver, the deliverer of tlmt ultimatum
promptly sent for his secretary
' I want extra guards put around
tliis house!" was Golden's command.
"And I want nobody to como into it
win can't ho accounted for."
"Tonight will ho a hard time, I'm
afraid, to put that order Into execu
tion," explained Manloy.
"What d'yott mean by that?"
“You can’t give a masked ball nnd
pul every guest on a microscope-slide
as ho comes In!”
"Manloy, how aro wo to know just
who or wlmt thoso guests aro, If
...» . „ua strangely stoop-shouldered,
and shouldered his way through to they're coming Into this house
tlio 8i(lo of the girl even as Legar all sorts of make-up on 9 ”
reached for her shrinking body. He "That’s exactly wlmt'I've been
struck blindly nt that outstretched ing to mako you see for tho last
arm, struck still again at Legar’s faco, days!” was Manley’s reply. “And
at the same moment that Munley's car exactly what that man Da Esparcs 1ms
shuddered to a stop and tho armed boon maneuvering for, or I lose my
men from Its tonneau leaped Into tho ono last hot! And If this man Legar
E t. u . . n .. . . i 8til1 alive, all wo'vo been doing
It was a brief fight, but a hitter one, ; putting a atrip of red carpet down
and much of it escaped Manley's at- him to walk in on'”
tentlon. Tho one thing that held him ! "Well, I'll bo at the other end of
transfixed was the sudden vision of that carpet waiting for him'” was the
Da Espares dodging through tho Iron old fighter's thunderous retort
girders In sudden pursuit of Legar, as "That's exactly what I want you to
the latter, breaking free from his one- do, what I ask you to do. That’s
ntles, ran to tho opposite sido of tho ono chance, If what I suspect moves
bridge. There, seeing retreat on el- t(f bo tho case! You can disguise
thcr quarter already cut off, that ntaa- faces. In an affair llko this tonight
ter criminal nimbly mounted tho iron ‘ but you can't disguise a lost hand.”
-ai.iag and gavo ono glance towards ’ 'Golden stood slowly shaking his
he water below him. Yet, ns he poised head up and down in comprehension
hero, ready to leap, Da Espares lev- "And if our Iron Clnw la there
Q ,? rCd ; I Davy, we'll give him a welcome that
Hanley could hear the shrill scream! he’s going to-remember!"
of the girl, and tho shouts of the star- Two hours Inter, as Enoch Golden
tied men, tho groat splash of tho turn-
bllng body as it catapulted down in
tho black-running water. Tlio next
moment the captain nnd his mii-
termed squad from the Greenock
clubhouse wero charging across tho
bridgo, Joining In with their plain
clothes colleagues already forcing the
last of Lcgnr's adherents to Might. And
ns Manley mado his way toward tho
glimmering limousine and Margery
Golden he could hoar tho latter's nerv
ous, sobs as she leaned weakly against
tho bridgo railing and wept.
"Did you kill him?" she a3kcd with
a voice tremulous with horror ns Da
Espares stepped to hor side.
"Your enemy is dead!” was the 1st-
tor’s quiet-toned reply. “lie caul; at
onco. And this time he will never
return."
stood with his daughter at his side
receiving their guests, It would havo
taken a particular penetrating eye to
dotcct any darker undercurrent of
trlgito to that rippling tide of color
and mirth which eddied about them.
So punctilious was Golden in his hearty
hand-grasp to each of those Incoming
visitors, that Margery herself made
note of this newer phase in her
titer's character.
Side by sido with a Flemish nun
walked a Paris Apache, then canto a
Montenegrin peasant and a flowing-
robed Oriental Swami, then a red-
sashed pirate and a velvet clad Vene
tian Doge. Then, following a man on
"lifters," who laughingly
himself to be Hully Geo,
Giant, enme an equally
gold-braided Arabian burnoose.
Ing that night, Manluy had determined
ho would keep an oye on his enigmati
cal foreign friend. But Instead of
following Da Espares, pn discovering
him stopping quietly Into tho deserted
library, the alert-eyed young secretary
promptly retreated to tho quarter
where the receiver of his dictaphone
wns concealed. Thoro, on placing this
watch-case receiver to his ear, Manley
had tho satisfaction of catching the
faint hum of voices. Much of that
guarded talk taking plnco in the li
brary Manley could not overhear. But
ho cuuglit enough to arouse hlB curi
osity.
"Then tho plan has worked?" asked
the anxious voice of Dn Esparcs.
"Without a hitch," answered tho
other voice. “Tho girders have been
cut through nnd tho bomb placed!"
“And the clock fuso adjusted?"
“Yes.”
“But what was It set for?"
"For the stroke of^twelve!" an
swered the unknown voice. "By that
time tho crowd will bo at tho table,
eating!"
"But how,” naked tho anxious voice
of Da Esparcs, “could wo get Legar
Inside?"
Tho sound of a triumphantly quiet
laugh camo over tho llttlo instrument.
"Legar Is already here!" announced
tho other.
"Hush! Not so loud!" warned Da
Espares. And from that point on It
was only broken phrases that trickled
into the hidden listener's ear.
. . . “Camo as an Arab chief. . . .
Nicchla tho Dago acrobat on his back
. . . yes, ttndor cloak . . . could hold
out both hands . . . and never even
suspected. . . . being watched . . .
can't afford to lose this time!”
Again camo tho sound of tho quietly
triumphant laugh. And It was De Es
pares’ voice that sounded clearly tho
next moment.
"But how did he work that bridge
fall
• . . "long dive . . . camo up under a
lumber schooner's stern and hung to
rudder chain . . .down with tldo . . .
an hour later . . . swam ashore . .
launch to Oyster Joe's!"
Manley did not wait for more. Mid
night, ho know, was already too peril
ously close for half measures. By tho
time ho reached tho upper floor, In
fact, ho found Enoch Golden already
heading the grand march to the great
tahlo running almost tho full length of
the huge room opening off the conserv
atory. Tho next moment ho saw Da
Espares himself step hurrledl^, yet
smilingly to tho side of Margery Gold
en nnd tako their places In that gayly-
colorqd lino that rippled with laughter
and movement ns tho orchestra once
moro struck up. Then, remembering,
whnt ho had overheard about mysteri
ously weakened girders and planted
bombs, Manloy likewise remembered
the newly Installed vault and the fact
that Legar's final object was tha pos
session of a certain paper which that
vault held. And he slipped out through
tho door, and on through tho empty
conservatory, frantically wondering
Just wlmt his first move to avert that
impending catastrophe should bo.
The figure which intervened In that
howovor, was a much more plc-
one than the slight figure of a
young private secretary In somewhat
disheveled evening clothes. Bk>r when
the merriment nbout the great crowd
ed tahlo wns at its height an unex
pected nnd uninvited guest strode in
aro about to bo shocked In a much
moro serious way. On the stroke of
twelve there is to be an accident hero,
perhapB something much graver than
an accident, In tfhich it Is my great
desire that you should not participate!
So I must ask each and every one of
you to leave this room, and this liouso,
as quietly yet as quickly as possible!
Every ono," repeated that authorita
tive-voiced Intruder as Da Esparcs and
the tall man In the Arabian burnoose
rose to their feet, “excopt these two
gentlemen here.”
Out of tho silence that ensued on
that declaration arose a small mur
mur of wonder, a stir of nervousnoss,
and ono shrill laugh from a woman
holding a wine glass. Then Enoch
Golden himself called out an angry ex
postulation, followed by a sharp word
or two of command. But the company
had already rlBcn. For the masked
stranger, stepping still closer to Da
EspareB and the figure In tho flowing
burnoose, had coolly intercepted them
as they moved In unison towards a
side door.
“Get back, both of you," tho clear
voice behind the yellow mask had
called out, "or before God I'll B hoot
you down where you stand!"
That Budden threat of violence was
tho spring which released tho ten
sion. There wero mingled shouts of
resentment and fear, followed by a
quick and unreasoning rush for tho
door, courtiers and mtn B and peas
ants and Apaches and Geisha girls In
contending flurry of finery nnd fright
ened faces.
For a minute or two the master of
the liouso struggled in vain to stop
them. Then his attention wns directed
towards the Laughing Mask, for the
latter, advancing with a quick stride
to the man In the burnoose, Jerked
aside that flowing garment nnd re
vealed Logar himself, Legar with a
sinlsterly seared faco and an Iron claw
at the end of his right arm. And the
same moment that this movement was
taking place, Da Espares himself, with
his oyes always on the Laughing Mask
stole quick step by step towards tho
door on his loft. Ho had reached that
door before his enemy detected him.
Tho man with the revolver wheeled
about and fired as the Spanish knight
n silk and lace dived through the open-
'.I 8 ; , Lngar ' Bcelt 'g his chance in that
division of interest, charged bodily
through tho damask laden table, scat
tering silver and glass and flowers as
he went. In another breath he had
reached the conservatory, where a
second or two later, his Iron-shod arm
could bo heard flailing through the fra
gile barrier of glass between him and
the outer world. And by tho time
Enoch Golden reached the spot his
enemy had vnnished.
Yet In almost the sane breath the
Laughing Mask had lenpod in the op-
poslte direction, In pursuit of tho flee
ing Da Espares. But that flight, wher-
ever It led or might have led, was In-
terrupted by a sudden detonation that
shook tho great house to Its founda
tion. Thoro was a roar, of falling gir
ders, the splintering of wood, the rum
ble of a great avalanche, as a seven-
ton steel vault, deprived of Its sup
ports, crashed down through tho flim
sy flooring,, carrying dust and debris
and tumbling pieces of household fur
niture ns it went. Nor did that mas-
slve thing of metal stop until it bedded
Itself In the broken cement flooring
of the cellar below. Then above tho
rattle of falling plaster and echoing
showers of scattering bric-a-brac rose
the quick cry of human voices calling
for help.
Golden, staring dazed at the great
room through which sudden ruin had
orupted, was scarcely conscious of the
frightened girl clinging so forlornly
to his arm. He was scarcely conscious
of the throng of servants and watch
men who ran back and forth through
the dusty rooms. He quaveringly
helped hi B daughter to a chair. She
stared wide-eyed at Wilson as the lat-
through tho wide door and confronted r*® r led David Manley, limping a llttla
tho company there assembled. This I and much disordered as to apparel
figure wore a dust-stained motor, coat * nt0 tho room .
and cap. .But the most conspicuous ! . '^ 8 anybody hurt?” asked tho white-
feature of his attire was tho yellow Slrl.
Equally
mask which covered his face.
conspicuous was tho huge blue-bar
reled revolver which ho firmly held In
This weapon, In fact,
menacingly in tho strong light
stranger's left hand was sud-
lifted for silence.
"Ladies and gentlemeq," ho pro
claimed In a clear voice, “this lntru- v *
slon, I fear, may shock you. But you . httve J UB t found his body, crushed
i fler too vault!"
tT.O BE CONTINUED.) ~t
The ever dependable old butler look-
ea at Manley, who in turn looked
away.
h Z m «°7 y ’ Mlss Marger y" Wilson
hesitatingly explained, "but It Is the
Count Da Espares!"
"You mean he Is"—
The old butler nodded.
I m afraid so, Miss Margery. They
