THE STJNDAT OREGOXTAN, POKTLAXD, 3IAY 14, 191G.
& ARTHUR STRINGER.
NOVELIZED FROM THE PATHE PHOTO
V PLAY OF THE SAKE NAME
STJTOPSIS. . ,
ENOCH GOLDEN lives -with his wife and daughter In a modern
Eden until their home on "Windward Island" Is Invaded by Dr.
Ludwig Palldorl.' Palldorl. by threats, compromises the wife In
his effort to steal the secret of the Island. Golden discovers them,
drives the wife from him, and not only crushes Palldorl's hand that
caressed her but brands his face. Palldorl In revenge opens the flood
rates of the Island and escapes with Margory, the child. Golden and
his wife narrowly escape.
Twelve years later Marffory has grown iBto -beaietif ul young wom
anhood. Golden is a hardened millionaire. Palidori, or' as he now
calls himself, Legar, turns the girl over to Casavantl, the "tenderloin"
princeling, but she is rescued by a mysterious stranger who wears a
laughing mask. He tells her he is the "Hammer of God."
The girl is taken to Golden's home by this stranger and thrust Into
Golden's study. But just as he discovers who she is she is spirited
away again. Manley, his frivolous young secretary, traces her to the
"Owl's Nest," where Legar and his evil companions live. Ehe Is res
cued from there by the mysterious stranger by the remarkable ex
pedient of encasing her in a brandy cask and driving off with her.
Legar then threatens Golden with robbery, and after setting off an
explosion under the Third National Bank calmly walks away " with
$50,000. under the guise of a forged letter. He escapes with the
money.
Manley fs kidnaped from Golden's home to the Owl's Nest by
Legar. He escapes. In the meantime Margory has been locked In
the bis vault at Golden's home by Legar, who escapes with the miss
ing half of the chart indicating the treasure on Windward Island.
The Laughing Mask, hiding in Legar's limousine, snatches this from
his hands, however, and escapes. Manley returns to the house and
with the aid of Margory's trained parrot, who repeats the safe com
bination, releases Margory alive, but unconscious.
Golden receives the "Spotted Warning" from Legar. demanding that
he give him the missing portion of the treasure chart of Windward
Island. He laughs at the warning and sends Margory to his sister's
country home for safety. En route the machine collides with Legar's
auto and Margory Is rescued by the Mysterious Mask, who takes her
to her mother. Golden", fearing Margory is in Legar's hands, and re
ceiving a final warning from Legar, keeps the demanded appoint
ment on the 24th floor of the Central Tower building.
Manley arrives on the scene, after a thrilling ride in an aeroplane
to the tower roof. In time to see Golden In a Btruggle with a dark
figure. The bit of yellow paper escapes their grasp and flutters to the
street below. Manley grapples with a third figure. Golden dutches
for the elusive paper on the edge of the abyss and then a dark
figure slldVa over the cornice and drops 300 feet to the street below.
Who fell?
SEVENTH EPISODE.
The Hooded Helper."
MARJORY GOLDEN'S serenely self
willed Aunt Agatha disliked an
imals almost as much as she dis
liked mysteries. And about her tran
quil Cedar home she felt were trans
piring events altogether too inexpli
cable to remain long to her liking.
So when Hannah, the plump but less
practical-minded caretaker of that erst
while abode of tranquillity, remuously
in even the dim light from the garden
showed himself to be a one-armed man
with a strangely scarred face, sprang
for the terrified negro. Rastus. how
ever, was In no mood for either Inter
ruption or argument. He merely
emitted a whoop of reawakened terror
and headed for home.
There he burst In upon the astounded,
Jemima and coHapsed with a Quavering
groan of exhaustion. But before Je
mima could either understand the na
ture of his ailment or Investigate the
announced that a stranger in a yellow conlents of nla gunnysaek. a second and
znasic naa lert a Drignt-coioreo. parrot.
answering to the name of Tito, at the
door for Miss Margory, the bird In
Question was viewed with open dis
favor and Margory was subjected to
many disturbing Interrogations.
None' of the girl's answers proving
satisfactory, however, her firm-willed
maiden aunt proposed that they pro
ceed with their interrupted game of
"Preference." But a green parrot's in
stinct and enigmatic cry of "Look out
for the Iron Claw" proved In no way
even more violent erruptlon took place.
Legar and his men dragged the Quak
ing and gasping Rastus to his feet,
shoved, him Into a chair, and snatched
up the gunnysack. From it they took
out the loudly protesting gTeen parrot
and wonderingly examined it.
"Where did you get that parrot?"
wore an Iron hook where a hand ought the fact that in hi right hand he held
to be. Rastus merely wheezed and short-barreled and ugly-looking au
shook In the legs and showed the tomatic lsto1- ...
whites of his eyes. It was. indeed, sev-
m1nt hfr. he was so much Not movo rora man herel
as awakened to the fact that h was he crJe out as he faced that threaten
tzar t
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consistent with so tranquilizing a
game, and the owner of the house
finally and firmly commanded the do- not ,n the grip of tn law But once in& clrcie,
parting annan, wno aiepi out, lu
carry the disturbing creature off to her
own cottage for the night.
This Hannah did, with much mum.
those white gentlemen back to the you're after. You want Golden's cor
neighborhood of Hannah's chicken coop, tlon of a Windward Island chart. Well.
There were certain phases of that I have that chart, and I have It with
hurried pursuit, however, which had me. But there is no reason why wom-
cheerlng companion, once the shades of not entirely escaped the attention of en should be dragged Into this fight,
night had closed about Hannah's hum- a circumspect stranger who had mo- So the first thing you have to do, if
ble cottage. That rebellious and thor- tored casually about the quiet etreeta you want that chart, is to allow Mary
oughly aroused woman, in fact, deter- cf Cedarton earlier In the evening. Golden and her mother here to return
minedly gathered up her loquacious Aunt Jemima Watson,
I make sure It's the map I've got,"
announced the audacious Legar.
The Laughing Mask stood appar
ently studying his opponent,
"And on these conditions you prom
ise there will be no acts of violence
in this house, there will be no inter-
command to the
coat and cap.
That chauffeur had not taken .six
steps across the room before a sudden
cry broke from one of the men stand
ing close beside the card table.
Your map's gone!" was the bewlld
bllng. But her feathered charge, harp.
lng with parrotlike Joy on its newly
learned phrase of "Look out for the
Iron Claw," proved anything but
femiir with h.u l.JI.. nn .1.
convinced of that fact, he became vol- "Before we start any shooting tempt to Interrupt their return to the ering messsge that fell on Legar's ears
uble enough in his protestations to around here."' the Laughing Mask city?" as he leaped to the table side. The man
oblige the "white gen'l'men" with any calmly suggested, "I want Just a word "Watch him. men!" Legar ordered in the bear skins at the same moment
rn.ormai.oD iy oesireo. i evn ix or two. wgar, witn you. I Know wnat as he took the gun and map from the- stepped out through the door.
Laughing Mask's outstretched hand "That guy gave you a copy, a fake
and stepped to the closet door and copy done In disappearing ink.1
turned the key ln,the lock.
"I await your decision, gentlemen.
In the Jury-room." mockingly an-
man in the bearskin room, leveling his gun ss he went, a
shot rang out from beside the open
window.
Legar, realising the outcome, with
one sweep of his hooked arm flung the
green-shaded lamp from Its table.
Jumped through a window and vanished
from sight.
Tae 5heU of Deceit.
Margory Golden, all things consid
ered, was once more in very excellent
spirits. There were even moments when
young David Manley considered those
Legar gave one glance. Then, with spirits as both deplorably and disturb
an oath, he leaped for the closet door. Ingly excellent, due, thought he. to the
flung it open, and sprung bodily on the presence of young Count Lugl de Es- prompt reply.
regions of the house. And he did not
breathe freely until, quietly opening
the side door Into the library, he caught
sight of Margory herself. In a narrow
backed Jacobean chair, bent low over
a book which lay open en her lap.
Ehe sat clearly outlined In the bright
fulcrum falling over her carelessly
posed body, leaving her in a luminous
shower from the single wall lTgnt.
which she had left turned on Im
mediately above her. lie could see
th. polished metal of that armor flasa
venomlnously In the strong sidelight.
Just then a gasp of Incredulity burst
from his lips. For as he stared at the
metaled hand holding the long-bladed
dagger, he saw, or thought he saw,
that hand slowly raise, as though some
miracle had endowed its Insensate links
and plates and vambracea with life.
Then the very blood In his body seemed
to eurdle with sudden horror, for now
there was no doubt about It. The
mailed hand holding the glimmering
knlfeblade above the softly breathing
girl was slowly but surely being lifted,
higher and still hlghsr. And in an
other moment. Manley felt. It would
surely strike.
Quick as a flash be caught the auto
matic from his pocket, swung it up and
trained the barrel on the glinting high
lights along the mailed nsnt. Then he
fired.
There was a muffled shout of pain,
a short scream of terror from the
startled girl, and answering calls from
aboveotairs as the uproar echoed
through the midnight house. But to all
these Mansley paid scant attention.
"Wtth 19 steps he had crossed the room.
Then he flung himself on the suit of
mall, twisting It about and sending It
toppling from Its stand. But one glance
showed It to be empty. The framed
canvas that stood behind It he Jerked
from the walL Then an exclamation
of wonder burst from his lips. For. in
the wainscoting at each side of where
the canvas had hung he discovered two
holes cut, not a yard apart, and suf
ficiently large to admit of a man's
arms being thrust through them.
Some enemy, secreted behind that
wainscoting, had thrust an arm Into
the metal shell of an arm holding the
dagger, and had lifted It to strike
down the girl so close beside it. And
that enemy, Manley resolved as he
battered down the panel and crowded
his way through Into a narrow pas
sageway, he would discover and cap
ture or know the reason why.
Yet that passage, which led to the
abandoned conservatory and from there
back to a long unused butler's pantry,
proved to be entirely empty. All that
rewarded Manley'a frantlo search was
a sleeve button and a shred of cloth
torn from a service coat, caught on a
nail where the passage itself made
against the wainscoting. And by the
time he had pushed his way back to
the library Golden and De Eaparea and
Wilson were already there.
"Where's Wrench, that new foot
man?" he demanded.
"I saw Wrench In the upper hsll. sir.
two minutes ago," was Wilson's
guest and deposited It In her chicken Bcarcely recovered from the shock con- and return tonight
the closet.
Olllnlr Ma - .h.t T -V,,,, n-nA
in fact, bad quietly to the city with my chauffeur. iocked that door- H. clutched tha ma
nounced the latter .as he stepped into masked figure, dragging it out to the Pares.
coop.- sequent upon the sudden invasion of
There Tito would have spent a quiet her cottage when she discovered her-
Legars lip curled.
"So you're getting ready to strike
and uneventful night. In all likelihood, self confronted by still another a bargain?" mocked the other.
had not a certain mildly predaceous stranger. And the fact that this
negress answering to the name of Je- stranger wore a yellow mask did not
xnima Watson, returned all but empty- add to her immediate peace of mind,
handed to her suburban home. For one For lying overlooked on the floor,
of the by-products of this dusky lady's close beside a battered water bucket,
activities as a scrubwoman was the he caught sight of a familiar-looking
gathering of those trifles which find oblong of yellow paper. In another Laughing Mask.
"Then suppose I hand you over this
gun! Would that persuade you I was
sincere?"
"The gun and the map together,"
was the prompt demand.
And then what?" Inquired the
their way to the waste baskets and re- moment he had possession of It.
fuse cans of office buildings. And her "Where did that paper come from?"
only harvest, on this occasion, was a he demanded. For he knew that it was
half portion of a time-yellowed code the long sought Golden chart which he
chart and map, which, having blown held in his hand.
"Then you wait In this closet until
"By God, I've got It!" exulted Legar.
"Let out that d-iver in the bearskin
first." he commanded, "and If that fool
in the mask trlna to move plug him
one. For I've got a little personal
recKoning with him. later on!"
He handed the automatic to one of
the men and motioned to him to unlock
-he closet door. Then he ordered the
chauffeur to step out.
"Now, you beat it with these ribs,
and beat It quick!" was the brusque
light as he tore away the band of yel
low that covered tffe latter's face.
A shout went up from the startled
group.
"That's the chauffeur!" crlevl one of
the men. "They switched makups In
that closet, and the main guy's got
away!"
For one second Legar stood stunned
and motionless.
set. he sprang v for the lean-faced
chauffeur, already edging along the
wall toward the door. At the same
moment that the man with the auto
matic ran toward the center of the
He had come, as more than one Im
poverished young nobleman had come
to America to dispose of those can
vases and curios which. If they bad
not once graced his own ancestral
halls, had at least been conscientiously
made, on the far side of the Atlantic
He was off the next moment, run
ning with all his speed through the
house, with his automatic in his hand
as Se went.
It was not until he had mounted a
second and then a third flight of stairs
that he came to a stop. That was
close beside the door of Wrench's own
after models bearing every earmark of room.' And listening there he heard
from the dizzy balcony of the Central
Dat done come from mah offus
Tower building, lay unnoticed In the sweepin's," explained the other. "But
gutter of Broadway until spied by a mah Rastus allows it hain't even wuf f
hurrying ledger-keeper who, after a green tradin' stamp!"
puzzling over its foolish list of, words
and meaningless' maze pf lines, . con
temptuously oonslgned it to his waste
paper basket. And- it was with a ges
ture almost as contemptuous that Ras-
lour itastus may be right, was
the stranger's quiet reply. "But it"j
worth this much to me." And "Aunt
Jemima found a J10 bill thrust . Into
her astonished pink palm. "That Is
tus Watson, Jemima's lord and master, yours, my good woman. If you do Just
flung the same sheet of paper down ona thing, and do it quickly. I want
on their kitchen table when the same 3" to go to the sheriffs, wake him
was placed before him as the extent UP. an Set him to the house where that
At R
d
of a day's "pickln's."
Now, Rastira, who was of much port
lier frame than his spouse, was a firm
believer In the efficiency of forced
feeding. And since the day's harvest
had been a lean one, and the larder
showed disturbing signs of emptiness,
that plump-bodied negro possessed him-
- colt of a worn gunnysack and an-
woman called Hannah works. Tell him
to get there in a hurry and to bring
his men, or there'll be murder done In
this village before the sun rises!"
The man in the yellow mask waited
for nothing more. A minute later he
was off, running shadowlike through
the darkness. Shadowlike, too, he ap
proached an lvy-bowered bungalow In
Old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends te
trust, old books to read. Alonzo of Aragon.
cnHur
0
-Lam
the authentic And one of the treasures
Then, with his Jaws which he had succeeded In disposing of
to tnoch Golden was a full suit of
medieval Japanese armor, complete
even to the long-bladed Kaglsakl dag
ger and grotesquely fashioned metal
face mask.
That leering metal face David Man
ley had hated from the first moment
he saw it In position at the far side
of the somber Golden library. The
ugliness of that metal monstrosity. In
'act, seemed accentuated by the soft
toned canvas painting which stood
immediately behind 1U And Manley
hated it more than, ever as he stepped
Into the room and saw Margory smil-
the sound of movement within.
He did not even try the door. Backing-
quickly away, n snouldered against
the wooden panels with all his weight.
The lock gave way and be went sta?
gerlnp Into the room.
There, bent over a suitcase, he caupht
sight of V rench himself. One glance
at that startled and pallid face, one
limp9e at the sleeve of the service
coat from which a button had clearly,
been torn away, convinced him that all
bis vague suspicions of the past week
had been only too well founded. And
he wasted no words on argument
He leaped to that startled ft cure,
thrust his automatic against -he waist
line of the service coat and commanded
Wrench to back up" against the wall.
As he did so a sudden shout sounded
prnan
-o
nounced his determination of acquiring wh'cb three women' were quietly play-
a few pullets while hunger ran high mB prererence in the ngnt of a green
end the moon swung low. - Instinct shaded reading lamp. But the man in
combined with fate to lead Rastus by tne ma-sk, preferring to leave that
the nose, take him stealthily over the Peaceful game undisturbed, stole quiet
backyard fence of the aforementloped lY ln through the back of the house.
Hannah, and from there to the door of looked himself in a small room above
the .padlocked coop. There, after a "talrs, and there adroitly but Quickly
moment of cautious reconnoiterlng. he mal0 facsimile of the map.
discovered the vulnerable point of the Before the map could be completed
coop to be its window, on the southern though! strange events were already
end. The moon being low, Rastus de- transpiring directly beneath where he
elded to make the haul a good one. If Bat- For Margory Golden, glancing up
ln the excitement of that conquest the 'ro her. game, stared idly into the
lightness of one bird tossed into the old-fashioned mirror of bevel plate fa
bag escaped his attention, it was per- cing her from the opposite wall. And
haps due to the haste with which he Peering in at the window reflected In
had to make off with his perisoners. that mirror she saw a bearded face
He was blinking cautiously about, to seamed with an unmistakable scar,
make sure the coast was clear,, when The move she quietly decided upon
a voice startlngly close to his own was to call the strangely reticent
portly carcass called out with a sudden chauffeur of her strangely elusive de
warning: liverer and ask him to make ready
"Look out for the Iron Claw!" for an Immediate flight to the city.
. "How's dati" was the answering cry Sn8 watched that chauffeur as he
if the tingling Rastus. threw on a heavy bearskin coat and
Til get you!" announced the bodeful cap' "wound a muffler about his neck,
voice behind him. And at that threat Lni started for the garage. She
utter and unreasoning panic seized the watched him as he stepped out into
terrified Rastus, who. with a throaty the darkness. Then the bear-skinned
bellow of agony, charged across a new- fiSUre became the center of strange
ly dug garden and bounded like a ro- and unlooked-for activities, for it was
tund Jackrabblt down a moonlit alley Pla,n that several men. lurking there
bordered with shadowy fences. In tn darkness, had sprung upon him.
At the end of this alley Rastus u was Qually plain that they lost lit
plunged through a narrow gate, and u" tlme ia overpowering him, for be
charged bodily into the peaceful beer ora tho startled women could rise
garden, belonging to the roadhouse of from the card table they found that
one Antonio Dibello. where sat four nome of peace Invaded by a group of
men In quiet conference about one of audacious-eyed ruffians headed by
the little iron tables well out of public Les"- himself. .
ken. At the same moment another nnex-
These men showed prompt resentment Pected intruder entered the room. Only
at this unhearlded interruption to their tnts time it was the oddly interruptlve
talk. But as the' parrot, with its head f'gure of that man of mystery known
thrust through a hole in the gunnysack th Laush,n Mask. And before
repeated its shrill cry of "Look out for "2 hi w?i .ib "Vt03' Wor2
. spoken, he was close beside Leear and
the Iron Claw," these men rose ln a calmly confronting him Much of his
body to their feet. Their leader, who. Quiet authority, no doubt, arose from
Lay the bock down you have come to the end;
It was pleasant to wander awhile with the phrase.
The folks of its fancy have walked with you, friend,
Through sunshine that dappled the glorious days
Grieve not that you come to the parting of ways.
Sometime, when the morn is met up with the May,
When birds are so happy that heaven leans down
And listens and laughs to the madrigal lay
When the magic of roses enamors the town
You will know they have never quite wandered away.
Lay the book down, with a smile or a frown
They will remember so lay the book down.
Aim. ,
IL
UL
Lay the book dawn here's the finis he wrote
With tIA fill, af mil, k.,rf rf m Mnh. Hnt
1 With a laugh on your lips or an ache in your throat
. They will remember, thouch vou mav foreret-
They come to console when the lashes are wet.
Sometime, when the thrush has fled South with the
breeze.
When the leaf spirals down to a death in the rain,
And the bird-nests of Summer are wrack in the trees,
They shall meet you and greet you and comfort
again;
And you shall be comrade with many of these.
Lay the book down, with a smile or a frown
They will remember so lay tha book down.
ingly contemplating It from the chair from the doorway behind htm and In-
beslde her father's table. stlnctlvely he glanced about to ascer-
"It seems so mysterious," was her tain the meaning of this shout. Wrench,
answer. "It keeps suggesting some- eeing his chance, knocked the menac-
thlng which I can't quite define and I ,nK utoma.Vc bar"1 ono.
j. . - . . 7 . sprang bodily on Manley. As he did
was Just wondering if I hadn't solved ,J an unexpected strangely manteled
the mystery, even as you came ln figure glided into the narrow room. It
through the door." wa a figure wrapped and hooded ln
Too mean this man Da Espares?" heavy velour and only a second glance
Manley asked with a wince. at IL trane coverles would have re-
"No not exactlv R.it th. vealed the fact that It was a portiere
Mo, not exactly. But the leering QU,cUly torn from u. fastenings and
metal face makes me think of the impr0vised Into a mask to conceal its
Laughing Mask, and now rm almost wearer's Identity.
certain I know who this Laughing It was not until that hooded figure
Mask Is."
"Who?"
"Count Lugl da Espares himself!"
"I don't believe It!"
"Tn, but listen: Quite by accident
yesterday, when we were having tea
together, a yellow domino dropped
had Joined in the contest that Manley
became aware of the second portiere
which his newer opponent carried. For
this portiere was deftly thrown over
the young secretary's head and sud
denly drawn tight about his arms.
Manley himself, maddened by the
thought of that culprit's escape, swung
from his pocket. He was confused and about on his hooded assailant with a
seemed unwilling to make any real ex- ur that "nt the latter also retreat
Dlanatlon about it." ln toward the halL That unknown
pianation i about It enemy even sought to escape as his
-And the count will remain with it?" coliea(rne had done, but at the stair
demanded Manley. keeping calm only head Mahley overtook htm. Together
by an effort they went down the stairs, a tangle of
"Well, since he's not exactly a rug limbs and striking fists and portiere
peddler who can be shown the door ends.
as soon as hi. pack is tied up. I Imag- Manley fell sprawling, tangled In
, . ,,, , " ... . many yards of velour, and landed on
ine he will remain our guest until quite th 'm beal Md shoulders of
convinced he is no longer welcome the astounded Wilson, who. at that
here." sudden assault promptly and voclfer-
Three hours later he was peremptor- ously shouted for help.
Lay the book down here's a toast to the pen!
To the trail that it traced and we followed awhile.
By meadow arid mountain, or valley and fen,
With never a limp at the end of the mile.
And a nook, here, and there, where we lingered to
smile.
Sometime, when the lamps of the twilight enthuse,
When day wavers out like a wraith in the gloom.
By the shelf where they slumber well linger and
turn to the laziest chair in the room;
No one shall prescribe us the chapter we choose! -Lay
the book down, with a smile or a frown
They will remember so lay the book down.
ily summoned to the billiard-room,
where he found Enoch Golden In slip,
pers and dressing gown feverishly pac
ing the floor.
"It's another of Legar's Spotted
Warnings!" explained Golden, in a
voice heavy with apprehension.
That new footman. Wrench, brought
It to me. He says it was thrown
through the glass front of the old con
servatory." I never knew you had a second con
servatory." "There was a smaller one that opened
by a narrow passage from the library.
But when the new buildings shut off
the light It was closed up and the
passage covered with wainscoting.
Wrench heard the crash In the empty
room and went to Investigate. This Is
what he found!"
"Did you speak to Da Espares about
. this?" Manley asked.
"Ko. Da Espares went to bed an
hour ago."
"And Margory?"
"Margory Is with her mother."
Then the first thing to do is to make
sure that she Is still safe."
Manley. with a sinking of the heart
on.Un.ued his searca through the lower
When Manley. stunned for a minute
or two by the fall, once more opened
hls eyes and blinked inquiringly about
him, he taw both Golden and his wife
and Margory herself clustered at his
sldo. (
"Did you get him?" he demanded.
"Get who?" asked Enoch Golden.
"That murderous blackleg. Da Es
pares!" was Manley's reply.
"But Count da Espares baa nothings
to do with this," protested the girl,
with a frown of bewilderment "He's
only been helping us, as he always
helped us!"
"Yes. as he will tell you himself!"
For at that moment suave and smil
ing, the count joined the wondering
circle.
"Ah. monsieur. I keep watch above,
as you ark." he explained with a
shrug. "But nosing hap-pen. I see
nobody. Then mon dieu. I hear the
tumult and come down to you. But
I cannot comprehend. o tell me. mon
sieur, I beg. what has happen?"
Manley roo stiffly and slowly to his
feet.
"But what do you mean by this,
anyway. Manley?" demanded Enoch
Golden.
"Oh. I guess he's merely the guy
that put the Laugh tn tha Laughing
Maxk." was Manley's embittered yet
enigmatic retort
(To be continued next week.