The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-12

for several moments Of silence at the
strange figure in the arm chair.
Who are you?" the gTiIn-faced old
flnancier finally demanded. But the
girl remained silent. She scarcely
knew what was expected of her.
81 don't know" answered the girl.
He held her face between his
hands, peering into it. Then. with a
weary shake of the head he dropped
his hands.
at was too much to expect" he
huskily murmured. TOO much to
hope fort"
ION, sir. what had you hoped for?"
she managed to ask.
~ hope for nothing" was the
broken mans reply. But once had
q daughter, and / lost her"
How did you lose herr"
"She was stolen from me as a
child
"And what became of herr"
God only knows! Yet, for a mo-
rnent ] was mad enough to think,
to hope But l have no longer any
right to hope" he added with sudden
passion. "All | ask is that once be-
fore | die / meet face to face that
one-armed devil with his scar of
shame!"
"One-armed, and with SCARF"
cried the startled girl, leaning sud-
denly forward in her chair.
why, it was a one-armed man
with a SCARED face who kept me a
prisoner! 1t was he, Legar, who
always told me my parents were
dead"
"Legar!'' repeated the bewildered
millionaire. "Legar? But my mans
name was Palidori." By this time
Golden was once more on his rect,
his excitement increasing every mo-
nent.
Girl. let me see your armH
With trembling fingers he thrust
up the fiimsy sleeve, staring breath
lessly at the milk-white skin. Then
n groan of disappointment broke
from his throat.
mo, the mark Is not theret"
What mark?" asked the wonder
ing girl.
MY daughter carried scar on her
right arm My men. when she was
a child on Windward Island. caught
and killed a shark. The child, when
no one watched her, thrust hand in
between the brute's jaws. Those
dying Jaws closed on the flesh, and
an iron bar had to be used to open
them again. And they said that scar
would always stay with her.
The girl, wide-eyed, dropped back
into the armchair.
why, ! seem to remember, she
said, staring before her. Il seem 10
remember years ago, rows and rows
of sharp teeth and the sudden pain
as those teeth came together"
But the scarf" cried Golden.
There is no scarf"
III seem to remember about that,
too. II was long after, after Legar
had brought me across water, ana
then miles and miles in railway
train. | remember him taking me to
n man who wore round eyeglasses.
and showing him my arm. This man
gave me something to make me sleep.
But when / wakened my arm was
sore again, for weeks and weeks. And
Golden, your house viii be In dan"
ger
But who are you?"
I'm Eastman of the central off1ce,
and I've warned you. That's air.
lIanley, returning from his errand,
at the same moment stepped into the
room from another door He stared
at the girl as he stopped to pick up
his pocket camera.
Fle are yeu?" he pertly inquired.
as Golden re-entered the room.A
when 1t healed the scar was gone. 4
remember" But she stopped sud-
denly. for the telephone bell close be-
side Golden shrilled out sudden call
Mechanically the man at the desk
"a u ctii an
the girl facing him.
''This is Eastman of the central Of
fee speaking" said the voice over the
wire. "A short while ago young
woman was seen entering your
house."
We'll, what OF IT." was the i'm
patient inquiry.
Our Office merely wants to warn
you that that girl Is Blonde Casey,
the come-on for the Cookson gang.
She's the smoothest swindler in the
business. And as long as that baby
eyed she-crook is in your house.
But his eyes the next moment were
on neither Golden nor the girl. His
gaze passed beyond those two
strangely diverse figures to yet o
third. the crouching figure Of an
eavesdropper clinging to the wistaria
vines that framed the huge window
on the far side of the room.
Manley. crossing the room on the
run. took the window. glass and all,
III one leap. He landed on a hydran-
gea bush even as the burly caves
dropper dropped to the grass beside
him.
49,
But Maniey, bent on running down
that unknown interioper. was already
close at his neels. Still dazed as he
was from his blow, Manley reached
the car, swung himself up on the run
ning-board and as the driver re-