The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-01

seemed to throw off his craven fear,
and to face the terrible death in
store for him with something almost
approaching calmness.
With an effort he took from the
pocket where he had thrust 1t, the
confession absolving the Laughing
Mask from the crimes which he,
Jules Legar, had committed. Before
he went he would at least have the
satisfaction of destroying this proof
of the innocence of his detested en-
envy. He realized that even his pow
erful body must speedily yield to the
terrible poison with which he was
inoculated. He was about to rend
the paper with his iron hook when he
caught sight of a white-faced girl
staring at him in wide-eyed horror
from the adjoining room.
In spite of his dimming eyesight
he knew that girl to be Margery
Golden. the daughter of the man who
was responsible for his scared face
and manned arm. If he could take
her with him into the realms OF
death, all the devilish ingenuity
which he had expended in the past
to injure her would not go for moth
ing. and the vengeance he had
sworn to exact would be complete.
With this fiendish purpose simmer
ing in his brain he advanced I'M
steadily in her direction.
The affrighted girl shrank back into
a corner as the man with the wolfish
face bore down upon her. But even
as his cruel iron claw reached out
toward her white throat, the poison
took effect. His breath came in hur-
ried gasps, and tearing away his eel
lar. he fought for air to relieve his
congested lungs. With distended eyes
and foam-flecked lips he suddenly
pitched headlong to the floor, where
he lay writhing and twisting like
a soul in torment, AS the relentless
poison ate into his vitals his convul-
sive struggles weakened, and death
stilled forever his thrashing iron
claw.
Then the shuddering girl became
conscious that the Laughing Mask
was standing near, and as he stopped
and took the confession from the
stiffening fingers of the dead GRIM
inal she saw his yellow visor was
torn and splashed with blood. he
stood for moment staring at Legar
in shocked silence. for the upturned
scar-marked face was like that of an
extremely old man, with sagglng mol
lows in the cheeks and the parch-
mentlike skin deeply scanned by
network Of wrinkles. His black mar
had turned completely white. Sklo-
mons theory had been completely
ard faorf,lIIv demonstrated.
Suddenly there resounded through
the o1liet house the sound of crash
ing blows delivered upon the front
door. followed a moment later by
heavily pounding feet as the raiding
detectives, headed by Captain Brack-
EFT came storming up the stairs. For
once the Laughing Mask coolly stood
his ground and made no attempt to
eyade the approaching officers, who
had SO long and persistently tracked
him. AS they spread through the
house he could hear their startled
cries of surprise, and presently with
F,noch Golden and the heavy-jawed
CAPTAIN in the lead they came crowd
ing into the room where he and Mar
CORY were waiting. In the grasp of
those astounded detectives were no
less than four Laughing Masks, each
one an exact counterpart of the other.
The loudly exulting voice of Captain
Bracket broke the momentary hush
which followed the discovery OF
Legars lifeless body.
This is what I call good days
work." he complacently announced,
"the one-armed criminal has got his,
an instead of one masked crook
we've rounded up whole gang OF
these underground workers. rake
off their masks and let's have look
at their faces"
In compliance with the order, the
detectives tore off the yellow cover
ings of their prisoners and disclosed
the straightforward and unfamiliar
features Of four young men OF about
the same age as David Manley. With
a puzzled exclamation the police
captain approached the remaining
Laughing Mask standing by the side
of Margory Golden. That man OF
mystery silently extended Skidmon's
confession to the police captain, who
glanced hastily through it,
'Well I guess that let's you off.
lie muttered with evident disappoint-
ment, ''but now you're clear of the
law, what's the use of hidin' under
that mask?"
With a quick and decisive move
ment the Laughing Mask stripped
off that grotesquely smiling piece Of
yellow cambria. revealing the hand
some and boyish face of the young
secretary, David Manley.
..Now that Legar is dead, my dis
guise has served it's purpose" he ex-
piained in quiet tones, as he glanced
around that circle OF intent listeners.
ssHe knew I would try to protect my
employer and his daughter from his
evil purpose of revenge. and by act
ing in a double role was able to
fight him to better advantage. I
finally organized four of my friends
into a sort of secret order of Laugh
ing Masks, but they always kept in
the background except on one or two
pressing occasions. Miss Wilkens,
E.y stepsister, made our masks. and
we used her garden as a meeting
place. Miss Golden has known all
this since we worsted Legar in the
coal mine, and I think she will join
me in inviting you all to come to a
little affair which is going to be held
in church in the very near future"
AS Margory lurned away to hide
her tears and her bushes, her father
warmly grasped his former secre-
tary's hand, and after a moment the
solemn red face of Captain Bracket
slowly cracked into a sheepish grin
as he extended his beefy paw to
David Manley. alias the Laughing
Mask.
THE END.1