Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-13

lie striking out Tor ShOret
The oldest of the three suddenly ran
back across the shack floor.
Then get down by the Coleman
road, you men. and head that hell
diver of before he's half way across
Jersey"
The End Of the Trail.
Margery Golden crossed to the stin
open window and stared out.
You should not have come here"
she said without turning to the man
in the yellow mask who stood smiling
so close behind her
Il had to comet" he said in suddenly
sobered tones.
Why" asked the troubled girl.
Because couldn't stay longer with
out seeing you" was the others an
swer.
The girl at the window turned slow
ly about and faced him.
but think of the risk! It's not
half an hour since heard father tele.
phoning for that police captain. And
that captain has said over and over
again that he will never rest until he's
effected your capture. And we both
know that Legar is still at large"
Il am willing to take chances now
that I'd never have taken before. For
! know that you love me now, and Pm
never happy when I'm away from
you!"
But we can't be together in this
house-even if it is my home 1t will
always be house of danger"
Then why should either of us stay
in this house?" he demanded. "Why
can't we slip away from these walls of
intrigue and go where we can ind our
own happiness?"
Margery Golden shook her head
slowly from side to side.
I'VE would only be going with a
cloud over us. And with that cloud
there could never be happiness"
Then our first duty is to get rid of
the cloud. It's true took this chart
from your fathers vault, but you know
as well as ! do l took it only to pre-
vent its theft by Legar. And if that
is the blot that stands between us we
can wipe out that blot by restoring
the chart to where it belongs" He
stopped and turned her face to the
light. And if that is done, will you
promise to come with me?"
Dearest" she murmured as she
closed her eyes to his caress, "your
people shall be my people and your
way my own. And / will go wherever
you ask me to go!"
1t was ten minutes later that the two
Of them, hand in hand, stole quietly
down through the shadowy house to
the library. The girl was heavily
yelled and dressed for the street. And
with her she carried u handbag into
which she had feverishly thrown what
things she most needed for the fight.
This is the last time," she said as
she crossed to the doors on the far side
of the room and locked them, that
you or will have to steal like thief
through this housed"
The Laughing Mask, who was work
ing at the vault door, looked up as she
spoke.
"But it's not often thieves break into
a safe to put things back" he said as
he swung the heavy steel door open.
She stood watching that open door
as he stepped into the darkness Of
the vault. He seemed to be having
trouble with the lock of one of the in
ner drawers.
Then tingle of alarm spread quick
ly through her body, for the call-bell Of
the telephone on the rosewood desk
suddenly rang out through the room.
The shrill of that bell brought the
Laughing Mask from the depths of the
vault
Don't answer It'll" warned the girl.
But Wilson or one of the servants
will surely come" explained the
Laughing Mask as he moved towards
the door that still remained unlocked.
But the charts it back?"
1T is back where it belongs" was
the answer.
Then I'll shut the vault door, And
the sooner we get out to your car the
better,"
He stood watching her as she
crossed to the heavy safe door and
swung it shut. He saw her gloved
hand go up to the nickeled handle, to
throw on the lock- Then she did a
startling and unexpected thing. With
an oddly birdlike movement of the
head she stopped and stared intently
at his figure, clearly outlined against
the dark folds of the portiere behind
him. Then, instead of locking the
vault door, she took four quick steps
to the heavily carved teakwood table
on her right. From this she caught up
a Roman lamp of heavy bronze, hurting
it with all her force at the swaying
portiere behind him at the same mo-
ment that she uttered her sudden
scream of warning.
For from the folds of that portiere
she had caught sight of an iron claw at
the end Of preternaturally long arm.
And as this iron claw was lifted high
in the air she caught the CLINT of a
naked steel knife-blade, pointed and
slender, held, in some inexplicable man
ner, in the clutch of that circle of iron.
'Legar," was all she had time to cry
out as the bronze lamp went swinging
against that appraised tentacle of wood
a