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


through the open window. AS Enoeh
Golden saw that the knotted sheets
only recalled half way down the side
of the house, he Immediately reached
the conclusion that Margory had
been so extremely angered by her
temporary imprisonment as to at
tempt an escape by this foolhardy
method. With visions of his idolized
daughter lying crushed amid the
shrubbery under the window, the old
banker, half beside himself with
anxiety, rushed frantically down the
stairs and out around the house. with
the astonished detectives close be-
hind him.
At the moment when all her jailers
were wildly searching for her bat
tered remains, a demure- faced girl
slipped quietly out of her bedroom
closet, and making her way out of
the house by the back door, ran light
ly toward the garage, in front of
which her high-powered roadster was
standing. The puzzled group under
Margory's window had found no trace
of her lifeless body, but they sud-
denly saw a decidedly animated girl
driving gray roadster, tearing past
them down the graveled drive. And
when the car swerved into the high
way that girl even had the effront-
cry to send them little derisive fare
well f1utter of her slender white
hand.
When Margory finally threaded her
way through the cross town streets
and brought her. car to a stop close
to the entrance of the blind alley
on the south side of Washington
Square, the great moon was just ris-
ing over the battlement of sky
scrapers, and by it's mellow luster
she could discern the outlines of
ruinous old dwelling standing at the
foot of that gloomy and forbidding
alley. With the exception of single
light family glimmering in one of
the upper stores, The house was in
total darkness.
AS Margory paused in front of the
dismal old rookery she suddenly per-
ceived in the moonlight a shadowy
form mounting steadily upward on
the narrow fire-escape ladder. When
that stealthy prowler stepped onto
the iron platform just outside the
lighted window she saw it was the
daring masker and realized she was
too late to warn him. Before she
could attract his attention he eau
tiously raised the window and van
1shed into that house of mystery.
But she quietly determined he should
not be taken unawares by his enc
mics. Under the fire escape she
found a dilapidated ash barrel, and
by standing on this shaky pedestal
she gained foothold on the lowest
rung of the rusty metal ladder. When
she had CROPPED her way to the land
ing she saw an empty dimly lighted
chamber. But through doorway
leading from that room came white
flood of illumination and the sound
of angry voices.
She slipped into the empty bedroom
and, warily crossing the floor, stood
in spellbound wonder gazing through
the open doorway. That heavily shut
tered room into which she was peer
ing was fitted up like the we'll
equipped laboratory of scientist. A
powerful light cast it's rays over a
long work bench Uttered with micro
culture mediums and the various
other tools used by the intercollegiate
for research purposes. Backed UP
against this bench stood the tense fig
ure of nliddle-aged man with droop-
ing eyelids and the pasty gray COM
plexion that betrayed the habitual
use of some noxious drug.
He had apparently been interrupted
in the midst of his Investigations, for
on the bench, just behind him, was
some object protected from the light
by a strip of thin toweling, long
platinum needle used in extracting
germ colonies from their cultures, a
compound microscope and an open
note book for recording the result Of
his labors. Facing the intimidated
drug fiend stood the Laughing Mask,
the black muzzle Of his revolver a
few inches distant from the pallid
forehead Of that once distinguished
scientist, who was apparently play
ing for time. Presently the masked
wrong Fighter spoke in a stern and
determined manner.
\ 4 \
my patience is about exhausted,
Skidmon," he said to the man shrink
ing back against the bench, land un-
less YOU write that confession clear
ing me of those crimes committed by
Legar with your devilish assistance,
l am going to shoot you through the
head with as little conjunction as
though you were mad dog. Your
terrible poisons have been responsible
for more than one unsolved murder
and society will be well rid Of you
This convincing threat had the de-
sired effect, for the stoQp-shouldered
biologist moved sullenly toward a
small; writing desk standing near the
window. AS his reluctant pen Travelled
slowly over the sheet of foolscap.
the Laughing Mask stood looking
over his shoulder, prompting the
others delinquent memory with an
occasional quiet word and the in
sistent menace Of that ever ready
revolver. The details of those abb
horrent crimes. committed in cold
blood by Legar for the sole purpose
of setting the police upon his enemy
had practically been completed when
shrill and penetrating whistle
sounded from the alley.
The Laughing Mask turned quickly
to the nearby window and, throw
ing back the shutters, leaned out
and strove to ascertain the meaning
Of that forboding signal. For a mo-
ment only he relaxed his guard over
the crafty poisoner, but that moment
gave to Skidmon the chance he had
been seeking. Before the startled
girl. watching through the doorway
could cry out word Of warning, he