Newspaper Page Text
j
'•"’••v n<rnCRRSq, f’ATIt,
AUTHOR OF “THE OCCASIONAL OFFENDER,"
“THE WIRE TAPPERS," "GUN RUNNERS," ETC
novelized from the pathe PHOTO play of the same name
... ,■
SYNOPSIS.
Windward Inland Palldorl Intrigues
Ki, . n appettraneo of ovll
SffiL Golden to capture and tor-
EffitJ*®, “allan by branding: Ida taco and
L f o*hlng hla hand. Palldorl Hoods tho la-
mS? and bldnapa Golden's llttlo daughter
Margery. Twelve years later In New York
a Masked One rescues Margery from Le-
eor and takes her to her father's home,
wnence she is recaptured. Margery's
>"°ther fruitlessly Implores Golden to rind
JgSjE, daughter. The Laughing Mask
again takes Margery away from Lcntr
Legar sends to Golden u warning ami a
38! n 3 na 5 0r . tt Portion of the chart of
Windward Island. Margery meets her
■tnother. The chart Is lost In a tight be
tween Manley and ono of Legar's hcrich-
inen. but Is recovered by the Laughim-
. Mask. Count Da Espnres figures In a
dubious attempt to entrap Lunar and
li led hlm - ao,tlc " , 8 llOUBO
is dynamited during: a masked ball. i x *-
a tiwuouiimiu y up] On#
The startled young woman, on dis
covering that she had . been detected
in the act of listening at a keyhole,
sprang to her foot and fled like a
shadow down the long hallway.
“Why, that was one of our maids!
cried tho astonished girl..
"And also n secret agont of* the
Iron Claw’s," announced the man In
tho mask.
"But what are you going to do?"
domandod tho puzzled girl.
“I’m going to show that I’m still
your friend, and at tho name time
prove that this particular maid is your
enemy,’’ called back, the man in tho
mask.
tho^uuEhin" But that Particular maid, realizing
«erv nnf inairri-tr.i m u V lcy Mar - ® wmr8nt, J r that oventu wore shaping
herefrom 2raukf’s*po\sonetl nrrowa° Man- tho “ EeIvc « Into some final issue, lost
L«A*E! a M 8 .. a ai* i0c i k funeral which fails to 110 timo in loitering along tho hallway
RW. iM^anTC^ 0 ^' 0 ? “‘f 1 8had0Wy h0U30 ' S!le ra »
Kcry Is sftyed from death nt the hands of stra, £llt to tho heavy folding doors
A’J W ShUt off th0 IlbriM 'Y wherein,
OMara. cottage is frustrated in thu'nlcv B * 10 ,tnnw - Enoch Golden wna already
or W®’ ’ I conferring with his circle o: officers
from the detective huroau. Opening
these doors, she confronted, thoso
startled officials.'’
“If you’re after that man you‘call
the Laughing Mask," sho rainoimccit
Enoch Golden looked at tlio heavy ln her slirl11 s °Pru.:o, "you’ll find him
Shadows about his daughter’s eyes. bere ?. n tllis house; at this very ino-
to the driver of u mysterious limou
sine, whlcli Boomed to lid casually on-
sngod in following his own move
ments. ' ' v
“Follow that taxicab," ho 'coni'
that mentis Bod- Egan mu’sV surely William
have noon him." - ,
Tho next niomonti tilt* mini with Ills
nrm In a sling linfl ihrotfn .tho'bantl-'
ago asldo and wp runtilij* tov/wd.i
gar escapes but Da Espares la
the ruhiB. Margery rescues the
Mask from the police, Mtinlov
THIRTEENTH EPISODE
The Hidden Face.
Then he seated hlmsolf heavily in tho *nnnt.
arm-chair which sho had so abstract- " T ” *
. edly turned about for him.
“Margery,” he said, with nil ofTort
at sternness, "aro you still worrying
about that young Manley?”
For a moment or two tho girl re
mained silent.
“Ijian’t hel[i it, father,” she finally,
acknowledged.' And she further dis
comfited her frowning parent by a
suspicion of tears in hor downcast
eyes.
"But I don’t believe David Manley is"
any more dead than I rim!” tho old
millionaire finally and stoutly as
severated.
‘‘•Then why has there boon no word
of him, no trace of him, since tho
night of that awful explosion?"
Thi,s question, apparently, was not
• an epy one to answer. But Enoch
Goldeh was not -to bo , lightly dis
suaded from his task of consqlatlon.
“I’ll' tell you what I believe, my
glrl-i* ,1 bellevo :, everythlliS’s'' all right,'
no matter j- what you think. Every-
thing’s going to come out all right.
Before the week Is out,Uf.What tho po
lice tell mo is true, wo'ro. going >o
have this man- Legar safe i.ohlnd tho
prison bars where he belongs. Wlmt's
troubling mo more than David Manley,
Just , now, is the problem of this
Laughing Mask person. T had nothing
less than a deputy commissioner call
me up this morning, for the authori
ties down in Center street are con
vinced of the fact this Laughing Mask
would bo a hotter haul than even
Legar himself. They claim to have
A. clear record against him, and in ton
minutes Rvo got to faco a delegation
from the detective bureau and tell
them for the twentieth time just how
ntnndcd his driver as ho lonpod into tho window that oponclVa lim llro-
the still-moving cnr. 03cap? landing.
Tlio man in tho limouslno'sat tonso . On that narrow ledgj c? nlicofi-irictal,
and silent, watching tho flight for , wodged in botWeon'tho. window sar.li
mllo. after ratio. Then, realizing that and the escape railing, a turrlflc com-'
It was taking them beyond tlio bounds . bat was already taking .'place. Before
ia It city itsolf, Up <U*ow shut tho Legar could got tho window opfen tho
side-blinds .of Ills car, roachqd.under. Laughing Mask, by an ndrolt jiu-jitsu
the float .and took from Its hiding movement of t\io hotly*, hucceotfctl In
place a Japanned tin box. remarkably pinning thd winded. Kell Egan doWn on
similar to an actor’s mako-up box. tho liro-oscapdplatform, lJiifritrendy
Balancing this on Ills' iclioes, ho .first n'second sentry of Lcgar'.ri .was l,v. arm-
removed his mask of yellow cloth, ing up tho narrow metal stairway,
adjusted a amall folding mirror to and all tho attention of tlio man hi
the box lid, and busied himself with thu'mnsk had to bo directed towards
tho assortment of pigments and cosmot- his now adversary. •
ics of tho make-up putty therein con- • ] t wa8 ' w lvUo' countoWng tlio cm-
talncd. Tho oloar-llned face which - slaught of this second cti&iV Umf.ili'n
first gazed into tho .folding mirror Laughing Mask’became conscious of.
slowly but unmistakably bocamo con- still another, point of-attack'. Fcrwj'
verted into something rdppllant to tlio he fought there, cii his Icuo^b, astride'
oy °' ' •*•' tho panting form of Red Egan, micron
Iho next moment thp. llmoushio claw reached viciously out ovor the
,cama to a stop at the roadsido. window Bill behind lilin,' 'and nftc.tl'jt-
"Thnt taxicab has Just turned in at self .in his shoulder. Tlio' next me
tho Bollnlro inn.” tlio well-trained drlv- ment ho was boing hauled bodily- In
or called back to his master. , through the open window.
"So I notice. And that’s tho place, Ready hands woro thoro to take r-os-
wager, whore Logar hlmsolf Is session of that battored' arid breath-
trying to keep under povov." ■ . loss captive.
“Thoro’a the woman,horsolf, run-1 "Put him ln that chair!" exultantly
rung up tho stops," announced the i commanded Logar, '
driver.
•"Npw what’ll wo do with him?" do
“So I also observe. And undor the, minded tli'o panting lied Egan,
circumstances, I think It would bo . "L oa vo him to me,:
heat for you to slip aftor her, as quiet
ly and quickly ns you can." .
"Yes, sir!”
“Then come back to th'j car and rq-
port to me tho number of the room
she asks for. Find out the number,
whatever happens. For in that room,
I imagine, we’re going to oncounter
our old friend of tho Iron Claw.”
Beside the Door Was the Figure of a
Yogng Woman.
much, or rather, how little, I know
about that mysterious stranger!”
Later ln her room Margery Golden,
looking up, saw a figure in a yellow
mask silently and pensively regarding
her.
. “You are unhappy?” he quietly In
quired.
“You seem to appear only on thoso
occasions when l am,” she slowly and
thoughtfully, replied.
I’You are wondering at this very mandeered a hat and coat belonging-
moment if young Manley will ever to her miBtress, possessed herself, of a
In this house?” echoed thp astound
ed old millionaire.
“You’ll find him,” shrilled tho white-
faced maid, “lit Margery Golden’s
room. And tho sooner you got there
the better
They rose as ono man aral moved
towards the door.
But they did not pasB through that
door.' They came to a pause, for tho
very material reason that a man in a
yellow mask, holding a revolver t
Ills hand, confronted them from tlie
hallway.
“Just a moment, gentlemen," this
masked stranger Suavely announced
although tho .suavity of his voice vras
.soruqwhat-discounted by tho obviously
menacing position of his firearm.
■"Since denunciations seem to 1 be in or
der, will you permit me to point out
to. you that tho'yous g-lady who.has
just addressed you is Botsy LeMarsh,
alias Williamsburg Sadie, not only-p'no'i
of tlio most adroit woman c.i\ oks'-lij. -^
tho^ city, but also, an em‘i.Eary-' a^^|
agent of Jules Lrgar himselt!"
Having made that Sripticft, vtori
Laugh,ing Mask promptly thp
heavy folding dloors.^''ijfiutfV.i|fS^i' v ^iS'
before one of thp- agtrihisligl.Ciii^p^Gl's
could Interfere: Tlicri ii'cMWKrilTOBjft
key in tho snaplock,
along tho quiet hall. Ho ail ■ but col:
lldcd with Min gory Golden'hers'eli'.
“Hero’s where I take, dmii' b)’. the
forelock," he grim y ajmounebd,' At
he darted acr isS tho room to rihffee dir,'
fashlcned grandfatl er's clock which
stood aga'nst iho 'artlver wall: The
astonished girl saw him swing opon
tlio door arid stop ineidr tlio clock.
Then sho turned quickly a; "out, for tho
men frem the central offl :o were al
ready in tho rocm. And she had no
desiro to make their task easier for
them.
“That man came into this rootr!”
declared cno of the older men, chil-
lenglng tho h ilf-smitng girl with .in
Indignant fort finger. “Where is ho?”
“How qhou.d I know?” asked (ho
calm-eyed youilg woman.
“Well, he's hero, and well got him."
declared tlio mai. who seemed to be
tlio leader of the < .thors. Then M.vrgery
Golden’s heart suddenly came up Into
her mouth, for she could soo that lio
was hurrying ncross the room In tlio
direction of tlo clock. She could Roe
Ills right han-i go Into his pocket, and
whip out a .'.evolvcr an his left, hand
throw opor tlio llttlo black-walnut
•door along .ho lace of tho clock. Then
sho breath al again, for the clock was
empty.
But tho man with the rovolyer had
dropped to his knees an 1 was patting
interrogatively about the clock base.
"I thought so!” lie suddenly called
out. “T'-soro’n a spring trap hero that
opens through tho floor. 'Quick, Bomo
of you men, get down to the- base
ment!”
Margery Golden was oven able to
smile again.
"Wilson,”. she said, “bo so good as
to show those gentlemen the way to
the basement. And then be so good
as to have Miss Betsy LeMarsh come
here."
But Miss Betsy LoJIarsh had com-
Tho Flash for Help.
Jules Logar was in anything but an
amiable frame of mind, and when
Williamsburg Sadie was quietly ush
ered. Into-room 307 of the Bellairo inn,
ho greeted Her with a malignant
scowl which bile promptly and oponly
resented.
"You don’t' spom exactly crazy to
see mo," sho announced as .alio
watched Logar lock the door through
which she had just entered^ His right
announced Ld-
gar, studying his cuptjvo out'of nar
rowed and sinister eyes. Then tho
man with tho- iron claw stopped slow
ly .arid- Btudiously 'closely to the choir
in which tho helpless Lauglifng Mask
sat, for'the light in tho room was none
too clear. *• .
“So you’ro tho'mail of myetory,.a're
you! Yoti’ro tho; lioro who -/keeps ,-a
dead wall betWqch him and tho-'w-ocld,
eh! Wall; my valiant hero, we-’JLScion
put your visor upj" . -.
Williamsburg Sadie,’ with :hpr nhoutli
slightly ogApo, stood halfway, liotweon
tlio chair and tho wall; ‘Wafehftitr tlia
man with’the-iron claw as ifa excited
ovdr his oupmy. Sho watohod Legar's
hand as It. touched put to tltp nia-ikbf'
yellow cloth aiidi toro It violoiisly frbrij
the faoe \yhieh it liad'.'qoiiceafpdi •
Tii.ah a scream, slidrt, buV 'biffli.
pitched', .burst from hPr.siartlisdQip's
‘‘Just a Moment, Geritlerrien/’ This.itriaskod Stringer Suavely Announced,
arm, she noticed, was carried Jn a 1.
umlnous white coitou sling.
"Didn’t I tell^^you-to keep' a^y frc3i|?^? r;wll ^.: she 1 ® tai ' ed at seemod mol ' G
is dump?" ho wrathfully r'emindcldT, - 1 *?'-■ a-chanieyhouso cadaver, than a
■ /. TW-hriuian. i^Civ
Arid' Legar drew back at the sight
come back to you.”
She colored a little as she stared
up into the masked face.
’’Yes," she finally acknowledged,
“that is something I must know."
"Why?”
She remained silent.
"Is it because you care for him?"
for him—
jeweled ring or two and d small moroc
co case, which sho discreetly stowed
away as she stolo quietly down tho
servants’ stairs, and slipped ouf
through tho shrubbery.
So preoccupied was she, however, ln
putting distance between her and the
house which she had Just left that-sho
failed to observe a figure slmultane-
"Yes, it Is because I care for him— failed to observe a figure simultane-
a great deal,” she found the courage ousl Y and as eagerly emerging
to reply.
He turned about and tip-toed to the
door. There, carefully nursing the
knob in the palm of his hand, he re
leased the catch and swung the door
suddenly inward. And crouched low
ln the hallway, close beside the door
frame, was the figure of a young worn-
from a basement window. Yet as sho
hurriedly rounded the block, in eager
quest of a taxicab, thiri figure showed
an unmistakable Interest in her move
ments. And when she had finally-
hailed a taxicab and climbed, into it,
the stranger in a yellow mask so cau
tiously shadowing her made a signal
‘Well, I didn’t come because r want-. ,
cd to!” was tlio other’s retort. I-P' , th ; s0 , Io . a - U,somo . features. .He
“What’s wrong?” - -! bacltod slowly away, staring at that
“Everything's wrong! Old Qojdoiv:- ;? ce * u J 1 'he eame to tho electric-but-
had a bunch of flatties in bis hoiiW'v^'^. 11 Ho.rebelled out
and' that Laughing Mask- bo^V^fJ. 1 . 1 ® 11 W'tb?.oIecfa:oner, for thd
squealed on me to tho hunch. So J-' , l „ l s ® 0 °- n fbe.fifC'escapci landing had
hadtobeat.it.” . , j ? oft - a curtain hanging half over tlio
Legar swung about on lior. • j y ^ d ? y ' r ’ dnd tbiB mado t,ie Usbt un-
“And you beat It straight here, in . .® ut ovo " a3 lifted Ills
opon daylight, leaving a paper-chase ^ ‘ho switch .a sudden knock
trail at your heels!” There was rage : B0 £ nded on the door of tho ™om.
in his voice. I J3oth lied Egan and the womai*
"1. tell yon I left no t'rulL I've got f 'I urned tnutely.'to Lngar. And as they
my own scalp-to take care of. And if looked, tho knock was repeated, loud-
I’ve taken a chance to heat It up hero er t iau ' j efore.
and put you wise, it scorns to mo "Lock him in that closet," r/as tlio
there’s more than this grouch-talk Ii*cn Claw’s whispered command,
cornin’ tome!" \ .'“And tbrottlo him at tho'first, sound!”
“then, for tho love of heaven, wont- Lo Sar,, wlio lind already crossed to
an, don’t holier bo the whole house 'l 10 door that opened into the liall,
will hoar you! Speak quietly.” waited tliero until tho clospt door had
A one-sided smile played about the '.keen locked and shut,
hardened face of that worldly wise found a chambermaid standing
young woman. j tliero.
‘I guess you’re' kind o’ losin' your ‘ Io there anything tho matter, sir?”
nerve," sho contemptuously an- cho aaked in genuine alarm,
nbunced. “Tho, matter.? What should be the
“Listen to me, my girl. I’ve heen'af ..matter?” inquired tlio sleepy-eyed oc-
this game longer than you have, and eupant of the room,
I’ve learned there are times when " . 1 thought I heard a scream, sir,"
.even walls havo ears.” explained the chambermaid, already
. Tho woman laughed. ■ : rQ ll°ved.
' /'Then you’d better get earmpffs on • Not "Lthte room ’ dear ” calmly
that window, sill, for I’ve got a hunch
it’s—”
. Her voIcq died away n't the samo
moment that tlio smile vanished from
lior face.
“Dont turn around,” she said in a
sudden startled whisper as she looked
down at her feet. "For there's a man's
faco starin’ in at that window now."
Legal-' remained motionless.
"What face?" he quietly asked.
"Its the man in the. Laughing
Mask!" was tho whispered response.
Legar continued to stare at her, still'
motionless.
“That means he came up by the fire-
escape,” meditated the fugitive.- "And
announced Legar.
..' “I’m sorry if I was mistaken,” ex
plained the maid.
. it was Rod Egan who stepped to
Legar's side as the key was once more
silently turned in the lock.
."Here’s a signet ring I took off your
Jnan in there. Would that give you
any tip as to who he is ” .
; Legar stood studying the ring, turn
ing it over and over in his hand.
“No,” he finally announced. "But
it’ll let me send a tip to our old friend
Golden. I'll send him that ring to
show him we’ve got the' Laughing
MaBk here. With it will go a 'noto
giving him his last chance to hand
over that chart!”
“And who’ll.carry that note?!’asked
rg Sadie, out of tho sllonco
0 .'il'Piv lOhfiioii which foil over 'the
Jiltle group.
.'■You will,” calmly announced Lo-
car.
.'Mot on yr-n-illfol'Vwas (ho girl's
ftuni’tjrlng l'i'piy. ”i’m through with
(hose prioplo!”
"ilct voii’ro not through with mo
yet,, niv girl. Yoii'ro going to tuko this
note lo Enoch Golden, .and you’re go
ing' lo do It without arty rlBlt. i’ll call
iip Qoldcii mynolf and toll him he’ll get
it. back, ton to olio, If ho makes
olliglti lrijno. against you. And besides
(hat, wo’vo got him bo beaten nt tills
name tfiat, lio’a going to ‘cry quits tho
mlinito lio iscrip wo’vo roped in the last
.of Ills gang, tho- minute I tell him I’ll
leave, the . country on-condition he
coughs up tho'paporl’ 1
‘‘And s’posin’ ho does weaken and
hand ovo'r that paper? Where do I
got' off?"
"'\‘oh conic back hero with it ns fast
as wheels ciin cn'rry you. Anil It you
movn ns quick ns I want you'to niovo,
you’ll Just about got. back in, time to
/Co .tho lliifall, of your friend in the
yellow mask!
Hut Betsy. LoMnriili’s friend,in tho
.yellow,mask; for nil his-captivity, was
•npiSnrcntly-preparing, for that flnlsli ln
a.iiKiro a'ctivo manupp than'was Imag
ined by his captors', h'or, the momoht
ho’, was locked’ lit-the narrow-closet,
lio ’ had imiiort'ako.ii , a systematic
peafcli. of its gloomy corners. That
scapcll, However, wns rewarded only
by the discovery of-a group of Ipsnlat-
oil -wires running along Its-ooter waif.
Yet thoso wires lip examined with not
a • llttlo caro.; And .'tho examination
led liim. to -coiiolude,' both' from tho
natufo of tUpVwires and the heaviness
ct the insiilntlcin. abotit them, that they
were aii integral .portion of the light-
-iiig system of'tho hotel. That they
wero not "doad" he! promptly discov
ered-.by scraping, away the insulation
tissue rind bringing two- of tho bgrod
Wires in contnet'. This resulted in'.an
Jni'triodiatp' hiss land spark of light.
.And'that gjivo'thO prisoner - an idea.
•By'"iirriaking’’ thp current, lie know,
lie coiilcl send, a 'message . needling
through rill the-nervous systom of the
house. And dfsoftio ono point, Jio folt
stirp; ,Uint. ’.motlioiUO - play of dot and
ffttSUin ' tho;.light bulb ivould arouse
snOTiielbp mid catiso a search' to he
Insttgated;'
v It wns', In fact, ln the office of tlio
hotel/llpelf, where Illgii-Collar Davis,
tlio house .detective, lelsuroly perused
rin' evening paper for cortaln racing
•returns close bosido'' a rotund and
roblrillkp room clork ln a red vest,
that an oloctrlc bulb. Just above the
reglstlr bogau to conduct Itself ln n
manner that Was first mystorlous and
then chnlferiglngi
Hlgh-Collnr Davis, looking languidly
•up from his racing charts, watched
this light for several moments of si
lence.
"Woll, I’ll bo blowed!" ,ho finally
ejaculated.
"What’s wrong?" asked the room
clerk.
Instead of replying, tlio house de
tective took out papor nnd pencil, and,
carefully watching tho winking anil
blinking bulb, wrote a number of lot-
tors down on his Blip of paper.
“Thrit’s tho first tlmo,” ho solomnly
announced, "I over saw an electric
bulb talk Morse!”
“Tnlk Morso?" echoed tho othor.
“Yes,-talk Morse, or J nover pound
ed the,brassy for two yonrs. And hero’s
what it lias said, twlco oyer. Help—
room throe—o—seven—help—help!”
Tlio houso dotoctlvo suddenly stood
upright. "Say,.who Is.in 307 In this
house, anyway?”
"That Virginian with' ills hrm in a
sling!”
"Then it’s up to us to find out what’s
going on in that room!’’ .
Tlio Laughing Mask,'in tlio* moan-
time, wan no longer'giving his atten
tion to the wlros along tlio closet-wall.
Bijt. Willi. Ills pocket ltnifo lie had al
ready remoyed tho set screw from the
door knob of tlio closet door. Then,
swinging lightly up tg tlig shelf that
stood sorao five feet from tho .floor, ho
seated himself thoro opposite the door.
By grrispjng tho two heavy clothes
Iigoks screwed Into this door, and by
planting his foot firmly' againdt tlio
sash on .either side, of it, ho felt-that
lio was not altogether at tho mol’cy of
his enemies.
Even as ho sat' tliero ho could hear
the key turned in' the lock,anil thon
tlio sound of Legar’3 quick oath of ex
asperation as tho door knob fell' loose
to the floor, in responso to.his tug at
it. At tlio samo time hope rose in tlio'
ctiptivo's liohrt, for lio could hear tlio
miifficd sound of a knock on tho outer
door. And still again the prlsoqcr in
tho closet could hear Legar’s oatli of
exasperation. This was followed by
as?
closet llngorod-only long enough "u
point out to thorn tho floolng figures al
ready nt tho foot of tho fire escape.
Then he hlmsolf darted down through
tho liotol hallway, took the stairs oil
tlio run, circled out through tho ro
tunda, and springing through shr.tib-
bory and flower bods, leaped Into'a
llmouslno drawn up at tho sldo of
road.
"Follow that touring car those men
bubo Just piled into,” ho called out
his driver. "Follow It until we got ii
the city. Thon swing pnst It arid
to Golden’B house before it does, w
over happens!"
But tfiat touring oar showed itsoif to
bo a much speedier vehicle thon Its un-
what-
, “''V:
r r
k liT’"
A Terrific Combat Was Taking Place.
kempt appoarnnee might'indlcato. And
Its driver seemed possessed of a sur
prisingly intimate knowlcdgo of subur
ban side. roads, for as tlio black
llmouslno drew up on It tho dust-cov
ered opon car suddonly swerved to the
loft, dipped into a narrow valley, and
took tlio rlso. to tho railway track like
a swallow rounding n cliff head. >
Then tlio man In tho yellow mask
stood up In Ills car, with an involun
tary gasp of horror on his Hits. For
thundoring along tho curving track
as tlio dusty touring car roso to the
crossing enmo an ovpn swiftor-movlng
through freight, whistling its frantic
warning as it camo.
.But that warning was too late. The
pilot of tho locomotivo scorned to root
like a boar’s snout under tliq flimsy
body of tho automobile and then tosi-
It and Its human freight high over Its
Bhouldor. Thoro wns a momentary
cascado of bodicB and metal through
the air, a sudden discontinuance of the
whistle blasts, nnd tho grind of steel
against stool as tho startled engine-
driver throw on Ills brakes.
"Did they strike?”.asked tho Laugh
ing Mask's chauffeur ovor Ills shoulder.
"Yes, they struck! But don't turn,
back. ICoop going! For there's an
other car from that hotel following us,
and wo’vo still got to got to Golden’s
houso first.”
It was some twelvo minutes later
that Margory Golden, -ns sho sat dis
consolately in tho quietness 1 of i-lier
room, found herself confronted by* an
unannounced visitor.
“It’s you!" sho gasped, as sfio rose
to her foot and found tiio Laughing
Mask standing, a llttlo breathless, Jnst
Inside hor door.
.‘I’m sorry to startle you,” he ex.
plained, "but as usual, they didn’t give
mo any too much time!’.’
"But wlint has happened?”
"Tlio same thing ovor again. There/
are five men downstairs persuading
your father tlio Laughing Mis'.c a
criminal, and those five men a’ o deter
mined to mnko mo a prisoner.”
“But why should they koop Baying
this?" aslcod tho bewildered girl,
• “Because they don’t understand.”
“No, they don’t understand,” she re
peated. . Then sho turned and stared
at tho masked face. “Nor do I alto
gether understand!”
“But surely You’d trust mo enough
to hide mo away hero until I can es
cape from them?"
“How can you ask me to trust you
when you refuse to trust mo?”
"But I do trust you. I always
have!”
“Yet not enough to removo that
mask."
“And you Insist that I unmask?"
"No, I do not Insist. But If you be
lieve lp my honesty I also want to be
lieve ln yours."
Again there was a moment of silence. I
“You' aro right,” said tho mail in 1
tho sudden impact of the heavy wing ™ a ®^- Then ho crossed the room
chair against the panels of the closet to tlle , dO0B ° r the white-tiled bath-
door. That blow, repeated again and roon ?’ Iau Erilng as he went. “But since
yet again, was 'heavy enough to break my - landa are-clean, I also insist that
through tho wood. But tliat dignitary , my ^ aco , , aI1 bo! ”
known as Hlgli-Collar Davis, being a ., lhe Elrl Btood P uzzlod aa she beard 1
gentleman not given to inactivity In aoand °*- a ' a being turned and
moments Of emergency, and being suf- ° r watar -
ficiently persuaded of untoward pro- 1 'yiat aro you doing?” she de-
coedlngs behind the door which ro- maaded ',
fused to open 1,0 his knock, promptly 1 Washing my face,” answered n
seized a firo ax from its vermilion- s ° m °' vba ^ altered voice, m “and I’m;
painted rack in tho hall, and sent it a , rald 1 m rather a P°l“ng your towel,
crashing through the panels of tho , w “? my “ ak , e ' up '"
door which bore tho nnmcrals 307.
Legar, seeing the door giving i....
before this determined onslaught,-drew
The next minute the Laughing Mask,
denuded of his domino, stepped back;
"' ato the room.
“Will you trust me enough now to!
^4
his revolver and emptied it Into tho i,.,„ “ uw lu '
half demolished closet dnnv even >• i,c p me get away, he asked.
The girl stared round-eyed into the
smiling face above her. Slio started to
lift her hand, as though in wonder, to
her brow. But tho man in the door
way imprisoned that' hand In his own,
and drew her a little closer to him.
"Will you trust me now?” lie re
peated.
half demolished closet door cveu as lie
backed away across the rooirf to the
open window. There lie followed his
already vanishing accomplices out oil
the fire oscapo, swarming down the
narrow ladder aftor them as the outer
door of the room gavo way and a
group of excited hotel attendants.
Bj.wsasr T
The man who omei-sd from the about hor. °“Avin'always tru™your°/
. — “TO BE CONTINUED.)