Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-16
My Lady of Mystery
Continued from page 4


held the revolver as he advanced the
masked man threateningly.
Not too close now! warned the intruder.
with sudden hardening of the pleasant voice.
AS said. we might as we'll do this pleasantly
because it must be DONE pleasantly or other
wise Believe me. l have no desire to injure
YOU still less do intend that you shall inJure
me- and it would be needless for either of us
to make a personal matter of it. | want Signor
Petrozinni! You will release him! That all. "
THE warden paused. dazed, 1ncredulOus. be-
fore the audacity of it, the while he studied
two calm eyes that peered at him through the
Sits of the mask. And if | don't release
him" he demanded at last fercely.
Then l shall take him." was the reply
Steps have been taken to make it impossible
for you to give an alarm" the stranger went
" The very men upon whom you most de-
pended have been bought, and even If they
were within sound of your voice they
wouldn't respond. One of your assistants
who has been here for years unloaded the re-
volver in the desk there. and less than an hour
ago cut the prison alarm wire. l personally
cut the police alarm outside the building. So,
you seei'
AS yet there was weapon in sight, save
the unloaded revolver in the warden's hand
At no time had the strangers voice been raised :;
his tone was perfectly normal one
Besides yourself there are only five other
men employed here that are now awake, the
masked man continued pleasantly. These
are the four turkeys and the outer guard
They have all been bought,-the turkeys at
five thousand dollars each and the outer guard
at seven thousand. The receipt OF this money
is conditional upon the release OF Signor
Petrozinni: therefore it is to their interest to
aid me as against you. | am telling you all
this frankly. to make you see how futile any
resistance would be
But who-who is this Signor Petrozinni.
that such powerful interests should be brought
to bear in his behalf" demanded the Devil
dered warden
He is man that can command vast
fortune-a fortune greater than that of all
our millionaires combined and Senior Alvarez
is at the point of death That | think. makes
it clear Now. if you'll sit down. please "
Sit down" beloved the warden and sud-
denly he was seized by violent maddening
rage He took one step forward and raised the
empty revolver to strike
The masked man mo: d slightly to one side
and his clenched fist ca hit the warden on the
point of the chin. Ths prison official went
down without sound and lay still, inert. help
less
A moment later the door leading into the
corridor of the prison opened. and Petrozinn.
accompanied by one of the turkeys. entered
the warden's office The masked man glanced
round at them. and with a motion of his head
indicated the door leading to the street They
passed through, closing the door quietly behind
them
For little time the intruder stood staring
down at the still body. then he went to the
telephone and called up police headquarters
There has been Jail delivery at the prison.
he said in an answer to the Hello!' of the
desk sergeant at the other end of the wire
Better send some of your men up to investi-
gate
Who is that came the answering ques-
ton
The stranger placed the receiver on the hook
stripped off his black mask. dropped it on the
floor beside the motionless warden, and went
out 1t was Mr. Grimm.
A 7 fifteen minutes of midnight, when My
Lady of Mystery, followed by Petrozinni
entered the sitting room of her apartments
from the street and turned up the light, she
found Mr. Grimm already there. He rose
courteously. At sight of him Miss Thorne's
face went deathly white. and Petrozinni turned
quickly toward the door, as if to go out again
Il would advise that you stay, your High
ness" said Mr.. Grimm coldly Petrozinni
paused. amazed. "You will merely subject
Yourself to the humiliation of arrest if you at
tempt to leave. The house is guarded by a
dozen men,"
Your Highness!" Miss Thorne repeated
blankly. You are assuming a great deal.
NJ