The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-13

sudden startled whisper as she looked down at her feet. For there's mans face starin' at that window now!"
 Legar remained motionless.
 What face!" he quietly asked.
 Its the man in the Laughing Mask!" was the whispered response.
 Legar continued to stare at her. still motionless.
 That means he came up by the fire escape" meditated the fugitive. And that means Red Egan must surely have seen him."
 What do you want me to do?" asked the woman.
 ''Keep on talking as though you'd seen nothing. Then cross to that closet door and open it!"
 The girl began to cross the room. But a sudden call from Legar ar rested the movement. Its all right" was the latter's exultant cry. "Red Egan's got him!'
 The next moment the man with his arm in a sling had thrown the band age aside and was running toward the window that opened on the fire- escape landing.
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 On that narrow ledge of sheet metal, wedged in between the win dow sash and the escape railing, a terrific combat was already taking place. It was combat that shook the iron brackets in that sheer wall of hrioly If was a o1osa o11artar an counter that sent a clenched fist crashing through the glass in the window itself, that brought gasps and grunts and snarls from the en- battled figures wedged so intimately together Even before Legar could get the window open the Laughing Mask, by an adroit jiu-jitsu move ment of the body, succeeded in pin ming the winded Red Egan down on the fire-escape platform. But already second sentry of Legar's was swarming up that narrow metal stairway, and all the attention of the man in the mask had to be directed toward his new adversary.
 It was while countering the on- slaught of this second enemy that the Laughing Mask became conscious of still another point of attack. For as he fought there, on his knees, astride the panting form of Red Egan, an iron claw reached viciously out over the window sill behind him and fixed itself in his shoulder. The next moment he was being hauled bodily in through the open window,
 irp ynt al od young woman assisting in the opera ton by embedding her fingers in the hair of his head and pulling with all the strength of her lusty young arms.
 And there's one on the bean, for luck!" she shrilled with the ardor of much pent-up indignation as she brought her tightly clenched fist down on the forehead of the man in the mask.
 But ready hands were there to take possession of that battered and breathless captive.
 Put him in that chair!" exultantly commanded Legar And Red Egan and his accomplice flung the Laugh ing Mask bodily into the green-tap- estried wingchair that stood in the center of the room.
 ''Now, what'll we do with him 9" demanded the panting Red Egan, with an anticipatory lick of the lips, for there was more than one old score, he remembered. still to be evencd up.
 Leave him to mel" announced Legar, studying his captive out of narrowed and sinister eyes Then the man with the iron claw stepped slow ly and studiously closer to the chair in which the helpless Laughing Mask sat. for the light in the room was none too clear.
 'So, you're the man of mystery, are you? You're the hero who keeps dead-wall between him and the world, eh? Well, my valiant hero, we'll soon put your visor up!"
 The man in the mask, as he heard those mocking words, started to his feet. But the two men beside him quickly flung him back again into the chair.
 Hold him there!' commanded Legar, drawing still closer to his captive.
 Williamsburg Sadie, with her