The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-02
terrific the
another cliff

to play in the contamination of this
scheme, which savored to certain
degree Of interruptions trickery. 1t
was only by tanning the smoldering
jealousy of the sorely tried girl that
he was at last able to wiring from her
reluctant consent to do his bid
ding.
r = y
1.-THE chances are he won't leave
that good-lookin'- doll for a minute,
even though he thinks you are in
terrible danger" had been his argu-
ment. which finally carried the day.
Fearing that his hesitating confed-
crate might exercise her wonan's
prerogative of suddenly changing her
mind. the willy strategist Immediately
put the first part of his plan into
execution. He went to the small ma
hogany writing desk standing in one
corner of the gunroom and busted
himself in clumsily guiding the pen
held in his thick fingers over a. half
sheet Of note paper.
This ought to do the trick If any,
thing WILL" he complacently an.
nounced. swinging about In his chair
after a few moments, Of Iahorinu.
effort, now let's get this thing
straight. I've signed Legar's name
to this here billydoo, and it's Just
about the way he'd have written Il
himself. It's addressed to Dutch
Frank in New York. and II says
Legar has rugged up a plant to decoy
You down to Wharton's Quarry at
o'clock this afternoon. an he wants
couple OF his strong-arm men sent
right out to help pull off the alb
ductin' job. and carry you back to
the city. Now we'll take this fake
message out to that big rock where
we've seen the Laughing Mask hang
In aroun' an drop 1t In plain sight,
kind of careless like, as though 1t
had slipped out of Legar's pocket.
Then IL our man comes along an he
amt too much taken up with his
new lady friend. he's pretty likely
to swallow this bait, hook an sinker,
an II he goes down to Wharton
Quarry at 4 o'clock this afternoon to
give you a hand like he used to do
he's goin' to get the biggest surprise
party of his life"
When the stocky captain OF police,
having planted his forged decoy in
a conspicuous spot near the lone
bowlder, returned to the waiting
girl in the iow-slung car, his face
was Enthusiastically stamped with self
satisfaction.
I've got a bunch we're goin' to
put 1t over this time," he confidently
asserted as he climbed heavily into
the automobile. There was nobody
aroun' an / put the paper where that
GRIMM masquerader can't miss IT..
Wen stop at the house for Kirby
and Jenkins an then go on down
to the quarry so as to be all ready for
your phoney hero"
+ y y
The jubilant police officer might
have lost some of his confidence in
the success OF his plan had he known
that from behind a sheitering thicket
two pairs of evil eyes had watched
his every movement from the time
the gray car had stopped by the road
side. Now that the coast was clear
there emerged from that thicket a
man with a wolfish, scar-marked face.
who stood waiting while his blond
lieutenant retrieved the white slip
of paper intended to entrap the
Laughing Mask. But scarcely had
these repellent lawbreakers left their
cover when the thicket was again
occupied by stealthily moving fig
ure.
The newcomer. straining to over
hear the conversation between Jules
Legar and Dutch Frank. wore that
familiar and derisive mask OF yellow.
Was that red-faced mutt tryin' to
send himself a letter by the rural de-
livery?" the man crouched in the
underbrush heard the light-haired
sangster ask Legar, who stood intent
ly studying Captain Brackets CHI
Biography.
There followed moment OF silence.
which was broken by q sharp excla-