La Grande evening observer., August 01, 1917, Image 3

"WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1917.
LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER.
PAGE THREU
(This serial story is being shown
the Arcade Theatre. Read it in the
Theatre,)
' BYNOP8I8.
'On Windward Island Palldorl Intrigues'
Mrs. Qoklen Into an appearance ot evil
'Which causes Golden to capture and tor
ture the Italian by branding his face and
crushing his hand. Palldorl floods the Is
land and kidnaps Oolden's little daughter
Margery. Twelve years later In New York
a Masked One rescues Margery from Le
gar and takes her to her father's home,
whence she Is recaptured. Margery's
mother fruitlessly Implores Golden to find
their daughter. The Laughing Mask
Again takes Margery away from Legar.
Legar sends to Golden a warning and a
demand for a portion of the chart of
"Windward Island. Margery meets her
mother. The chart Is lost In a fight be
tween Manley and one of Legar's hench
men, but Is recovered by the Laughing
Mask. Count Da Espares figures In a
dubious attempt to entrap Legar and
claims to have killed him. Oolden's house
Is dynamited during a masked ball. Le
gar escapes but Da Espares Is crushed In
the ruins. Margery rescues the Laughing
Mask from the police. Manley finds Mar
gery not indifferent to his love. He saves
her from Maukl's poisoned arrows. Man
ley plans a mock funeral which falls to
accomplish the desired purpose, the cap
ture of the Iron Claw and his gang. Mar-
?ery Is saved from death at the hands of
he Iron Claw by the Laughing Mask. An
attempt by the Iron Claw to blow up the
O'Mara cottage Is frustrated In the nick
of time.
THIRTEENTH EPISODE -
The Hidden Face.
Enoch Golden looked at the heavy
-shadows about his daughter's eyes.
Then he seated himself heavily In the
arm-chair which she had so abstract
edly turned about for him.
"Margery," he said with an effort
at sternness, "are you still worrying
bout that young Manley?"
For a moment or two the girl re
mained silent.
"I can't help It, father," she finally
acknowledged. And she further dis
comfited her frowning parent by a
suspicion ot tears in her downcast
eyes.
"But I don't believe David Manloy Is ,
any more dead than I am!" the old
severated.
"Then why has there been no word
of him, no trace of him, since the
night of that awful explosion?"
This question, apparently, was not
an easy one to answer. But Enoch
Golden wo r.at to be lightly dis
suaded from his task of consolation.
"I'll tell you what I believe, my
.girl. I Believe everything's all right,
no mattor what you think. Every
thing's going to come out all right.
Before the week is out, If what the po
lice tell mo is true, we're going to
have this man Legar safe behind the
prison bars where ho belongs. What's
-troubling me more than David Manley,
Just now, is the problem of this
Laughing Mask person. I had nothing
less man a deputy commissioner can
me 11 n this morn In Er. for the authori
ties down in Center street are con
vinced of the fact this Laughing Mask
would be a better haul than even
Legar himself. They claim to have
a clear record against him, and in ten
-minutes I've got to face a delegation
-from the detective bureau and tell
-them for the twentieth time just how
Beside the Door Was the Figure of
Young Woman,
much, or rather, how little, I know
about that mysterious stranger!"
Later in her room Margery Golden,
looking up, saw a figure in a yellow
mask Bllently and pensively regarding
her.
"You are unhappy?" he quietly in
quired. "You seem to appear only on those
occasions when I am," she slowly and
thoughtfully replied.
"You are wondering at this very
moment if young Manley will ever
come back to you."
She colored a little as she stared
tip 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?"
"Yes, it is because I care for him
a great deal," she found the courage
to reply.
He turned about and t.lp-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 Sow
In the hallway, close beside the door
frame, was the figure of a young wom-t
' !
in motion pictures every Tuesday at
Observer and see it at the Arcade
an wearing a housemaid's apron.
The startled young woman, on dis
covering that she had been detected
in the act ot listening at a. keyhole,
sprang to her feet and fled like a
shadow down the long hallway.
"Why, that was one of our maids 1".
cried the astonished girl.
"And also a secret agent of the
Iron Claw's," announced the man In
the mask.
"But what are you going to do?1'
demanded the puzzled girl.
. "I'm going to show that I'm still
your friend, and at the same time'
prove that this particular maid is your
enemy," called back the man in the
mask.
But that particular maid, realizing
apparently that events were shaping
themselves into Borne final issue, loBt
no time in loitering along the hallway
of that shadowy house. , She ran
straight to the heavy folding doors
which shut off the library wherein,
she knew, Enoch Golden was already
conferring with his circle of officers
from the detective bureau. Opening
these doors, she confronted those
startled officials.
"If you're after that man yon call
the Laughing Mask," she announced
in her shrill soprano, "you'll find him
here in this house, at this very mo
ment." "In this house?" echoed the astound
ed old millionaire.
"You'll find him," shrlUed the white
faced maid, "in Margery Golden's
room. And the sooner you get there
the better!"
They rose as one man and moved
towards the door.
But they did not pass through that
door. They came to a pause, for the
very material reason tfcat a man in a
yellow mask, holding a revolver in
his hand, confronted them from the
hallway.
"Just a moment, gentlemen," this
masked stranger suavely announced,
although the suavity of his voice was
somewhat discounted by the obviously
menacing position of his firearm.
"Since denunciations seem to be in or
der, will you permit me to point out
to you that the young lady who has
just addressed you Is Betsy LeMarsh,
alias Williamsburg Sadie, not only one
of the most adroit woman crooks In
the city, but also an emissary and
agent of Jules Legar himself!"
Having made that speech, the
Laughing Mask promptly Bwuitg the
heavy folding doors shut. -He did so
before one of the astonished onlookers
could interfere. Then he turned the
key In the snaplock, and ran headlong
along the quiet ball. He all but col
lided with Margery Golden herself.
"Here's where I take time by the
forelock," he grimly announced, as
he darted across the room to a huge old
fashioned grandfather's clock which
stood against the farther wall. The
astonished girl saw him swing open
the door and step inside the clock.
Then she turned quickly about, for the
men from the central office were al
ready in the room. And she had no
desire to make their task easier for
them.
"That man came into this room!"
declared one of the older men, -challenging
the half-smlllng girl with an
indignant forefinger. "Where is he?"
"How should I know?" asked the
calm-eyed young woman.
"Well, he's here, and we'll get him,"
declared the man who seemed to be
the leader of the others. Then Margery
Golden's heart suddenly came up into
her mouth, for she could see that he
was hurrying across the room in the
direction of the clock. She could see
his right hand go into his pocket and
whip out a revolver as his left hand
threw open the llttlo black-walnut
door along the face of the clock. Then
she breathed again, for the clock was
empty.
But the man with the revolver had
dropped to his knees and was patting
interrogatively about the clock base.
"I thought so!" he suddenly called
out. "There's a spring trap here that
opens through the floor. Quick, some
of you men, get down to the base
ment!" Margery Golden was even able to
smile again.
"Wilson," she said, "be so good as
to show these gentlemen the way to
the basement. And then be so good
as to hare Miss Betsy LeMarsh come
here."
But Miss Betsy LeMarsh had com
mandeered a hat and coat belonging
to her mistress, possessed herself of a
jeweled ring or two and a small moroc
co case, which she discreetly stowed
away as she stole quietly down the
servants' stairs, and slipped out
through the shrubbery.
So preoccupied was she, however, in
putting distance between her and the
house which she bad just left that she
failed to observe a figure simultane
ously and quite as eagerly emerging
from a basement window. Yet as she
hurriedly rounded the block, in eager
quest of a taxlcab, this figure Bhowed
an unmistakable interest in her move
ments. And when she had finally
hailed a taxlcab and climbed into It,
the stranger in a yellow mask so cau
tiously shadowing her made a signal
to the driver of a mysterious limou
sine, which seemed to be casually. en
gaged in following his own move
ments. "Follow that taxlcab," he com
manded his driver as he-leaped into
the Btill-movlng car.
The man In the limousine sat tense
and silent, watching the flight for
muo atter mue. men, realizing mat
It was taking them beyond the bounds
ot the city itself, be drew shut the
Blde-bllnds of his car, reached under
the seat and took from its hiding
place a japanned tin box, remarkably
similar to an actor's make-up box.
Balancing this on his knees, he first
removed his mask of yellow cloth,
adjusted a small folding mirror to
the box lid, and busied himself with
the assortment of pigments and cosmet
ics of the make-up putty therein con
tained. The clear-lined face which
first gazed into the folding mirror
Blowly but unmistakably became con
verted into something repellant to the
eye.
The next moment the limousine
came to a stop at the roadside.
"That taxlcab has just turned in at
the Bollalre inn," the well-trained driv
er called back to his master.
"So I notice. And that's the place,
I'll wager, where Legar himself is
trying to keep under cover."
"There's the woman herself, runt
nlng up the steps," announced the
driver.
"So I also observe. And under the
circumstances, I think it would be
best for you to slip after her, as quiet
ly and quickly as you can."
"Yes, sir!"
"Then come back to the car and re
port to me the number of the room
she asks for. Find out the number,
whatever happens. For in that room,
I imagine, we're going to encounter
our old friend ot the Iron Claw."
The Flash for Help.
Jules Legar was in anything but an
amiable frame of mind, and when
Williamsburg Sadie was quietly ush
ered into room 307 of the Bellalre inn,
he greeted her with a malignant
scowl which she promptly and openly
resented.
"You don't seem exactly crazy to
Bee mo," she announced as she
watched Legar lock the door through
which she had just entered. His right
: "Just a Moment, Gentlemen," This M
arm, she noticed, was carried in a vol
uminous white cotton sling.
"Didn't I tell you to keep away from
this dump?" he wrathfully reminded
her.
"Well, I didn't come because I want
ed to!" was the other's retort.
"What's wrong?"
"Everything's wrong! Old Golden
bad a bunch of flatties in his house,
and that Laughing Mask boob
squealed on me to the bunch. So 1
had to beat it."
Legar swung about on her.
"And you beat it straight here, in
open daylight, leaving a paper-chase
trail at your heels'." There was rage
in his voice.
"I tell you I left no trail. I've got
my own scalp to take care of. And If
I've taken a chance to beat it up here
and put you wise, It seems to me
there's more than this grouch-talk
comin' to me!"
"Then, for the love of heaven, wom
an, don't holler so the whole house
will hear you! Speak quietly."
A one-sided smile played about the
hardened face of that worldly wise
young woman.
"I guess you're kind o' losin' your
nerve," she contemptuously an
nounced. "Listen to me, my girl. I've been at
this game longor than you have, and
I've learned there are times when
even walls have ears."
The woman laughed.
"Then you'd better get earmuffs on
that window sill, tor I've got a hunch
it's"
Her voice died away at the same
moment that the smile vanished from
her face.
"Dont turn around," she said in a
sudden startled whisper as she looked
down at her feet. "For there's a man's
face starln' in at that window now."
Legar remained motionless.
"What face?" he quietly asked.
"Its the man in the Laughing
Mask!" was the whispered response.
Legar continued to stare at her, still
motionless.
"That means he came up by the fire
escape," meditated the fugitive. "And
111
fAV'oflsjgj
that means Red Egan must surely
have seen him."
- The 'next moment the man with his
arm in a sling had thrown the band
age aside and was running towards
the window that opened on the fire
escape landing.
On that narrow ledge of sheet-metal,
wedged in between the window sash
and the escape railing, a terrific com
bat was already taking place. - Before
Legar could get the window open the
Laughing Mask, by an adroit jiu-jitsu
movement of the body, succeeded in
pinning the winded Red Egan down on
the fire-escape platform. But already
a second sentry ot Legar's was swarm
ing up the narrow metal stairway,
and all the attention ot the man in
the mask had to be directed towards
his new adversary.
It was while countering the on
slaught ot this second enemy that tho
Laughing Mask became conscious ot
still another point of attack. For as
be fought there", on bis knees, astride
the panting form of Red Egan, an iron
claw reached viciously out over the
window sill behind him, and fixed it
self in his shoulder. The next mo
ment he was being hauled bodily in
through the open window.
Ready hands were there to take pos
session of that battered and breath
lesB captive.
"Put him in that, chair!" exultantly
commanded Legar.
"Now what'll we do with him?" de
manded the panting Red Egan.
"Leave him to me," announced Le
gar, studying his captive out of nar
rowed and sinister eyes. Then the
man with the iron claw stepped slow
ly and studiously closely to the chair
In which the helpless Laughing Mask
sat, for the light in the room was none
too clear.
"So you're the man of mystery, are
you! You're the hero who keeps a
dead wall between him and the world,
eh! Well, my valiant hero, we'll soon
put your visor up!"
Williamsburg Sadie, with her mouth
slightly agape, stood halfway between
the chair and the wall, watching the I
man with the iron claw as he exulted ,
over his enemy. She watched Legar's
band as It reached out to the mask ot
yellow cloth and tore it viciously from
the face which it had concealed.
Then a scream, short but high
pitched, burst from her startled lips. J
asked Stranger Suavely Announced.
For what she stared at seemed more
like a charnel-house cadaver than a
human face.
And Legar drew back at the sight
of those loathsome features. Ho
backed slowly away, staring at that
face, until he came to the electric but
ton set in the wall. He reached out
to switch on the electrolier, for the
struggle on the fire-escape landing had
left a curtain hnnglng half over the
window, nnd this made the light un
certain. But even as Legar lifted his
finger to the switch a sudden knock
sounded on the door of the room.
Both Red Egan and the woman
turned mutely to Legar. And as they
looked, the knock was repeated, loud
er than before.
"Lock him in that closet," was the
Iron Claw's whispered command.
"And throttle him at tho first Bound!"
Legar, who had already crossed to
the door that opened Into tho hall,
waited there until the closot door had
been locked and shut.
He found a chambermaid standing
there.
"Is there anything the matter, sir?"
She asked in genuine alnrm.
"The matter? What should be the
matter?" Inquired the sleepy-eyed oc
cupant of the room.
"I thought I hoard a scream, sir,"
explained the chambermaid, already
relieved.
"Not in this room, my dear," calmly
announced Legar.
"I'm sorry If I was mistaken," ex
plained the maid.
It was Red 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
man 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 mo Bend a tip to our old friend
Golden. I'll send him that ring to
show him we've got the Laughing
Mask here. With It will go a note
giving him his last chance to hand
over that chart!"
"And wbo'U carry that note?" asked
i Ts- y.i
ff'l
Williamsburg Sadie, out ot the silence
ot apprehension which fell over the
little group.
"You will," calmly announced Le
gar. .
"Not on your life!" was the girl's
"I'm through wltu !
quavering reply,
those people!
But you're not through with me j
li-i v,.. ! . .i, ,1,1. 1
yet, my girl. You're going to take this
note to Enoch Golden, and you're go
ing to do it without any risk. I'll call
up Golden myself and tell him he'll get
it back, ten to one, if be makes a
single move against you. And besides
that, we've got blm so beaten at this
game that he's going to cry quits the
minute be sees we've roped In the last
of his gang, the minute I tell him I'll
leave the country on condition he
coughs up the paper!"
"And s'posln' he does weaken and
hand over that paper? Where do I
get off?"
".'You come back here with it as fast
as wheels can carry you. And if you
move as quick as I want you to move,
you'll just about get back in time to
see the finish ot your friend in the
yellow mask!" '
But Betsy LeMarsh's friend in the
yellow mask, for all his captivity, was
apparently preparing for that flnlBh in
a more active manner than was imag
ined by his captors. For, the moment
he was locked In the narrow closet,
he had undertaken a systematic
search of its gloomy corners. That
search, however, was rewarded only
by the discovery of a group of insulat
ed wires running along its outer wall.
Yet these wires he examined with not
a little care. And the examination
led him to conclude, both from the
nature ot the wires and the heaviness
of tho insulation about them, that they
were an Integral portion of the light
ing syBtem of the hotol. That they
were not "dead" he promptly dlscov-
ered by scraping away the insulation
tlsm.e and bringing two of the bared j
wires in contact This resulted In an 1
Sm d "ate his f and park of Hght"
. , ,.. ,. . . .? ,
And that gave the prisoner an idea, i
Bv "hreaklnir" the current ha knew I
,2 ,L . LaAu
he could send a taessage needi ng
through all the nervous sys em of the
, ,i. ,w
sure, that methodic play ot dot and
dash in the light bulb would arouse
suspicion and cause a search to be
instigated.
It was, in fact, in the office of the
hotol Itself, where High-Collar Davis,
the house detective leisurely perused
returns close beside a
rotund and
rohlnlike room clork in a red vest,
that an electric bulb Just above the
register began to conduct itself in a
mannor that was first mysterious and
then challenging.
High-Collar Davis, looking languidly
up from his racing charts, watched
this light for several moments of si
lence,
i. t . fi
'Well, I'll be blowedt" he finally'-'
ejaculated.
"What's wrong?" asked the room
clerk. v
Instead of replying, the house de
tective took out paper and pencil, and,
carefully watching the winking and
blinking bulb, wrote a number of let
ters down on his slip of paper. ,
"That's the first time," he solemnly
announced, "I evor saw an electrlo,
bulb talk Morse!"
"Talk Morse?" echood the other.
"Yes, talk Morse, or I never pound
ed the brasB for two years. And here's)
what it has said, twice over. : Help i
room three o seven neip neips,
The house detective suddenly stooif 1
. oi , , , on in this'
upright. "Say, who is in 307 in this
house, anyway?"
"That Virginian, with his arm in a
siing!" ; . . : ;
"Then it's Up to us to find out what's
going on In that room!"
The Laughing Mask, in the moan-,
time, was no longer giving his atten
tion to the wires along the closet wall.
But with his pocket knife he had al
ready removed the set sorew from thai
door knob of the closot dooi1. ThiStli
swinging lightly up to the shelf that
stood some five feet from the floor, he
seated himself there opposite the door.
By grasping the two heavy clothes
hooks screwed into this door, and by
planting his feet fltmly against the
sash on either side of it, he felt that
be was not altogether at the mercy of
his enemies.
Evon as he sat there he could hear
the key turned In the lock and then
the sound of Legar's quick oath of ex
asperation as the door knob fell loose
to the floor, in response to his tug at
it. At the same time hope rose in the
captive's heart, for he could hear the
muffled Bound of a knock on the outer
door. And still again the prisoner In
the closet could hear Legar's oath of
exasperation. This was followed by lno ma8K- men ne crosseo me room,
the sudden Impact of the heavy wing to the "oor of the white-tiled bath
chair against the panels of the closet I room' laughing as he went. "But since,
door. That blow. reDeat'cd aeain and , n" hands nre clean, I also insist that
door. That blow, repeated again and
yet again, was heavy enough to break
through the wood. But that dignitary
known as High-Collar Davis, being a
gentleman not given to inactivity in
moments of emergency, and being suf-
flrlnntlr nnrnunrlnrl of untoward nro-
raorlfticA hplilnri thA rinnr which rn I
fused to open to his knock, promptly
seized a fire ax from its vermilion
painted rack In the hall, and sent It
crashing through the panels of the
door which bore the numerals 807.
Legar, seeing the door giving way
before this determined onslaught, drew
his revolver and emptied It into the
half demolished closet door even as he
backed away across the room to the
open window. There he followed his
already vanishing accomplices out on
the fire eBcape, swarming down the
narrow ladder after them as the outer
door ot the room gave way and a
group of excited hotel attendants,
headed by High-Collar Davis, came
tumbling Into the room.
The man who emerged from th
closet lingered only long enough to,
point out to them the fleeing figures al-i
ready at the foot of the fire escape.,
Then he himself darted down through)
the hotel hallway, took tho stairs onl
the run, circled out through the ro-
"uu "UWHr " -
limousine drawn up at the side ot th'
road.
"Follow that touring car those men
have just piled into," he called out. toi
bis driver. "Follow it until we get into;
the city. Then swing past It and get)
to Golden's house before it does, what-'
ever happens!"
But that touring car showed Itself to
be a much speedier vehicle than its an-
A Terrifio Combat Was Taking Place.
, , ' ' -
kempt appearance might indicate And
,ta dr,ver seemea Possessed of a sur-
lntlmf athe "black
ban side roads, for as the black
.. , ' ., -,
llmou8lne drew un on U the Ufit-COV.
erel open cat suddenly swerved to the
an4
p" ra,lway track uk
swallow rounding a cliff head.
Then the man in the yellow mask
stood up in' his car, with an involun
tary gasp of horror on his lips. For
thundering along the curving track
as the dusty touring car rose to the
crossing came an oven swifter-moving
througn frolght whlatHng lt9 franti0
i . . , . . .
I UL UlUl will urn wu iuu lata. xuu
pilot of the locomotive seemed to root
like a boar's snout under the flimsy.
body of the automobile and then toss
it and its human freight high over its
shoulder. There was a momentary
cascade ot bodies and metal through
the air, a sudden discontinuance of the
whistle blasts, and the grind of steel
against steel as the. startled engine
Hrlvnr ; threw nn ifis brake.- ; i
driver threw on his brakes.- ' vi
I "Did they strike?" asked the Laugh
I ing Mask's chauffeur over bis shoulder-
"Yes, they struck! But don't turn
back. Keep going! For there's an
other car from that hotel following us,
and we've still got to get to GoUlon's
house first."
It was some twelve minutes later
that Margery Goldon, as she sat dis
consolately in the quietness of her
room,, found herself confronted by an
unannounced visitor. .
"It's you!" she gasped, as she rose
to her feet and found the Laughing
Mask standing, a little breathless, Just
inside her door.
i 1 m sorry tu bihiub yuu, no w
.,,, ht ,,,, f hov Ml,n,t
I'm sorry to startle you," he ex
! rne anv too much time!"
men? t0 t ac ,,,
ub wiiul una uuwcuou i -.- .
. "The same thing over again. There)
are five mod downstairs persuading'
your father the Laughing Mask is ft
criminal, and those five men are deter
mined to make me a prisoner." I
"But why Bhould they keep saying
this?" asked the bewildered girl. -. "
"Becausa they don't understand.'''4"
"No, they don't understand," sho re
peated. Then she turned and stared
at tho masked face. "Nor do I alto
gether understand!"
"But surely you'd trust me enough
to hide mo away here until I can es
cape from them?"
"How can you ask me to trust you
whon you refuse to trust me?"
"But I do trust you. I always
have!"
"Yet not enough to remove that
mask."
"And you Insist that I unmask?"
"No. I do not Insist. . But If you be
lieve in my honesty I also want to be
lieve In yours."
Again there was a moment of silence.
"You are right," said the man In
my face shall be!"
The girl stood puzzled as she heard
the sound of a tap being turned and
the splash of water.
"What are you doing?" she . de
manded. "Washing my face," answered a
somewhat altered voice, "and I'm
afraid I'm rather spoiling your towel
with my make-up."
The next minute the Laughing Mask,
denuded of his domino, stepped back;
into the room.
"Will you trust me enough now to
help me get away?" he asked.
The girl stared round-eyed Into the
smiling face above her. She started to
lift her hand, as though in wonder, to
her brow. But the man In the door
way imprisoned that band in his own,
and drew her a llttlo closer to him.
"Will you trust me now?" he re
peated. "Yes," she said, in a voice hushed
with wonder, as she felt his arms close
about her. "I will always trust youl"
(TO BE CONTINUED.) ,
1 Hi teir 41 V
HQ ft
" '" ) 1