The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-12-30

unsuspecting chauffeur had stepped
on the crOss-marked lagstOne. for II
was now several inches lower than
the rest of the floor. And this, OBJ
viously. had released a steel arm
which had swung suddenly forward and
swept the startled intruder flat
against the stone wall, holding him
there as in a wise And as he stood .
pinioned there a great block OF gran
tie. released by some hidden ma
chinery. was slowly descending from .
the roof of the corridor. Margery .
quickly manipulated the chains and re- .
leased the chauffeur.
Let me at EN-" he shouted, BRAN .
dishing the automobile wrench which /
he still carried in his hand. Just /
let me at 'em,"
It's no use" cried Margery, hold
ing him back They have gone, the
lot Of them. And we've got to follow
quickly, or thereIl be a whole fam
lily meet a worse fate than yours
might have been tonight"
She had taken the wrench from his
hand and was leading him out of the
tunnel mouth by this time, explain
ing that he would have to bring his
taxicab from it's hiding place and at
once start in pursuit of the Iron Claw.
But these explanations came to sud
den and an uneXpecte ending, for Le-
gar and his followers, skulking in the
bushes. caught that betraying SOUND
| of voices and saw chance that was
| too good TO be missed They closed in
on the girl and the taXi-driver. Yet
that sullen-spirited driver, when cor
nered. fought with an energy so ex
| plOsive that the entire circle became
! involved in the struggle. 1t was Le-
| gar himself, and only Legar, who had
the presence of mind to direct the at
tention towards the girl He swung
suddenly about and started for her.
| She saw him coming, raised the heavy
wrench which she still carried in her
hand, and sent it fiat against his bony
temple Before her stunned assailant
could get to his feet again she turned
and darted off through the bushes.
reached the road. and ran on through
the moonlight, with her breath COM
ing in little gasps of fatigue.
So colorless was her face as the be-
wildered Dan O'AIara opened the door
that he started back in alarm. And
her words were even more disturb
ing
Come away" she called out.
Come quick, or it will be too late!"
And what's wrong now?" asked
the astounded householder.
Get Peggy" gasped the girl as she
stared frantically about the little
room. Get her away from here, quick!
The house has been mined! There's
been a bomb left here, and any mo-
ment-"
She stopped speaking. for the pun
gent smell of powder smoke had as
sailed her nostrils. Then from the
open window, in which a somewhat
neglected flower-box stood, came a
faint sputter of sound, one moment
lower and the next moment louder
And drifting in from the flower-boS
she could see a thin trail of gray
smoke.
She ran to the window. Lying il
the fiower-box she saw a heavy
cylinder of metal. Even before she
caught sight of the time-fuse which
quietly Kissed and burned at one enc
of the cylinder, she knew what it was
, It was the Internal machine which LIE
CARS agent had placed there to de
stroy the house. And at any momen
the explosion might take place.
Margery caught the heavy cylinde
: up in her hands. She even tried L
, blow out the fuse. But this was use
, less. Then she tried to tear 1t away
But this second effort was equal
; fruitless. And sheer panic took pc:
> session of her at the thought OF he
helplessness. The bomb dropped fror
o her fingers to the floor. She made on
q instructive effort to warn poor youn
n Peggy O'Mara away, as the girl ra
: to her side. But instead of repeatin
e that warning she let her arms clos
q about the slender body as though 1
n mute acknowledgment that she knew
, was already too late. For the fuse. sh
could see, was burning down into tn
"a end of the cylinder itself. She eve
o closed her eyes, awaiting the inc
table.
Ia She opened them again, at the SCUM
10 Of a sudden step. She opened the
.. to see a masked figure dart into tt
a room, catch up the smoking met
n. cylinder, and with one and the san
~ movement hurl it out through II
n open window.
al The next moment a great deton
n. ton shook the walls of that house, rs
IA thing the windows and driving cloi
w of mingled dust and smoke in throul
m every opening.
ar The bomb had exploded. But Il
Of house of O'Mara still stood. Al
on Peggy and her father stared ope
m mouthed at the newcomer. who,
bv stead of staring back at them, sto'
err intently regarding Margery Golden.
THE Laughing Mask" said tn
Oh somewhat shaken young lady. in lit
or more than a whisper.
ed AT your service," replied the mi
XIV in the yellow mask, with a half-hu
or BILE and half-mocking bow az he stoc
nd for one fleeting moment, In the nj
Ter row doorway.