The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-09-20
1.-THE IRON CLAMW''
Tread this story in the Palladium
and see il at the Palace.

Tread this story in the Palladium
and see It at the Palaee.l
'well get 1he divil!" announced
O'Mara as he slipped away. And while
waiting for his return the Laughing
Mask sent Peggy for . cupful Of -four.
With this he powdered her hands and
iblanched her thin young face. Dan
O'Mara had stepped back into the
house before the masked visitor had
completed his task.
Now, ! want that sniper to think
he's done his work, don't want him
to break from cover until your friends
have surrounded that house. So take
your daughter and carry her out. just
rs though she were dead girl"
Dan O'Mara, doing as he was d.
rected, stepped from the doorway with
his own white-faced daughter hanging
limp in his arms. He acted his part
with a sincerity that was not without
conviction. For. two minutes after he
had staggered into the open with that
apparently sad burden, the sniper from
the suffered house was detected slip
ping out of cellar window and sour
rying along a broken fence.
That escape. however, came before
Dan O'Mara's friends could completely
take up their position about the sus-
pected house. But one Of those friends
caught sight of the fugitive in tho
Strengthening cape, the alarm was
given, and the pursuit began.
It was not long chase, but 1t was
q stern one. Determined as those in
dignant factory-toilers were to run
down the mysterious gunman SO wan
tonly threatening their homes, the
fleeing Mauki proved himself starting
ly feet Of foot. He gained sufficiently
on his pursuers to round corner,
dodge into an empty coalshed, and
emerge a moment later as a stopped
old woman in amber.colored spectacles
and q rusty gray wig. Being obviously
hard Of hearing, this same old woman
could not give much information to
the group Of excited men suddenly &C.
costing her as she hobbled across the
street.
Five minutes later swarthy.skinned
man with wiry black hair was hurry
ing across country to one of the we'll
concealed dens OF Jules Legar, where
he duly reported to the Iron Claw the
news Of his enemy's ruse and his own
narrow escape.
Before the second day had passed
Legar had evolved yet another plan
for the subjugation Of his enemies
This took the form Of a decoy mes
sage delivered to the unsuspecting
Peggy O'Mara, purporting to be a
hasty request from Frank Aimick to
come to his studio at nine o'clock that
night. to the end that he might hurry
to completion one Of his unfinished
canvases for which the girl was act
ing as q costume model Legar ana
two of his followers, in the meantime,
entered Aimick's studio on the pre-
tense Of being fire marshal's inspec-
tor, caught the artist of his guard,
and carried him bound and gagged and
rooms OF the studio building.
Peggy herself. before starting out
in answer to that summons, was still
somewhat uneasy in mind over recent
events. So she left word with her
father to call for her not later than
eleven o'clock.
But more than Dan O'Mara called
for his daughter that night, for ten
minutes after her departure from the
cottage Margery Golden's limousine
drew up at the door. Margery's eyes
widened when OMara explained the
reason OF his daughters absence from
home.
But an artist like Frank Aimick
would never be able to work at night"
she argued. with growing alarm. HE
must have daylight for working in
color"
Dan OMara turned to the table at
his side
Here's his message, plain as day,
written in his own handwritin'," was
the puzzled workman's only explana-
ton.
Margery took the message in her
hand and studied 1t. Then her color
faded little.
THAT is not Frank Aimick's writ
ing" she suddenly announced.
1--WE must get to that studio as fast
as my car can carry US.
Peggy O'Mara. in the meantime, |
was being confronted by more than !
one surprise. The first came with her
arrival at the Aimick studio, when |
the stranger who opened the door IN
response to her knock informed her
that the artist was out, but would re. |
turn in minute or two. The Sec
ond came with the quiet movement |
of yet another man who sided up to
che studio door and promptly locked