3
ARTHUR STRINGER,.
NOVELIZED FROM THE PATHE PHOTO
PLAY OF THE GAME NAME
TTT1
THE STINDAT OltEGONIAN, PORTXAXD. 3IAY 21, 191C.
8INOPSI8.
ENOCH GOLIE7N Urea with his wife and daughter In a modern Eden until
their home on "Windward Island-' Is Invaded by Dr. Ludvrls" PalidorL
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 crashes Palldorl's hand that caressed her. but brands his faoe. Palidorl
In revenge opens tha flood gates of the Island and escapes with Marjory, the
child. Golden and his wife narrowly escape.
Twelve years later Marrory has crown Into beautiful young womanhood.
Golden Is a hardened millionaire. aJldorl. or aa he now calls himself. Ierar,
turns the girl over to Casavantl, the "tenderloin" princeling, bat she la rescued
by a mvaterioua stranger who wears a laughing- mask. He tells her he la the,
"HammiT of God."
The cirl la taken to Oolden's home by the stranger and thrust Into Golden'a
study. Bat Just as he discovers who she Is she Is spirited away again. ManUy.
his frivolous young secretary, traces her to the "Owl's Nest," where Legar and
his evil companions live. She is rescued from there by the mysterious stranger
by the remarkable expedient of encasing her In a brandy cask and driving off
with her.
Lesar 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 l kidnaped from Golden'a heme to the Owl'a Nest by Legar. He es
capes. In the meantime Margery has been locked in the big vault at Golden'a
home by Legar, who escapes with the missing half of the chart Indicating the
treasure on Windward Island. The Laughing Mask, hiding In Legar's limou
sine, snatches this from his hands, however, and escapes. Manley returna to
the house and. with the aid of Margorys trained parrot, who repeats the aafe
combination, releases Margory alive, but unconscious.
Golden receives the "Bpotted V arnlng" from Legar, demanding that he
give him the missing portion of the treasure chart of Windward Island. Be
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 res
cued by the' Mysterious Mask, who takes ber to her mother. Golden, fearing
Margory la in Legar's hands, and receiving a final warning from Legar, keeps
the' demanded appointment 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 struggle with a dark figure. The bit of yel
low paper escapes their grasp and flutters to the street below. Manley grap
ples with a third figure. Golden clutches for the elusive paper on the edge of
the abyss and then a dark figure slides ever the cornice and drops 800 feet
to the street below. Who fellT
By a bit of strategy the Laughing Mask makes his escape with the much
desired section of the chart, after Leg ar has discovered It in the hands of a
negrees charwoman, who had found it In the waste basket in one of her of
fices. He safely returns Margory to her father's home. An antique Japanese
armor set, presented to the household by a rather mysterious guest. Count
Lugl da Espares, bothers Manley, whose suspicions are founded when he sees
the right hand of 'the set. containing a knife, raise over the breast of Margory,
dozing In a library chair. Be shoots into the ornament. A scream of pain
results. Investigation proves that someone's arm had been stuck through the
portieres Into the armhole. The butler, long under suspicion, la found In his
room, writhing In pain.
A strange, masked figure enters Into the struggle, and the butler escapes,
Manley and the other opponent falling to the bottom of the stairs. The stranger
escapes Manley, convinced the stranger Is none other than tha Count. In Bon-,
plused to see the nobleman walk cool ly Into the room. Manley declares to
Golden and Margory: "He la merely, the guy who put the laugh In Laughing
Mask."
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BEGIN THE GREATEST OP A I.L
MOTION riCTCRE SERIALS
TODAY.
"Tha Iron Claw" has but
reached the eighth episode. Ee
grln this installment today and
provide for the ninth by order
Ins your next week's paper at
once. If you like a thrill in each
paragraph you'll enjoy "The Iron
Claw."
"V
EIGHTH EPISODH, But if you trust me in what I am do-
The Stroke of 12. - lneT. in what I have done, you will gee
T-INOCH GOLDEN had never been that 1 am working only for your hap
M . known as a half-hearted fighter.
V7 fi? Sfocts o" 6 ocf ci TTi&rc? Were Jvs 7ome-i lYien ftfaryor't Cbud Ae3X.
Davy, we'll a-tve him a welcome that
he'a going to remember!"
Two hours later, as Enoch Golden
stood with his daughter at his side
receiving their guests, it wouIU have
taken a particularly penetrating eye to
detect any dark undercurrent of in
trigue to that rippling tide of color
and mirth which eddied about them.
8o punctilious was Golden in his hearty
hand-grasp to each of those incoming
visitors that Margory herself made note
of this newer phase in her father's
character.
Side by side with a Flemish nun
walked a Paris Apache, then came a '
Montenegrin peasant and a flowing
robed Oriental Swami. then a red
sashed pirate and a velvet-clad Vene
tian Doge. Then, following a man on
"lifters," who laughingly proclaimed
himself to be Hully Geo. the Chinese
Giant, came an equally tall figure In &
gold-braided Arabian burnoose. This
figure, for all its height, was strangely
stoop-sjjouldered. moving with a dig
nity of step which went well with the
voluminous "drapery in which It was
clad. And Manley watched closely aa
this stately Arabian chieftain, bow-In?
gravely to Golden, reached out two
ungloved hands to greet the two
hands which his host extended to him.
About these hands he saw' at a glance
there could be nothing doubtful.
They were most unmistakably fleeh
and blood.
But Manley had little time to give
further thought to the scene, for at
that moment he became aware of tha
fact that Da Esparcs had slipped away
to another part of the house and dur-
was, in fact, of that pertinacious
breed who fight best when half de
feated. And as he grew into a fuller
realization of the virulence of Julea
Legar's hatred for him and his house,
he proceeded to take more effective
steps to protect himself.
But the mere posting of a couple of
paid sentinels about his doors did not
mark the limit of his activities. He
strove for still more substantial pro
tection by installing; in one of the
upper rooms of his house a huge
piness
Mysterious as that plan was, it de
ration, promptly called up headquarters car, cut oft the girl's avenue of retreat, gave ene glance toward the water be- ake of your happiness I would venture J"s tha,t. niffht Manley had determined
ana made the startling discovery that Another four advanced on her from the low him. Yet. as he poised there, ready many things more terrible!"
eloped through an incident. which Boon no ucb message had gone in to the bridge-end, at the same time that a t0 le4p Da Espares leveled his weapon
brought things down to the plane of " '"c
fifth man leaped to the running board
and fired.
The TJablddea Guest.
The gallant Count Lulgl Da Espares,
he would keep an eye on his enigmat
ical foreign friend. But Instead of
following Da Espares, on discovering
him stepping quietly into the deserted
. . i . . I n n.4m.A- I. . . n n aTltfl RMN.fl T f .Tmrr . With tha II T
iue practical, r or wnen me masons " " " ...... u,.? un - ,f , . .v.tn . . ' , ; . . A . ,
and Ironworker, who w. comnietina- ear, hastening to a conference with teur. Manley could hear the shrill scream ln vlew ot hl9 much-talked-of victory J'brary the alert-eyed young eecretary
the Installation of the new Golden central office itself. In another five Even as he stared at that onlckly or tne lrl "-nd tne hout t th tar" on the turnpike bridge, found himself Promptly retreated to the quarter where
vault returned from their midday meal minutes, on learning from Wilson over shifting scene Manley could make out tle mn. the great splash of the tuna- forced to the not uncongenial role of a . " J." 8 dictaphone was con
a far from attractive stranger stole tn w!r ht Da Espares and Margory the figure of Legar himself. He could bl,n8" it catapulted down in the hero. And thst discreet nobleman took ceaied. There, on placing this watch
into the house at their heels And when nad already left the house in the lim- see the Iron Claw reach out for the running water, -ine next moment advantage or the nign esteem in wnicn r. . " a,'"IIC' nao-
David Manley happened to catch sight ousine. Manley had his car filled with startled figure of the girl, crouched the captain and his uniformed squad he momentariTy stood to push through the satisfaction of catching the faint
of this stranger deep in talk with armed plainclothes men from the cen- back against the bridge railing, even m the Greenock clubhouse were to completion certain arrangements for Jum , volces; Much of thit guarded
Count da Espares, he promptly Jumped tral ofrice and was speeding out as his own cart wheels leaped'from the charging across the bridge. Joining In the costume ball on which he seemed Jalit ta ,lns D,llce ln the library Man-
m th rn,i,Kn h.f b- . i-.t through the city as fast as a motor approach to the. bridare timbers them- wth their plainclothes colleagues al- to have set his heart. ley could not overhear. But he caught
. m aw l it A nnuiri rnrrv him. Am tYimv awAnf nn th seivefl. tTa rnuu rV.aira .i- r.. TTm- read torcinir the last, of Lefcar'a adher- Knowinjr what he knew, the aecre
burglar-proof vault of chromium steeL centrate all hls earUep gcotch mlatB dusty approach to the bridge they even pares' sudden leap from the waiting ent to flight. And as Manley made his tary still regarded that impending func-
The installation of so ponderous
vault, however, involved much material
strengthening of a structure not pri
marily designed for the support of
seven-ton safes, and for days a small
body of expert workmen had been busy
putting In pillars and girders and dis
guising these ponderous supports under
a veneer of mahogany ceiling beams
and oriental teakwood columns. In the
ornamentation of the latter, in fact,
the owner of the house found a valued
assistant in Count Luigi Da Espares,
who, with his finished taste and his
knowledge of the fine arts, advanced
many suggestions for beautifying what
might otherwise have been an unsight
ly and cumbersome innovation.
It was Margory Golden, even more
than her father, to whom Da Espares.
ln these small efforts, looked for
gratitude. And the more Margory
Golden saw of that gallant young anti
ouarian the more mysteriously Im
pressed she became.
David Manley, who was not alto
gether ignorant of this new turn ln
the tide of events, found little to add
to his happiness in this evergrowing
of suspicion. aw that they were none too soon. . limousine. Manley, on beholding ftils. ww"ra giinjmering nmoiuins non as a uanser in ouguue, jusi aa no
For Da Espares' visitor unmistak- For already, in the bright afternoon cry of warning to the plain- and Margory Golden he could hear the still nursed very substantial doubts as
ably bore the earmarks of the unkempt "untight, they could make out a glim- clothes men about Jilm, for he could nervous soos as sne teanea to me actual oeain or Legar.
denizen of the hop Joint and the Bow- merlng limousine as it came to a stop Plainly see the glint of a revolver in weatwy against, me cringe railing ana
ery saloon. Manley felt assured f at the end of the bridge.' They could D Espares' hand. . wept.
the fact that he had seen that evil- see a somewhat hesitating and white- It was a brief fight, but a bitter one, "Did you kill hlmT" she asked with
looking face before. faced girl step from this limousine at n much of it escaped Manley's atten- a voice tremulous with horror as Da
"What is this man doing here?" he the same moment that they caught tion. .The one thing that held him Espares stepped to her side,
asked as he confronted the intruder. sight of a group of men emerge quick- transfixed was the sudden vision of Da" "Your enemy is dead!" was the lat-
But Da Espares turned his answer ly from the shrubbery at the end of the Espares dodging through the iron glr- ter's quiet-toned reply. "He sank at.
to Margory, who had Just entered. bridge Itself. , ders in sudden pursuit of Legar. as the once. And this time he will never, re-
"This, Miss Golden," said Da Espares, 7 latter, breaking free from his enemies, turn."
"is" the man of whom I spoke to you. These men, spreading out fanlike, ran to the opposite aide of the bridge. . "Oh. It' terrible!" quavered the over-
As your friends here protests, this man wePt past the limousine ln which Da There, seeing retreat on either quarter taxed glrL
has been a tool of Legar's. But he has Espares and the chauffeur were still already cut off. that roaster criminal "Terrible, indeed!" softly acquiesced
tired of being the servant of so evil a seated. Four of them, rounding the nimbly mounted the iron railing and the man at her side. "But for the
man. He now seeks to have the state ' "
extend its pardon to him. And aa a
price for this-pardon he is willing to
deliver into our hands Jules Legar!"
"And Just how?" demanded the skep
tical Manley, "is this beautiful plan of
delivering Legar to be carried out?"
"Quite , simply, monsieur." was Da
Espares' tranquil reply. "But even this,
I must repeat, is a matter which more
closely cooncerna Miss Golden and her
father."
"Mr. Manley has earned the right to
"Then the plan has worked?" asked
the anxious voice of Da Espares.
"Without a hitch." answered the
other" voice. ' "The girders have been
So fixed was Manley ln his suspicion, cut through and the bomb placed!"
however, that he Insisted on a confer
ence with Enoch Golden himself. For
that conference be wrung small conso
lation for his suspicions and even scan
tier encouragement for his apprehen
sion. It was true. Golden admitted,
that the work on his newly ' installed
'And the clock fuse adjusted?"
"Yea."
"But what was it set for?"
"For the stroke of 12?" answered tha
unknown voice. "By that time the
crowd will be at the table, eating!"
"But how," asked the anxious voice
Beri.Hur Lampman.
intimacy between Margory and her be Included in any secrets which may
guest. For Manley, by this time, did involve the capture of Legar," Margory
more than merely mistrust Da Espares; Golden quietly assured the faintly smil-
he hated him. - ins Coun who bowed in acquiescence.
These vague misgivings of Manley's And realizing the note of authority ln
extended even to the costume dinner- that reply, he outlined the plan in as
dance which this esthetic foreigner un- few words as possible,
dertook to engineer for Margorys That plan, with Red Egan as their
amusement. And in talking over his emissary, was not a complicated one.
plans with Golden himself, as the latter This renegade from egar's gang was
was making ready for one of his hurr to go to his old-time chief and report
Tied trips to Washington, the young that Margory Golden might be found at
nobleman even ventured the hope that such and such a spot at such and such
this fete might be made the occasion of a time. She would be alone. And to
an even more auspicious announce- -Legar and his ' men, waiting there, it
ment. would seem a simple enough matter to
"What d'you mean by that?" de-"' recapture the, girl. But that capture
manded the astounded financier. "Are would never be effected. For a squad
you trying to tell me that you want of police would be held there, in hiding,
to marry my daughter?" and when the moment arrived they
"That Is the honor of whch I have would promptly surround Legar and his
dreamed " was Da Espares' quietly in- men and put them where they belonged. .
toned reply. "And how do you feel about it?" de-
"Well. the point is, has my Margory manded Manley, swinging about to the
been dreaming along the same line?" slightly frowning girl.
"That I canot venture to say," re- "Count Da Espares and I will carry
Plied that unctuously gallant suitor. out this plan and we will carry It out.
"Well, in America that's about the 1 hope, quite as successfully as we may
first thing that counts! And I
grUe8g carry out still other plans. And in the
we'd better call off this courtshlsr talk Count's hands I shall always feel that
until we find out how the arirl feela 1 am fully Protected!"
about it."
'
The disappointed, but not disheart
ened count. accordingly proceeded
quietly yet earnestly to sound Mar
gory Golden herself as to her feelings
ln the matter. But here, too h waa
David Manley, thus dllsmissed, had
the dubious satisfaction Of knowing
that he had once more made a mess of
things.
Yet he did not remain altogether In
active. He watched his chance and
met with a reply which, if graciously Quietly Installed a dictaphone in the
worded, was at least noncommittal
"Then you will at least permit me
to hope?" persisted her soft-voiced
wooer.
The girl turned on him one of her
entrancingly Inconsequential smiles. It
room, attaching the transmitter-disk to
the under Bide of the desk ledge where
Da Espares did most of his talking, and
running hi3 well-hidden wires down
through the floor to a linen closet,
which the ever-dependable Wilson
was a smile which he sometimes found threw open for him. There Manley made
It no easy matter to understand.
"Your hopes. I'm afraid, are something-
I have very little influence over."
"But you at least know that I wish
to bring you happiness, that I was
your friend in the past, that always
ln the future I want to be your
friend!"
"But when friendship . remains
masked, it remains harder to understand!"
the discovery that police headquarters
had actually been communicated with
and that the feint for Legar's capture,
however its end, was intended to carry
every sign of sincerity.
Before another hour slipped by, how
ever, Manley made two further discov
eries. The first was that the appointed
time for the coup had been suddenly .
changed to an hour earlier. The secend
was that the trap for Legar waa not
By many a shadowed trail he walked
And heard the woodland as it talked;
He heard the brown grouse chide her young,
And solved tat song the hermit Bung.
Sure, life was just a happy day
To lend, or spend, or throw away I
Yet when he came at length to town,
Drab houses crowded in to frown;
He knew no word a man might say,
Save yea and nay, and nay and yea;
And the free heart that chummed the wood
Grieved in the city's solitude.
Pent up at night by door and wall.
It grieved the forest waterfall."
And most it grieved the clean, sweet hush.
When morning fires the mountain brush.
17
By many a sun-flecked trail in dream
He saw the tawny panther gleam;
Or watched three firs, against blue heaven.
Call back the glow of sunset seven;
To him in dreams the pine jay's call
Smote clamor from the canyon wall.
The street below was dark with dread
Men walked with drunken, stupid tread;
Where the blurred light beat back a space,
Had flitted thrice some woman's face; .
Sprawled by the alley wall there lay
A murder or the careless day.
But in his dreams he reached the cool,
Clear comfort of the hidden pool,
And deeply drank, and watched the mink
In startled poise upon the brink.
vault waa not completed. But he had of Da Espares, "could we get Legar
caused his daughter enough trouble in inside?'
her day, he also protested, without The sound of a triumphantly quiet
morjifying the girl by countermanding laugh came over the little instrument,
the orders which already showed every "Legar is already here!" announced
sign of turning his home into a second the other.
Eden Musee. And foreigners were "Hush! Not so loud!" wnrned Da
mostly fools, he admitted, but because Espares. And from that point on it was
this young Jackanapes of a Count had only broken phrases that trickled into
proved himself a finished hand with the the hidden listener's ear.
ladies w-as no reason why he shouldn't ... "Came as an Arab chief,
get a fair deal for drowning a crook ... Nicchia the Dago acrobat on his
like Legar. back. . . yes. under cloak.
"But I tell you I don't believe Legar could hold out both hands . . . and
is drowned!" was Manley's passionately never even suspected . . beins
repeated protest. "I don't believe Da watched ... can't afford to lose
Espares shot him. or even tried to shoot this tirde!"
him!" Again came the sound of the quietly
"Well, he certainly went into that triumphant laugh. And it was Da Es-
rlver and wentUnder, and unlesa the pares' voice that sounded clearly the
man's a skipjack and a sawfish rolled
in one, he's atill there! For that police
captain and six of his men saw him go
there!"
And that seemed to end the matter
as far as the acrimonious old million
aire was concerned. Manley. in'-fact.
had given up any hope c. further argu- ashore
ment on the question when a trivial yet
disquieting incident occurred, and in
occuring brought about a slight change
in Enoch Golden'a attitude. This inci
dent Involved the receipt of a strange
missive bearing the signature fit that
elusive interloper in the affairs of the
house ot Golden known as the Laugh
ing Mask. It read as follows:
"Count Luigi Da Espares is not only
an impostor, but also your enemy, And
as a friend I herewith warn you that
he Is not y be trusted."
5
"Then the mask may be withdrawn, to be set along the wooded road leading
and withdrawn sooner, than ' you ex- up to the clubhouse of the Greenoch
poet." golf links, as first decided upon. But
"Just what does that mean?" asked Margory Golden was to motor alone to
the clear-eyed girl, studying his face, the west end of the turnpike bridge and
"It means that I am about to make there encounter her old-time enemy of
a move which will deliver you and
your father from his enemy. And this
time I think the plan will succeed."
"What plan?"
"That I cannot yet explain to you.
the Iron Claw. And the police. Da
Espares assured her, had been duly
warned as to the change of location.
Manley, on overhearing that decla-i
ni
There wends a trail that leads along
Ey firs that swing in titan song;
Its rocks are rivets of the range,
Its ways are rough, its camps are strange?
"Yet life is just a happy day,
To lend, or spend, or throw away!
Come, landlord, take your score of him
Through morning's murk the sun is dim-
Nor can you host another day
The lad of yea, and nay and yea.
Tis far it lies and leagues f-rom here
He drinks no stirrup stoup of beer .
He looks and leans toward the star
That pales above a cleaner bar.
Nay, take the coin and leave him go i
The lad who loves the forest sol
Even this epistle, which bore only
the emblem of a Laughing Mask for
i .... a mt.kt Vi t- . iiB.n arr,ntd aa
- ouely weakened
ot no great impon-a-wt-e nu h h
Golden been the recipient of still an
other communication. This time It was
a telephone message from a stranger
acknowledging himself to he an active
colleague of the Iron Claw.
"Legar may be gone," said the un
known voice over the wire, "but his
work la going to go on. and don't you
forget it! You still hold that chart.
If the chief didn't get his chart be
fr.ro, ha cashe.1 in I'm the aruy who's
going to get it!" turesque one than the slight figure of
"All right." was Golden's shouted re- a young private secretary in soraav. hat
sponse. "You come up here and get It! disheveled evening clothes. For when
And at the same time you'll get what the merriment about the great crowded
you deserve! For I'm going to atop this table was at Its height an unexpected
sort of work." my blacklee friend. If it and uninvited guest strode in thro-isa
next moment.
"But how did he work that bridge
fall?"
. . . "long dive ... came up
under a lumber schooner's stern and
hung to rudder. chain ... down with
tide ... an hour later ... swam
. .. launch to Oyeter Joe's!"
Manley did not wait for more. Mid
night, he knew, was already too peril-,
ously close for half measures. By the
time he reached the upper Hour, ln fact,
he found Enoch Golden already head
ing the grand march to the great table
running almost the full length of the
huge room opening off the conserva
tory. The next moment he saw Da
Espares himself step hurriedly yet smil
ingly to the side of Margory Golden
and take their places in that gayly
colored line that rippled with laughter
and movement as the orchestra once
more struck up. Then, remembering
what he had overheard about mysteri-
girders and planted
bombs, Manley likewise remembered tha
newly-installed vault and the fact that
Legar's final object was the possession
of a certain paper which that vault
held. And he slipped out through the
door, and "on through the empty con
servatory, frantically wondering Just
what his first move to avert that im
pending catastrophe should be.
The figure which intervened ln that
crisis, however, was a much more pic-
takes the last breath out of my body
and the last dollar out. of my pocket!"
Then, having slammed down the re
ceiver, the deliverer of that ultima
tum promptly sent for his secretary.
"I. want extra guards put around
this house!" was Golden's command.
"And I want nobody to come into It
who can't be accounted for.
the wide door and confronted the com
pany there assembled. This figure wore
a dust-stained motor coat and cap. But
the most conspicuous feature ot his at
tire was the yellow mask which covered
his face. Equally Conspicuous was the'
huge blue-barreled revolver which he
firmly held in his right hand. Thi
weapon, in fact, glinted menacingly in
"That's exactly what I want you. to the strong light as the stranger's left
do, what I ask you to do. That's our hand was suddenly lifted for silence,
one chance, if what I suspect proves
to be the case! You can disguise faces "Ladles and gentlemen." he pre
in an affair like this tonight, but. you claimed in a clear voice, "this lntru
can't disguise a lost hand. So the one sion I fear, may shock you. But you
thing you must do is to stand there are about to be shocked in a much more
and see that' every man who comes serious way. On the stroke of 13 there
into this house cornea with a sound ls to be an accident here, perhaps some
hand." .. thing much graver than an accident, ia
which it is my great deeire that you
Golden stood slowly shaking his
head up and down ln comprehension.
Then he turned wfth a morose smile
to the younger man.
"And If our Iron Claw la there.
should not participate! So I must ask
each and every one of you to leave this
room and this house as quietly, yet aa
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