a
7" 3 'ARTHUR STRINGER,.
M II 11
NOVELIZED FROM THE PA7HE PHOTO
V PL AY OF 'THE SAKE NAME
TITE SUNDAY OREGO-NIAX. rOKTXAXD, AUGUST 13, 1016.
((
RON
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EPISODE XX.
The Triumph of the Laughlnc Hiuk.
I.
The Closing; Tfet,
MARGERY GOLDEN suddenly threw
aside the magazine which she
.had been restlessly thumbing,
and, springing- to her feet, crossed
rapidly to the window of her cool,
white bedroom. As she stood gat
ing out with unseeing eyes a little
frown of vexation puckered her fore
head. From the open windows of the
spaotoiA living-room on the first floor
came the subdued murmur of voices.
But to Margery's straining ears not a
word of that low-toned conference was
audible. Occasionally she heard the
rumble of Captain Brackett's voice,
more strident and authoritative than
the others.
The resentful officer of the law had
conceived the idea that on more than
one occasion Margery had aided and
abetted the Laughing; Mask in slipping
through his fingers, and it was for
that reason she was now excluded from
the deliberations where the capture of
the elusive masquerader was under
discussion. In anticipation of this very
state of affairs Margery had devised
an ingenious method for learning the
plans of the detectives.
Having ascertained that the confer
ence was in full swing, she quickly
went to a small wicker table and, tak
ing off the telephone receiver, held it
pressed tightly to her ear. Her wire
was a house extension connected with
the trvnk line which ran into the liv-ing-rom,
where her father and the
officers were now gathered, n that
room the telephone standard, resting
on a heavy mahogany table, had been
skilfully tampered with. Under the
black-metaled reeciver, hanging with
its flaring mouth reversed so as to
more readily catch the sound waves, a
rumbf of books were piled in such a
disorderly fashion as not to attract at
tention. But the topmost of those
books propped,' up the receiver just
enough to permit the supporting, hook
to spring up and open the circuit. t
Over this cleveny improvised dicta
phore IIargery could hear every word
spoken by the men sitting around that
table. Presently the booming voice
of the police captain came to the ears
f the listening girl.
"When I go after a man I don't quit
till ret him," she heard him announce
In self-laudatory tones. "I landed that
one-armed crook, Jules Legar, In a cell
all right, an'. I tell you. Mr. Golden, if
It hadn't been for your daughter inter
ferin" I'd had the bracelets on the
Laughing Mask long ago."
Whether the aged banker would have
resented this open declaration that his
daughter had shielded a supposedly
notorious criminal was a question des- .
tined never to be answered, for at that
moment Margery heard the door shut
behind a new arrival, and again it was
Captain Brackett's voice which reached
her as he impatiently questioned the
detective who had just entered.
"What are you doin' here. Walters?
Didn't you get the orders I sent you
by Jenkins to take Legar out of that
chicken coop they call a jail out here,
an" keep yourself handcuffed to him
every minute until he was safe in the
Tombs?"
"I got your orders. Chief," came a
hesitating voice, presumably that of
the sleuth called Walters, "but I've
got some bad news for you. Legar's
liroko jail. He croaked Jenkins and
made a clean getaway."
A little silence followed the explo
sion of this astounding verbal bomb
shell, a silence broken by a confusion
of startled exclamations, punctuated
by the wrathful oaths of the irate po
lice captain.
"An" you call yourself a detective?"
he berated the unlucky Walters. "You
ought to be out poundin' the pavements.
What excuse have you got for lettin'
the crook give you the slip?"
Then Margery heard the hurried
tones of the censured detective as he
launched into an account of the strange
escape of Jules Legar.
"I don't see where I'm to blame.
Chief," he began in a somewhat ag
grieved voice. "I seen Jenkins aroun'
noon. He was goin' into the jail with
a tray from the restaurant. He stops
and gives me your orders and says I
might as well wait outside until Legar
had his feed. That seemed reasonable,
an' I hung aroun' for 'bout half an
hour. Then, when Jenkins didn't come
out,. I commenced to get kirrfl o' uneasy
like an' I steps Inside to see what was
goln' on." The narrator paused briefly
as though overcome with some terrible
memory, then continued in a con
strained tone.
"Lyin' face down in the corridor I
found Jenkins, just outside of Legar'a
coll. The cell was empty, with the
door standln" open and Jenkins' key in
the lock. We combed every inch of
that jail, but Legar had disappeared
without leavin' a trace behind him. I
could tell by the looks of Jenkins that
h3 was dead, but when I turned him
over I got an awful shock. His face
was all twisted up with sufferin' and
full of deep lines and wrinkles. Then
I seen his hair was all streaked with
gray. When he spoke to me he was a
healthy young fel'er, but when I found
him he was like some old man about
10. what had died of some awful di
sease. Tbtt's about all an" I don't see
how "
But Margory did not wait to hear
the concluding remarks of the detec
tive, for at this point she abruptly
hung up the receiver. Here was news
of a startling character, which must
be imparted to the masked guardian
of her safety without loss of time.
Without stopping to even catch up a
hat, she slipped out of her room and
down the stairway. As she tiptoed
softly past the living-room, fhe door
suddenly opened and Captain Brack
ett and Walters stood on the thresh
old. The stern-faced officer watched
the slender girl as she went out the
front door" and closed it behind her.
Then he turned to his crestfallen sub
ordinate. "Never mind doin' what I was tell
in" you. Walters." he tersely com
manded, "I want you to shadow that
ypunf woman. Don't lose sight of
her for a minute."
Bo it happened that when Margory
Golden paused by the mysterious lone
bowlder on Seven Oaks Hill a hawk
" faced detective was hidden not 10 paces
distant behind one of the great trees
frpra which the ridge took its name.
He saw the girl glance furtively about
her, and then from her pursed lips
came a low, thrilling' call like that of
a bird. After a brief interval she re
peated this signal, and presently the
yellow-masked man came stealthily
around the side of the great bowlder.
The hidden listener caught enough of
What Margory Golden was saying to
become aware that she was recounting,
almost word for word, his own story
of the escape of Jules Legar.
As he wondered from what mysteri
ous source she had learned it the in
cisive tones of her hooded companion
reached his ear.
"I have a theory of my own as to
what was used to kill Jenkins in that
fearful manner." the Laughing Mask
was saying, -"and I am going to find
out tonight whether I am right or
wrong. Legar's followers have all
been wiped out with the exception of
a man calling himself Sktdmon. Ha wa
known as a brilliant scientist until he
contracted the drug habit, and then,
when he was down ad out he fell in
with Legir. He lives in a tumble-down
old house at the foot of the blind alley
south of Washington Square. He still
has some sort of a laboratory where he
potters around, always on the verge
of making some wonderful new dis-
covery. It's my idea that ho furnished
Legar with " " . .
But that sentence was clipped short,
for at that moment the detective, burn
ing with zeal to make up for the es
cape of Jules Legar by the capture of
the Laughing Mask, suddenly emerged
from behind the oak tre and rapidly
advanced upon the startled pair. , As
the Laughing Mask darted around the
bowlder toward the secret door leading
into his subterranean retreat. Margory
planted heraeltdireetly in the path of
the coming Walters. It took that exas
perated officer several minutes to shake
off the clinging girl, and when he
reached the other side of the great
rock the Laughing Mask had disap
peared completely. The detective
turned in a sullen rage on the calmly
smiling girl standing beside him.
"You've about gone the limit this
time, young woman," he snarled as he
seized her slender wrist in his powerful
grasp, "and we'll see what the chief
thinks of your hejpin' that criminal
make a getaway."
A little later the burly Walters haled
his frail prisoner into the living-room
where her father and the detectives
were still gathered. Captain Brackett,
fuming with anger, tried his utmost to
wring from her the secret of the
bowlder, but his rapid volleyed ques
tions failed to break her sphinxlike si
lence. Finally her loving but sorely
tried father locked her in her bedroom
to prevent her from further interfer
ence. Hastily f;oing to her impromptu
dictaphone, Ma.-gory heard the voice of
Walters repeating what the Laughing
Mask had said about Skldmon. the last
of Legar's henchmen. When he had
finished, the blatant tones of Captain
Brackett came over that thread of
copper.
"Our best move will be to wateh
the house of this Skidmon." he an
nounced decisively, "an' when our
man comes along we'll nab him. If
we're playin" in luck we might get
Legar in the same dragnet."
Then came the scrape of chairs being
pushed away from the table and the
hasty shuffle of feet as the men pre
pared to start on this mission. As Mar
gory replaced the receiver she realized
the Laughing Mask was threatened
with grave danger. In eome way she
must warn him. But there seemed no
possibility of escaping from her bed
room. She knew it would be futile
to try to force the locked door, and
the sheer drop from her third-story
window prohibited that method of
egress. .For a moment she stood in
hopeless dejection. Then a sudden
scheme flashed into her mind, which
she hastened to put into execution
When her father unlocked the door and
went into that room to epeak to Mar
gory before he started for the city with
the detectives he gave an incredulous
gasp of amazement.
The heavy brass bed had been pushed
up to the window, and tied around one
of its crossbars was the end of a
twisted sheet. And that improvised
rope of linen ran out through the open
window. As Enoch Golden saw the
knotted sheets only reached half way
down the side of the house, he immedi
ately reached the conclusion that Mar
gory had been so extremely angered by
her temporary imprisonment as to at
tempt to escape by this foolhardy meth
od. With visions of his"idolized daugh
ter lying crushed amid the shrubbery
under the window, the old banker, half
beside himself with anxiety, rushed
frantically down the stairs and out
around the house, with the astonished
detectives close behind him.
At the moment when all her jailers
were wildly searching for her battered
remains, a demure-faced girl slipped
quietly out of her bedroom closet, and
making her way out of the house by the
back door, ran lightly toward the ga
rage, ir front of which her high-powered
roadster was standing. The puz
zled -group under Margory's window
had found no trace of her lifeless body,
but they suddenly saw a decidedly ani
mated girl driving a gray roadster,
tearing past them down the graveled
drive. And when the car 8Terved into
the highway that girl even had the
effrontery to send them a little deris
ive farewell flutter of her slender
white hand.
When Margory finally threaded her
way through the crosstown streets and
brought her car to a stop close to the
entrance of the blind alley on the
south side of Washington Square, the
great moon was Just rising over the
battlement of skyscrapers, and by its
mellow luster she could discern the out
lines of a ruinous -old dwelling stand
ing at the foot of that gloomy and
forbidding alley. JVith the exception
of a single light faintly glimmering in
one of the upper stories, the house was
in total darkness.
As MargorJ paused in front of the
dismal old rookery she suddenly per
ceived in the moonlight a shadowy
form mounting steadily upward on
the narrow fire-escape ladder. When
.that stealthy prowler stepped onto the
iron platform just outside the lighted
window she saw it was the daring
masKer and realized she was too late
Ho warn him. Before she could attract
his attention he cautiously raised the
window and vanished into that house
of mystery. But she quietly determined
he should not be taken unawares by
his enemies. Under the fire escape she
found ft dilapidated ash barrel, and by.
7
if t , v?
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!l ,rJ
f r tf
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r - ji : t- W f
: 4 I . v- t sf ' i . :
words "Colon Bacilli." but that did not .
convey to her that in the nutrient me- tyVA-j-A s4rd Uf S"n feTi
dium contained In that Petri dish was
wAy ATA
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standing on this shaky pedestal she
gained a foothold n the lowest rung
of the rusty metal ladder. When she
had groped her way to the landing she
saw an empty dimly lighted chamber.
But through a doorway leading from
that room came a white flood of Illu-
health. The activity and . number of
these becllir vastly increase with ad
vancing age. causing a form of auto
intoxication and a subsequent harden
ing of the arteries due to increased
blood pressure, and other symptoms
of general structural decay. It would
seem probable that from a sufficiently
large colony of colon bacilli a virulent
toxic poison might be extracted, which,
administered even in minute quanti
ties, should almost immediately attack
the tissues and destroy the subject
with all the Indications of death from
extreme old age. Such a poison, ap
parently unknown to science, and al
ready present In less malignant form
In every human aystem. would be ex
tremely baffling in the event of an
autopsy. I shall Immediately start ex
perimenting along these lines.
May IS. The colony of colon bacilli
which I started In a gelatin culture
medium la multiplying rapidly. Flour
ishes best at blood heat destroyed
at temperature of 60 degrees Centi
grade. The change in color from, gray
ish white to brown should Indicate
an increase In virulence and pathogenic
qualities.
May IT. Inoculated guinea pig with
bacilli poison died instantly; body
shrunk and withered; much encour
aged. May 20 Discovery hu Just been
put to a gratifying practical test
managed to get a needle Infected with
the bacilli extract to Legar, who had
wheeled about and came rapidly to- stantly straightened up and stood in- been captured and conrinea in prison.
r -A. '.v -a i
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a culture growth alive with millions of
malignant germs. Hoping to find aorne
more tangible clew, she replaced tb
. towel and picked up the open notebook
lying near the mlscroscope. Her face
went white with the horror of the
thing as she deciphered the cramped
entries:
May IS Emmerich has advanced the
theory that old age Is brought about
In large part by the weakened resist
ance of the subject to the ravages, of
the bacillus coll. colonies of which ln-
the fingers of the scientist and fluttered
to the floor. As he stooped to re
gain it he suddenly hurled his weight
against the legs of his unsuspecUn
enemy with a force that sent htm top
pling over backward into the depths of
the closet, and before the Laughing
Mask could regain his footing the door
had been swung shut and bolted.
Margory, from her place of conceal
ment, saw the loose-lipped malefactor
make a motion aa though to destroy
the confession, but he suddenly grew
ririd Jt Ihourh rrlnn.H ..In hv Ka
variably Infest the digestive tract of hand of femr Fonowinr ln, dIr,c.
every person even though in normal tlo , whloh kl. w.,
ward the room where the sorrowful
girl was standing. She barely had time
she saw the reason for his trepida
tion. A figure masked ln the identi
cal manner aa the man Just impris
oned in the closet came slowly through
the hall doorway. He also held a black
metaled pistol trained on Skldmon. but
he walked with a painful effort, aa if
his body were bruised and sore.
"It would be foolish to tear up that
little document." he said in tones of
grim determination, "for you would
have to write It over. As It Is rather
essential to my welfare. I'll trouble you
to hand it to me."
But instead of complying with this
demand the dased and panic-stricken
investigator backed slowly away from
that terrifying specter, who seemed to
be impervious to locks and to possess
as many lives as a cat His retreat
was suddenly checked by the labora
tory work bench, on which he heavily
dropped a trembling hand to steady
himself. As he did so there came a
sharp sound of breaking glass and.
with an abrupt cry of pain, he flung
up his deeply gashed hand, splashed
with blood and a thick ooxe of gelat
inous matter. He turned and saw the
splintered pieces of the fragile vessel
which had contained the colon bacilli
culture. A dull moan of horror came
from his blue lips as he realized he
was hopelessly inoculated with the
deadly virus of the germs he hsd him
self so carefully nurtured fur the pur
pose of destroying others.
ln wild desperation he caught up the
towel from the work bench and
scrubbed the smear of blood and sticky
substance from his open wound. But
the strip of linen dropped from his
nerveless fingers as a series of con
vulsive tremors shook his tortured
teniiy listening. Tnen. noiuing tne cuiiiuiuincno him and he slowly sank upon the floor,
lantern before him, he cautiously ad-
to dart Into a closet and pull the door vanced toward the spot from which
sortiy shut after her, when he passed
her place of concealment. Then fol
lowed a rasping noise as he locked the
minatlon and the sound of angry voices, window by which she had entered, and
She slipped into the empty bedroom after a little silence she heard the
and, warily crossing, the floor, stood ln sound of his receding footsteps. When
that sound had come. At the moment
he turned his back an incomprehensible
thing happened.
He succeeded in Scratching his jailer gasping frantically for breath, his lean
with the contaminated needle, and the fingers opening and closing. His drug
man was seized immediately with con- sapped vitality offered but weak resist
vl.ln. 41.4 In w n three mln. virulent poison which was
utes with all the symptoms o be ex-
From under the pile of carpeting two pected. Legar regained his liberty and stilled in death.
ravaging his system, .and. after several
Jerky spasms, his pain-racked form was
psirs of long arms suddenly stretched now wishes to destroy an entire family
out toward the silent form of the named Golden. I will prepare .minute
spellbound wonder gazing through the Anally ventured from the stifling Laughing Mask. and. quickly seizing capsules which will keep the bacilli
open doorway, xnat neavny snutterea " "-""' " ' him by the feet "ind shoulders, dragged alive and-
room into which she was peering was
fitted up like the well-equipped labora
tory of a scientist. A powerful light
cast its rays over a long workbench
littered with microscopic slides, fer
mentation tubes and culture mediums
and the various other tools used by the
microbiologist for research purposes.
Backed up against this bench stood the
tense figure of a middle-aged man with
drooping eyelids and the pasty gray
complexion that betrayed the habitual
use of some noxious drug.
He had apparently been interrupted
in the midst of his Investigations, for
on the bench just behind him was some
object protected from the light by a
strip of thin toweling, a long platinum
needle used ln extracting germ colonies
from their cultures, a compound micro-
was deserted, but from a closed door
on the opposite side of that strange
him under the frayed folds of that As with a shudder Margory came
ancient flnnr fnvAvina, v.m . k tn the last unfinished ar.d cold-blooded
chamber came unmistakable sounds of -carred outlaw. Kave up" rrultle entry she heard Skldmon rapidly ap-
search and returned to the place where proachlng the door. Thrusting the in
he had left the Laughing Mask, with criminating Journal into her dress, she
tne run intention of dispatching that quicaiy stoie into me oaca room, w.mre turnn)t from his futile search of the
sworn enemy with his own hands, he n could watch the laboratory witnout premises. That puzzled worker of in
gave a gasp of incredulous amazement being observed herself. She saw the iqulty suddenly found himself looking
as It dawned upon him that his in- unnerved bacteriologist hurriedly drag into a revolver held by the Laughing
battered trunk irom a oarx ana -
hurried preparations for flight.
If the death of the Laughing Mask
were to be avenged, absolute proof
must be obtained of the murderous
practices of his leaden-faced assassin,
and step by step Margory edged to
ward the long workbench where Skld
mon bad been experimenting.
Overcome by the sight of that grew-
some tragedy, Margory stood rooted
to the floor, inarticulate and trembling.
She saw the Laughing Mak pick up
the confession and go out of the labor
atory toward the stairway. Still hold
ing his revolver, he descended to the
cellar with the air of a man whose
mission is but half finished. Kven as
he hastily concealed himself back of
the piles of carpet he heard Legar ra
it
The Final Reckoning.
As the moon swung across the star-
tended victim had completely disap
peared. It flashed into hW minj that the
Laughing Mask might have recovered
sufficiently to have crawled up the
cavernous closet. As he threw an un- KeaI1nr hs had been outwltted and
easy glance toward the door leading that resistance was useless. Legar
into the hall his face suddenly froze raised his arms above his head In
strewie heavens its pale light disclosed short night of cellar steps, and. hurry-
the still form of the unconscious ln outside, he commenced a systematic
Laughing Mask lying under the labor- Bearch dark corners where a
atory window from which the lnfurl-
obedience to the curt command of the
other. But his evil genius was not
slumbering, and as his lifted right hand
came ln contact with a large earthern
flower pot atsndlng on a shelf above
him he grasped that heavy object end
hurled it with all his strength full in
the face of his masked opponent.
That crashing and unexpected blow
accomplished its purpose, for the
Laughing Muk dropped In a motlon-
into an expression of abject terror.
Advancing from that doorway came
a figure with features cloaked by a
mocking yellow mask. This startling
man In desperate straits might en- -apparition aeimerateiy aimea a Diaca
ated scientist had flung' him. A one--aeavor to tolde- IIe nal hardly left the automatic at tne terrn.ca scientist ana
. cellar when the nils of ihr,iHh. with his left hand silently pointed to
scope and an open notebook for record- tn ahadowB Baw that ,nert flure anJ carpet showed signs of sudden agita- h wh" X ha unfinished con
ing the result of his labors. Facing the bent over u wltfc a Bava exclamation tion- an1' ln obedience to certain com- lon. More overcome with fear by
return w mo mn.ii no nan ap- Pss heap as though he had been struck
parentiy nuriea to ins aeatn tnan by a bullet. -tne one-armea man.
from under, that singular refua-a and awed by the threatening revolver, bending over his apparently
gilded toward the stairway leading
the upper story, where the laboratory
was located. command. th lantern he realised Its purport, and
"L7 But bis Intelligent mind worked hurried up the stairs to call Skidmon
In thatx laboratory the wide-eyed quickly, and by the time he had fixed to account tor disclosing his guilty
Margory Golden was searching th lit
tered workbench, hoping to flnd
intimidated drug fiend stood the Laugh- ortriumph He glanced furtively about mands issued ln painfully broken whls- the ret
Ing Mask, the black muzzle of hi. re- h, a - throwln. back the bulkhead P"s. two spectral figures emerged Parentl
to Skldmon faltetred toward the desk in 'nemy. saw a paper protruding from
ry obedience to that silent, but obvious X "thes'.klyS.gh't or
volver a few Inches dlstane from the
pallid forehead of that once distin
guished scientist, who was apparently
playing for time. Presently the masked
wrong-rlghter spoke in a stern and de
termined manner.
"My patience is about exhausted,
Skidmon," he said to the man shrinking
back against the bench, "and unless you
write that confession clearing me of
him, and, throwing back the bulkhead
doore leading Into the cellar, backed
down the short flight of steps, dragging
the Laughing Mask after him, l(ke a
spider dragging a fly into some dark
recess.
Legar seemed strangely at home in
his dark and gloomy surroundings, for
axter letting tne jaugmng Mask drop
lifeless
heavily to the cement flooring, his something to incriminate the venora
groplng fingers quickly found a bat- ous Skldmon. She did not venture to
tnose crime. nook. Tni8 reebl8 illumination showed turned lver attention to the
your devmsn assistance, am S the celIar to De with aU Bort8 6f which wa- hldden umJer the th
thrntitrn t n st n f W 1 1 11 B.B ...
""u'' - -- -- aiscaraea household furniture, includ- of toweling. When, after a little h
mile compunction ' Ing a nile of wornout carnetlmr nr
hi. name to that document vlndlcat- ,'Trht8' BtaIr, from tno ceUar le(1
ing the masked fugitive from Legar'a direct!y into the dark and many
atrocious crimes he had banished the doored kitchen, and here Legar paused
fears which this supernatural resur- and struck a match ln order to get his
rectlon had caused him and A-ir- bearings. The first door he opened
object mined on a course of action. Rising Prov4 to be that of a small butltr's
, , ,. . . " . . . . v pantry, and by the flickering light of
i atrip from the desk he approached the tch he Jsaw in the gloomy com-
a mad dog. Your terrible poisons have where tne ro(Usked man WB. iying A
been responsible for more than one un- Legar fc over tnat nelpleBa BKure a
soivea muraer ana social, ... . falnt nolg camJ from the .Btalrway
rid of you.
This convincing threat had the de
sired effect, - for the stoop-shouldered
biologist moved sullenly toward a small
.writing desk standing near the win
dow. As his reluctant pen traveled
slowly over the sheet of foolscap, the
Laughing Mask stood looking over his
shoulder, prompting the other's delin
quent memory with an occasional quiet
word and the insistent menace of that
ever-ready revolver. The details of
those abhorrent crimes, committed in
cold blood by Legar for the sole pur
pose of setting the police upon his
enemy, had practically been completed
when a shrill and penetrating whistle
sounded front the alley.
The Laughing Mask turned quickly
to the near-by window and, throwing
back the shutters, leaned out and
strove to ascertain the meaning of that
forbodlng signal. For a moment only
he relaxed his guard over the crafty
poisoner, but that moment gave to
Skldmon the chance he had been seek
ing. Before the startled girl, watching
through the doorway, could cry out a
word of warning, he launched himself
upon that half-bent figure leaning out
of the open window.-
Caught at a decided disadvantage
and unable to use his weapon, the
Laughing Mask struggled desperately
to free himself from those lean and
clutching fingers. But. despite his
frantic efforts, he was unable to throw
off the oppressive welrht of his an
tagonist's body, which was steadily
bearing him backward over the narrow
wlndow-silL Then, as the infuriated
and drug-crazed criminal threw every
ounce of his strength Into one final ef
fort to v rid himself of his enemy, the
Laughing Mask suddenly lost his bal
ance, and, grasping wildly at the empty
air, plunged headlong from the window
down into the abysmal darkness.
Hs seemed .doomed to sure destruc
tion, but fate decreed the springy
branch of an elm tree should catch that
hurtling body, and the force of his fall
was broken when, limp and uncon
scious, he dropped a second later onto
the stone flagging by the cellar door
way. To the savagely exultant scien
tist and the horror-stricken girl who
had witnessed the swift tragedy it
seemed certain that the Laughing Mask
had met with death, for they did not
know by what a slender, margin he had
cheated that grim reaper.
With sudden decision Skldmon
leading to the floor above. He ln-
AT MILKING TIME
In the tog of my corncob wlien evening: grows dim,
As I gro for the cattle, I summon back Jim;
And the smoke that drifts out through the shadows
of night
Is light as our Jimmy's tossed tow-hair was light.
And I listen intently, half hoping to hear
The tune that he whistled fall shrill on my ear;
And I glance o'er my shoulder, as though his young
laugh
Preceded the patter of feet on the path
The patter of bare-footed haste, and the glee
Of Jim and his collie descending on roe.
There's a calf that was his she's a grandmother
now
To many a sturdy old Holstein and cow
She's seen her best days, but when evening grows dim
I fancy she's waiting to welcoirie back Jim; i
For she lows at the gate when it's time for the
stars
And the old man is lonely who lets down the bars.
eel- Laughing Mask, who was standing t.i,i,.iiv. form standinsr
tatlon. she gingerly raised that flimsy near the open closet with his ready with folded arms. The silently-accus-coverlng,
she saw a thin glass weapon in his hand. Skidmon held ing figure wore a yellow mask such as
vessel bearing a printed label and half out' the signed confession, but before LeRar had last seen shrouding the face
filled with a gelatinoua- substance. She the other could take it the paper, with f ?0Z Z hadhi'"8adgied
!reJ!ir from the labelth. seeming 'natenceipp.d from lBh. roSped tVe lowlrfg 'matcS'end
and slammed the door -on that masked
apparition.
In mad hafte he groped along the
wall until his fingers came ln eon
tact with a door knob, at which he
fumbled frantically for a moment
and then found himself in the dimly
lighted hall. Throwing apprehensive
looks behind him. he raced up the
stairs to the third-story landing, where
he paused to regain his breath before
entering the laboratory of his traitor
ous henchman. The silence was broken
only by the sound of his labored breath
ing, but he suddenly recoiled as though
struck a blow. Down the narrow pas
sage came the Laughing Mask, slowly
advancing with measured tread like an
avenging N"emsis.
For a moment the terrorized male
factor cowered against the rickety ban
isters. Then, as that dread figure came
nearer, he wheeled about and darted
down the stairway, but steadily mount
ing up to meet him came another fig
ure with its face also covered by a
cynically smiling yellow mask. The
despairing criminal turned and fled to
ward the attic, but etanding motion
less at the top of that last flight f
stairs was still another yellow-hooded
figure. Like some fear-crazed animal.
Legar rushed blindly through the
laboratory doorway. Skldmon's body
lay where It had fallen, and as Legar's
eye, fell on that ghastly and distorted
face he gave a sobbing moan of fear.
As he glanced toward the hall door
way he saw bis escape was cut off ln
that direction, for standing on the
threshold was a quietly waiting Laugh
ing Mask. He threw open the door
leading Into the chamber where Skid
mon had been engaged ln packing his
effects, but stationed in the center of
that room was a forbidding form wear
ing a yellow visor. As Legsr backed
away from that hateful vision he
tripped over the body of the deasclen
ttst and fell heavily, striking his fore
head a sharp blow against the edre
of the laboratory bench. He slowly
got to his feet, pressing his hand In a
dazed manner against his Injured tem
ple, from which a little crimson stream
was trickling down Into his eyes.
Catching up the towel which had
covered the glass vessel broken by
Skidmon, be mopped the blood from
his eyes, and the Jagged wound on his
forehead. Then as he felt a clammy
moisture on his fevered skin he hastily
examined the towel and saw It was
smeared with a substance resembling
a crushed Jelly fish. He saw more of
that gelatinous matter on the bench
and quickly picked out of it a piece
' of broken glass bearing a printed label.
As he read ;he words. Colon Bacilli, hs
knew his doom was sealed, for he had
iCoaUuled as ' U
IL "r"'
There are thoughts that a gaffer will tell to his God,
When the breath of the evening is over the sod.
That a man wouldn't even confess to his wife
That are twisted and spun in the woof of his life,
That nestle so close to the roots of his heart
That one nor the other are' neither apart.
So nobody knows that when evening grows dim
As I go for the cattle I'm going with Jim.
Now a woman may treasure her trinkets and curls.
But a man must be gruff, though his heart's like a
girl's
Yet there's times, when the smoke never tasted so
' '- sweet,
That he hears on the cow-path the patter of feet
The patter of little brown feet, and the shrill
Eerie whistle that rings in his old ears still.
And he fancies forgive him when evening grows
dim.
That the soft-eyed old Holstein is lowing for Jim.
f