The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-30


threw aside the magazine
AIv which she had been listlessly
N thumbing, and springing to
her feet, crossed rapidly to
the window of her cool. white bed
room. AS she stood gazing out with
unseeing eyes a little trown OF vexa-
tion puckered her forehead. From
the open windows Of the spacious liv-
ipg-room on the first floor came the
subdued murmur of voices. But to
Margery's straining ears not "a word
Of that iow-toned conference was au
6ihle. Occasionally she heard the
rumble Of Captain Brackets voice,
more strident and authoritative than
the others
The resentful officer Of the law had
conceived the idea that on more than
enc occasion Margery had aided and
abetted the Laughing Mask in slip
ping through his fingers and II was
fof that reason she was now ex
cfuded from the deliberations where
the capture of the elusive masque-
raider was under discussion. In an
ticipation of this very state OF affairs
Margery had devised an ingenious
method for learning the plans Of the
detectives.
Having ascertained that the con-
terence was in fun swing. she quickly
went to a small wicker table and,
taking off the telephone receiver,
held 1t pressed tightly to her ear.
Her wire was house extension con-
nected with the trunk line which ran
into the living room. where her father
and the officers were now gathered.
In that room the telephone standard.
resting on heavy mahogany table,
had been skillfully tampered with.
Under the black metailed receiver,
hanging with its fiaring mouth re-
versed so as to more readily catch
he sound waves. n number of books
were piled in such a diaorderly fash
ion as not to attract attention. But
he topmost of those books propped
up the receiver just enough to per.
init the supporting hook to spring VI
and open the circuit.
Over this cleverly improvised die,
faphone Margery could hear every
word spoken by the men sitting
around that table. Presently the
booming voice of the police captain
when / go after a man l don't
quit till l get him." she heard him
announce in self -iaudatory tones. II
landed that one-armed crook. Jules
Legar. in cell all right, anil toll
you. MIR. Golden, If 1t hadn't been
for your daughter interferin' I'd had
the bracelets on the Laughing Mask
long ago"
Whether the aged banker would
have resented this open declaration
that his daughter had shielded n
supposedly notorious criminal was a
question destined never TO be an
swered, for at that moment Margery
heard the door shut behind n new
arrival. and again II was Captain
Brackets voice which reached he-
as he impatiently questioned the de-
tective who had just entered.
What are you dom here, Wal
ters? Didn't you get the orders
sent you by Jenkins to take Legar
out of that chicken coop they call a
jail out here. an keep yourself hand
ruffed 70 him every minute until he
was safe in the Tombs?
II got your orders. Chief" came
y hestatng voice. presumably thar
OF the slenth called Walters, but
I've got some bad news for you.
Legar's broke Jail. He croaked Jen-
kins and made a clean getaway"
A little silence followed the explo-
sion Of this astounding verbal bomb
shell. a silence broken by a con-
fusion OF startled EXPLANATIONS, pune
fuated by the wrathful oaths OF the
irate police captain.
An you call yourself detectlve?"
he berated the unlucky Walters
You ought 10 be out poundln' the
pavements. What excuse have Won
got for lettin' the crook give you the
Slip"
Then Margery heard the hurried
zones or the censured detective as hs
launched into an account of the
strange escape Of Jules Legar.
- n don't see where I'm to blame.
chief" he began 10 a somewhat ag-
grieFed voice. u seen Jenkins aroun'
noon. He was goin into the TAIL with
tray from the restaurant. He stops
and gives me your orders and saws I
might as well wait outside until La
g. ''"N 'tA~ SFNAAs I nat seemed TEA-
sonable. an I hung aroun' for bout
half an hour. Then, when Jenkins
DIDN'T come out. commenced to get
kind o uneasy like an steps inside
10 see what was eoin' on" The mar
rator paused briefly as though over
come with some terrible memory.
then continued in a constrained tone.
Lynn face down In the corridor 7
found jenkins. just outside Of I.ecar's
cell. The cell was empty. with the
door standin' open and jenkins key
In the lock. We combed every inch
Of that jail, but Legar had disap-
peared without leavin' a trace behind
him. could tell by the looks Of Jen-
kins that he was dead, but when |
turned him over got an awful shock.
His face was all twisted up with suf-
: ferih' and fun Of deep lines and
wrinkles. Then i seen his hair was
ali streaked with gray. When he
epoke to me he was healthy young
D teller, but when i found him he was
+ IKE some old man about 10. what had