The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-09-15
Tread this story in tho Palladium
= nd see IL at the Palace1

Tread this story in tho Palladium
end see 1t at the Palace.
1es," she finally confessed. with q
burst of tears. And through her sobs
she brokenly recounted as much ..s
she dared of that nights proceedings.
But she continued to weep.
And me father'll be goin' to the
pen for what I'm tellin' you." she
walled out in her misery.
He will not" avowed tho Laughing
Mask. with decision. He'll have
more than help before this night 10
over, and better Job and clear con.
science before another one comes!
But tell me first where you left this
girl you brought out from the city,"
Inside the door O. the sluiceroom
there"
Good God!" gasped the man N the
mask Then he caught the spindle
legged Peggy O'Mara by the hand and
started for the shadowy pile Of the fac
tory on the run. "Quick!" he said as
he ran, SHOW me the door,"
The half-breathless girl pointed It
out to him. But as ne ran up to 1t he
found 1t locked. He stopped and fran
tically caught Up piece Of timber al
most as long and heavy as his own
body. Peggy O'Mara. seeing that its
weight seemed more than he could
manage, promptly ran to his assist.
lnce.
Now, come together" he said, "for
we've got to knock that door I'M"
Twice. three times, they charged the
door before it gave way. But the mo-
ment its panels crashed In the Laugh
ing Mask leaped through the opening.
AS he did SO he caught sight Of the
two struggling figures on tho brink
OF the blackened runway. AS he saw
the figure Of the woman flung headlong
into the open sluiceway he leaped with
q shout towards the one-armed man
who stood on it's brink. But that one.
armed man. with lightninglike move
ment, whipped revolver from his
pocket, swung round on the intruder,
and fired.
The Laughing Mask wheeled half
way about, staggered step or two,
and then fell forward on his face.
The wide-eyed Peggy O'Mara, fol-
lowing at his heels, saw both that fall
and the fact that the Iron Claw had al.
ready leaped towards the control
BOARD Of the water mangle. Peggy
screamed aloud, shrilly and belligerent.
ly as she leaped for the man already
before the control board. She caught
at him, clawing at his appraised arm,
fought him with every jot Of her thin.
blooded girlish body.
But she was no match for that de-
termined and malignant opponent. The
most she could do was to distract and
harry him for a precious moment or
two. Then, realizing she was factor
TO be eliminated without scruple, he
caught her bodily up from the floor,
raised her above his head, and with
sickening thud. sen. her body against
the solid masonry Of the factory wall.
She lay there stunned, without NOV.
ing. moaning brokenly with pain, as
Legar darted back to the control lever
of the mangle drums and shifted that
lever to the spot marked start" The
next moment he had thrown over the
switch Of the sluicegate control.
He ventured one triumphant glance
In the direction of the whirring
mangle knives and the slowly ascend.
ing gate. Then. with grimace of sat.
isfaction. he leaped over tho inert
body Of tho Laughing Mask. ran to the
door, and disappeared in the darkness.
Had that fight been less hurried
Legar might have observed that the
eyes Of the Laughing Mask were open,
and the inert body, weak as 1t was