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

V threw aside the magazine
AAv which she had been listlessly
Y~ thumbing, and springing t.
her feet, crossed rapidly Il
the window of her cool, white bed
room. AS she stood gazing out with
unseeing eyes q little frown of vexa-
ton puckered her forehead. From
the open windows of the spacious liv.
ipg-room on the first floor came the
subdued murmur of voices. But tG
Margery's straining ears not q wore
Of that low-toned conference was au-
Gible. Occasionally she heard the
rumble of Captain Brackets voice
more strident and authoritative thar
the others.
The resentful officer of the law ha6
conceived the idea that on more thar
one occasion Margery had aided and
abetted the Laughing Mask in slip
ping through his fingers, and it was
foi that reason she was now ex-
cluded from the deliberations where
the capture of the elusive masque-
raider was under discussion. In an
ticipation of this very state of affairs
Margery had devised an ingenious
method for learning the plans of the
detectives.
Having ascertained that the con-
ference was in full swing, she quickly
went to a small wicker table and,
taking off the telephone receiver,
held it pressed tightly to her ear.
Her wire was a house extension con-
nected with the trunk line which ran
into the living room, where her father
and the officers were now gathered.
In that room the telephone standard,
resting on a heavy mahogany table,
had been skillfully tempered with.
Under the black metalled receiver,
hanging with it's haring mouth re-
versed SO as to more readily catch
the sound waves, a number of books
were piled in such a disorderly fash
ion as not to attract attention. But
the topmost of those books propped
up the receiver just enough to per-
nit the supporting hook to spring UP
and open the circuit.
Over this cleverly improvised die
taphone Margery could hear every
word spoken by the men sitting
around that table. Presently the
booming voice of the police captain
came to the ears of the listening girl.
when I go after man I don't
quit till I get him." she heard him
announce in self-laudatory tones. II
landed that one-armed crook, Jules
Legar, in cell all right, an. tell
you, Mr.. Golden, if it hadn't been
for your daughter interferin' I'd had
the bracelets on the Laughing Mask
long ago."
Whether the aged banker would
have resented this open declaration
that his daughter had shielded q
supposedly notorious criminal was q
question destined never to be an
swered, for at that moment Margery
heard the door shut behind new
arrival, and again it was Captain
Brackets voice which reached he.
as he impatiently questioned the de-
tective who had just entered.
4 y y
What are you doin' here, WAL
ters? Didn't you get the orders 1
sent you by Jenkins to take Legar
out of that chicken-coop they call a
jail out here, an keep yourself hand
cuffed to him every minute until he
was safe in the Tombs?
Il got your orders, Chief" came
a hesitating voice, presumably that
of the sleuth called Walters, "but
I've got some bad news for you.
Legar's broke Jail. He croaked Jen-
kins and made clean getaway"
A little silence followed the explo-
sion of this astounding verbal bomb
shell, a silence broken by cor,-
fusion of startled EXPLANATIONS, pune
tuated by the wrathful oaths of the
irate police captain.
An you call yourself detective?"
he berated the unlucky Walters.
You ought to be out poundin' the
pavements. What excuse have yo,,
got for lettin' the crook give you the
slip?"
Then Margery heard the hurried
tones of the censured detective as h.
launched into an account of the
strange escape of Jules Legar.
u don't see where lin to blame
chief" he began in a somewhat ag-
grieved voice. II seen Jenkins aroun'
noon. He was goin' into the Jail with
tray from the restaurant. He stops
and gives me your orders and says |
80 VOAA wall OutSlQo Until Lee
gar had his feed. That seemed rea-
sonable, an hung aroun' for bout
half an hour. Then, when Jenkins
didn't come out, I commenced to get
kind O. uneasy like an I steps inside
to see what was goin' on" The mar
rator paused briefly as though over
come with some terrible memory
then continued in a constrained tone
Lynn face down In the corridor
found jenkins. just outside of Legar's
cell. The cell was empty, with the
door standin' open and Jenkins key
in the lock. We combed every inch
OF that Jail, but Legar had disap-
pcared without leavin' trace behind
him. / could tell by the looks of Jen-
kins that he was dead. but when
turned him over I got an awful shock
His face was all twisted up with suf-
ferin' and full Of deep lines and
wrinkles. Then seen his hair was
all streaked with gray. When he
spoke to me he was a healthy young
Teller. but when / found him he was
like some old man about 70, what had