Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1916-08-10

The Girl
mother is?" asked Margery, gathering
up her skirts as she glanced into tn,
dingy storeroom feebly lighted by it
one dingy electric bulb.
"I'll be back in minute, ma'am,' tn,
girl replied, only too glad of any rea
sonable excuse for disappearing.
i Margery, in the meantime, peeret
doubtfully about the somber building
in which she found herself 80 unex
pectedly visitor. Along one side Of
the room in which she stood she could
make out dark masses Of dye wood
piled as high as her head. Beside this
she saw, in the uncertain light, an
open pit filled with water. Into one
side of this pit ran cement-walled
sluiceway, stained almost black, with
a watergate set in the upper part OF
it's channel. The opening in the far
side of the pit, which was guarded by
a heavy iron grill as big as a park
| gate, led into a high-walled cavern
across which stretched number of
huge steel drums. Set in these drums
were rows of knife-edged cleavers.
| The polished surfaces of these great
blades of steel shone ominously in the
half-light.
Margery was still staring at the
| great drums bristling with cleavers
when with a suddenness that startled
her the electric lights were thrown on
across the roof of the chamber. She
wheeled about quickly to discover the
cause for this. AS she did so, an invol-
untary gasp escaped from her lips. For
standing beside the door, with his fin.
ger still on the switch, the Iron Claw
himself confronted her.
why are you afraid of me?" he con-
fldently purred. For the girl drew
slowly away while he as slowly fol-
lowed after her, step by step. Then,
with movement that was feline in its
'ouickness, he flung out an arm and
seized her. Then he turned her DELHI
erately about until she faced the black.
walled sluiceway. But the girl shrank
back.
Don't be afraid of it, my dear" he
Knocked as he led her forcibly, step by
step, to the lip of the channel through
which the mill water was curling and
eddying. "In fact, want you to look
at 1t closely and understand 1t fully.
It's wonderful, wonderful for many
reasons. At the end of this sluice, you
see, is log mangle. have seen those
knives shred a six-inch timber in less
than a minutes time"
He turned and stared down at the
white-faced girl, drinking to the full
the dizzy wine of her terror, wringing
a voluptuous delight out of her word
less cape of horror. Then the look on
his face suddenly altered, and he
about, still clutching the girl
close to his side. He stood staring at
the door which he had locked but a
minute before. And his face sudden.
ly hardened as he saw the heavy iron
latch of that door move.
Margery, following his glance, also
watched that door, And when she
heard the thump Of heavy timber on
It's panels new hope sped through
her. That hope equipped her with
fresh strength. 1t prompted her to
struggle against the Iron Claw with
he utmost power Of her desperate
young body. But her enemy, for all
Ter efforts, was too much for her. Foot
~ foot he forced her back towards
he open sluiceway. Then, with NUT
cred gasp of f1nality and q sudden up
ward heave Of his shoulders, he flung
he girl headlong into the water.
AS he did so the door burst open.
'or the heavy-hearted Peggy O'Mara,
fter slipping guiltily away from the
luiceroom where she had left her
ute unsuspecting victim, awakened I
Of. the first time to the full enormity
{ her offense. AS she stood there in !
ne darkness, staring back at the dark
lass Of the factory walls, the aches of Q
emorse lay heavy on her young heart. K
She was standing there, with tears o
helplessEess in her eyes, when a 6
CURE stepped up to her. She would s
ave fed, incontinently, at the ap- b
roach OF that intruder. But the d
ranger held her with a gently re- b
raining hand. And as she peered up C
his face she saw that 1t was the b
an In the laughing mask. Il
THE righting Of wrongs is part Of Il
y business In life. Can help your" u
The girl hesitated. al
yes" she finally confessed, with a 81
lrst Of tears. And through her sobs h,
70 brokenly recounted as much 80 Ii
Q dared OF that nights proceedings. h
1t she continued to weep. st
And me father'll be goin' to the tn
N for what I'm tellin' you" she Of
.iled out in her misery.