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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.)