Tensas gazette., 1916-12-01
FIFTH EPISODE
THE INTERVENTION OF TITO

David Manley was not altogether
proud Of his days work. AS he sat
tied and bound on the rough brick
floor beneath the Owls Nest that once
flippant-minded young man even ac-
knowledged that things looked rather
bad for him. He had been made
prisoner. The iron claw Of Legar had
reached suddenly out and closed about
him.
But David Manley did not altogether
give up. AS he lay there, sore in body,
but even more battered in mind. he
still spasmodically struggled with the
cords that held him hand and foot.
glad enough to be no longer gagged.
yet fretting, as all active animals must
fret, against his loss of freedam. But
Legar's men had not skimped their
Job So tight and we'll tied were those
strands of cotton rope about his limbs,
in fact, that they had already served
to arrest circulation.
The solitude of that unsavory den
did not add to his comfort. The mere
fact that Legar could see fit to leave a
prisoner thus unguarded impressed
the prisoner with the fact that his one
armed enemy was only too we'll as
sured of his power. And the more
Manley thought of Legar and his meth
ods the more that sinister figure seems
to bewilder him. He knew that Legar
was the unrelenting and eternal enemy
OF Enoch Golden. just as he had been
the enemy Of Golden's daughter Mar
CORY
The thought of Margory directed
Manley's mind back to the earlier
events of that strange day. He recalled
his long talk with that quiet-eyed girl
in the Quiet-toned shadows Of the
Golden library. II had been the first
talk between them into which the per-
sonal note had entered. He had en-
'Soyed that talk. for he had felt. as it
progressed, that the girl had begun to
realize he was her friend, that he want
ed to be her friend. She had ex-
planned why her father had been called
away from the city. She had even con-
fessed that she felt more secure know
ing Manley himself was within reach.
But the Quietness Of the Golden
home had proved to be nothing more
than a lull which precedes the sud-
den storm. For. five minutes after he
had left the smiling girl. the Golden
butler, with terror In his eyes. had
come running to him saying there was
q stranger in the house, stranger
who had been seen lurking about the
halls and had promptly disappeared
at the sight of one of the servants.
So Manley, forgetting everything else,
had promptly Joined in the search for
that mysterious intruder. And his first
thought, after doing SO, had been for
Margory Golden.
Hurrying to the library to make sure
of her safety, he had found her seated
at her fathers desk. quietly talking
over the telephone. And there had
been little in that scene not suggestive
of tranquility. For blinking placidly
down From its perch beside her had
stood Tito, Margory Golden's newly
acquired parrot. for which Manley HIM
self had small love. This feeling was
based, not 80 mach on the malevolent
air of wisdom surrounding that green
bodied filcher of human phrases. as on
the somewhat disturbing trick. taught
It by some earlier master, Of seeking
out gas Jets and turning them on the
moment 1t was freed from its chain.
Yet as It had stood close beside the
girl so busily talking over the tele-
phone 1t had seemed as companionably
innocent as a canary. And 1t had
turned to blink sagely at Manley as the
girl, apparently unconscious of his
presence, had crossed to the mahogany
faced vault set in the library wall and.
proceeded to open its ponderous door.
This had startled Manley not a little.
for the combination Of that vault was
a secret jealously guarded by Golden.
a secret unknown to Manley himself.
II was not until she stood with the
massive door swung open that Maniey
had confronted her. But she showed
no embarrassment at his sudden inter
ruption.
my father has just phoned from
Philadelphia" she explained. There
are certain papers he must have for
his conference with the Regent Trust
company tomorrow"
But when did you find out how to
open that door," had been Manley's
inquiry.
Two minutes ago, over the tele-
phone," had been the girls reply, as
abe completed her search for the neces-
sary papers.
Then the sooner that door is shut
and locked again the better" he had
warned her.
Why" she had asked, for the first
time conscious Of his excitement
Because there's an unknown man
hiding somewhere in this house, and
heaven only knows what he's after,
In times like thesei"
Even as he had spoken Manley had
detected an unnatural fullness about
the portiere draping the side door to
the library. And on the polished par.