Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-04-08
THE EVENING CAPITAL ANNAPOLIS, MD. APRIL s 1916


Stein and Legar and two OF his un
known accomplices. Manley advanced
silently into the room, crouchiug low
as he Went. For on the table he had
already caught sight OF the blueprint
OF STEMS protector apparatus. So
holding his breath. he crept closer and
still closer. He had The blueprint in
his hand, but beseTe he could slip
back from the.able edge his presence
was detected and his retreat cut or
He darted for the window. going
through it like circus rider through
q paper hoop.
A minute later the conspirators
were after him But Manley. rolling
through a clump of shrubbery and
doubling rabbitlike on his pursuers,
lodged under cover BY the time he
had recovered his breath and his wits
he slipped unobseryed from the
grounds, rounded the block and
climbed into his waiting taxlcab.
Police headquarters! he told the
driver
Brief as was Manlcys visit TO police
headquarters. that call resulted in
sudden aud Startling movement from
tie great gray structure In Center
street. For the mysterious fires were
now breaking out even in crowded
tenements on the East side. keeping
bewildered Ere department shut
Ting impotently back and forth
The attack on Legars skyline quar-
ters 4yas feyerishy hurried and yet
a surprisingly orderly one. 1t was not
until the police reached the top floor
that the elevator came to a stop.
At the same moment that they
poured out into the narrow hallway
mechanician in lis shirt sleeves
opened the door leading from Legar's
private workroom and started down
the hall. before he could retreat Of.
slam shut that door the neutenant's
revolver was covering him. Reach
ing back to his hin his hand was al
ready on the butt OF a blue-metaled
automatic Before ne could whip cut
that we7Bnn however the hemenart's
quick eye cor E5ed the move
ment ana his own arm spoke frst.
The ahnt-sleeyea gure fell in a
heap where he had stood in the open
doorway
At the sound OF that shot. from
within could be heard sudden calls
and shouts and hurrying steps
That's Legar" cried Manley, as he
caught sight of the one-armed figure
side by side with q bespectacled Ger
man striving and fighting to push
shut the intervening door But the
fallen mans body lay in the way, and
the door refused to close. Before that
body could be dragged to one side,
the lieutenant and his men were IN
through the door, welding night
sticks and flashing firearms
It was Manley himsalz who caught
ND chair and brought it crashing
down on strangely complicated mech.
anism standing squarely in the light
OF the Tower window
But Legar himself had not been
idle At the first wild charge into his
tower room, the master criminal had
dropped crouching behind 4 work.
table, darted across to his parcel
chute and there touched a hidden
spring. The next moment the chute
stood open and Legar was descend.
ing like a plummet to the floor below.
But not before Marley had caught
sight of his vanishing head and start.
ed in pursuit
Manley was joined minute later by
the police. In the meantime Legar
had escaped to the street by way OF
the fire escape.
He hailed a taxicab and hurried
eastward to the Owls Nest. Two
minutes after Legar went rocking and
swerving eastward he was followed
by stranger in a second cab This
stranger drove straight TO the water
front, two blocks to the north, dis.
missed his taxi. and earnestly con.
ferred with roughly-dressed long.
shoreman, who later rounded the slip
in rowboat and took the stranger
aboard.
Legar, in his quarters beneath the
Owls Nest, was in anything but an
amiable mood. He stared about at
his coterie of unsayory confederates.
a CLEAN of triumph showed in his
narrowing eyes as he spied white
faced girl in a chair near the fireplace.
so we've got you back, little one?"
he Knocked
She WINGED as he wheeled her
roughly about. but remained silent.
A sleepy-eyed parrot, standing on
its perch beside the empty fireplace,
stirred uneasily at Legar's rough
movements. The girl rising slowly
from her chair, stared into Legar's
evil face
What are you going TO do with
me?' she demanded
Legar laughed.
You won't be asking questions
about it, when you find out!
Courage, little one, courage," said
low yet distinct voice
Legar, at the sound, wheeled sud-
denly about.
Who taught that damned bird to
talk?" he demanded. There was
stir of uneasiness about the room.
Why, cap, that parrot can't talk"
declared the tremulous coke-snuffer
at the end of the table, 1T never
could talk"
Then who said .fs,,.,ra, ers,- 81 ,.a1loa