The Yale expositor., 1916-10-12

gering into the nav OF the open vault.
and with a. throaty. and beastlrke CRY
of triumph swung the great steel door
shut, even as the partly-dressed VIII
son ran gaping in through the library
door. Yet. Legar took ticRe to throw
back the taImbler lever and spin the
dial before turning TO confront that
wide-eyed. servant Then, hearing
other approaching steps, be dove
through the second door, scurried like
pelted hound through shadowy
rooms slipped eel-like through a
quickly opened window and escaped
to the' street.
There he ran for q dark kbodied car
standing In the deep tree shadows,
and. with gasp OF relief flung himself
up, into the cushioned seat.
AS he did so a masked figure sitting
orouched close back in the hooded
gloom of that seat suddenly threw out
a hand and garroted the startled Le-
gar against the leather upholstery, on
which he began to writhe like a cater.
? pillar on a cabinet pin. But with an
equally deft second movement the
man in the yellow mask snatched the
oblong MANILA paper from his oppo-
nent's hand.
This blandly announced the man
OF mystery as his garroting fingers re-
laxed and he stepped down to the run.
ming board. is one of the rare mo-
ments when have the pleasure OF
trumping your ace!"
And the all but apoplectic Legar lay
back gasping for breath as that stran.
ger dropped lightly from the speeding
car and vanished shadowlike into the
night
At the homo of Enoch Golden, in the
meantime, the terrified Wilson had re-
gained both his feet, his presence of
: mind and a presentable portion of his
dignity. His frantic shouts for help
had brought the rest Of the servants
locking TO the library, and his equally
! frantic efforts to describe what had
taken place did not add to the peace
4 of that little group from below stairs.
t 81 tell you, Tibbins, Miss Margory's s
I locked in that vault, and there's No
3 one in the 'ouse as knows 'ow to open
+ it,"
Cries of horror burst from that sud
4 denly arrested circle.
l. Someone telephone fos the poliee."
r cried the second man, as Wilson
:, shouldered out through the group
t swarming and gesticulating about the
:. vault door. Yes, the police!"
r He had the instrument in his shak
o ing hand when the door opened and
Q David Manley stepped quickly in, with
9 Tito, the green-bodied parrot, on his
arm.
Q What's wrong hereT' was the new
B. comer's sharp demand.
Its Miss Margory. SIR" began the
y quavering-voiced butler.
"Well, what about Miss Margory?
d "She's locked in that vault, sir, anC
II no one in the 'ouse knows the combi
" nation!"
70 Good God!" cried Manley, sudden
Is ly transfixed. Then he ran to th'
a. vault door, fiinging the others aside.
Is F1inging off his coat, he bent owe
Is the dial. The silent group circleC
about him. And still he worked
is worked with every nerve on edge
r every sense alert, for time, he knew
is was precious.
W Il said silence there!" he calle,
lie out sharply, for his whole mind wa
ce directed to the faint click of meta
I'd against metal in front of him. Blu
ut louder than before the green-bodie
g. bird on its. broken perch repeated 1t
ly cry.
a. "Twenty-one thirty-forty-two-
ne sixty" was the shrill and monotonou
ar cry of the parrot, with, one eye cooke
k. ceilingward.
er Manley suddenly wheeled about.
er what in Gods name does that pa
he rot mean? Wait! 49,. 1t is. ..
1t must be'-But instead Of finishin
no that declaration he repeated tn
ed birds cry. 'Twenty-one, thirty, fort,
or two, sixty"
ds In the lext breath he was facing th
". vault door, with his trembling finger
ed turning and spinning the glimmerin
as dial.
h Then, without breathing. and wit
colorless face, his hand grasped I'll
a tumbler lever. And not one of thi
IN group moved as he put on that lev,
the pressure that would tell the tal
no It was Celestine the parlor ma
in who indorsed her Latin temperance
m. by falling back in a dead faint as Il
Id, metal door swung open. But no on
lid at that moment, was thinking of Cele
tine.
Ter ITS all right" Manley called fro
he the darkness OF the inner vault "She
err alive-she1l be around In . minute
DIV only somebody get some wstssi"
.sI tn IA CuSstAausAl