The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-07-15

Mother to Look After.
He will not" avowed the Laughing
Mask, with decision. Hell have
more than help before this night isl
over, and q better Job and clear con-
science before another one connect
But tell me first where you left this
girl you brought out from the city,"
Inside the door o. the siuiceroom
there"
Good Godl" gasped the, man IN the
mask. Then he caught the spindle
legged Peggy O'Mara by the hand and
started for the shadowy pale OF tho fac
tory on the run. "ouick!- no said as
he ran, show me the doorl"r
The half.breathiess girl pointed IL
out to him. But as be ran up to Il he
found Il 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 It's
weight seemed moro than he could
manage, promptly ran TO his assist.
Ancc. -.----~.ss-.- a~..-.---e
Now. come together" he said. "for
we've rot to knock that door mi"
Twice. three times. they charged the
door before II gave way. But the mo-
ment It's panels crashsd In the Laugh
Ing Mask laapsd through the opening.
AS he did so he caught sight OF the
two struggling figures on the brink
OF the blackened runway. As he saw
the figure OF the woman flung headlong
into the open siuiceway he leaped with
q shout towards the one-armed man
who stood on It's brink. But that one
armed man. with q iightninglike move
ment. whipped revolver from his
pocket, swung round on the intruder.
and fired.
The Laughing Mask wheeled hale
way about. staggered a step or two,
and then fell forward on his face
The wide.eyed Peggy OMara. 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 beligerent-
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. Tho
most she could do was to distract and
harry him for 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 a
sickening thud. sent her body against
the solid masonry OF the factory wall.
She lay there stunned. without NOV
Ing. moaning brokenly with pain. an
Legar darted back to the control lever
OF the mangie drums and shifted that
lever TO the spot marked start" The
next moment he had thrown over tho
switch OF the sluicegate control
He ventured one triumphant glance
In the direction OF tho whirring
mangle knives and the slowly ascend
ing gate. Then, with grimace OF sat.
isfaction. he leaped over tho inert
body OF the Laughing Mask. ran TO tho
Had that digit been less hurried
Legar might have observed that the
eyes OF the Laughing Mask were open.
J and the inert body. weak as Il was
from the loss OF blood from q flesh
wound In the hip, was already pain
Z fully gathering itself together for some
predetermined movement. That move
ment, waverins and unsteady as IL
was, took the crawling man directly To
the control board Of the water manGIe.
There. by q supreme EFFORT. he raised
himself to his feet. CROPPED about with
an unsteady hand. and swung back
| tho lever.
The next moment the roar OF tho
machinery stopped. the threshing
knives stood poised. But Il had been
only IN the nick OF time. For Mar
gerry Golden, who had chung to tho
sluicegate until It's Withdrawing bars
had compelled her TO relax her last
| desperate clutch on les bars and drop
back into the black tide carrying her
closer and closer 90 those failing
blades OF death. nov caught and chung
to a graphitecovered driving chain lit
tie more han q yard from the fore
most .nangle drum which lowered
above her like an open law. And an
she chung there, renewing wave OF
hope swept through her body. for from
the sluiceway wall above her she could
hear a relssuring II somewhat un-
steady voice calling down TO her. And
that voice, she know. was tho voice
| AZ the Laughing Maxi