The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-02
lCoeyright. 1915 by Arthur stringnr
EPISODE XVIII.
The Green-Eyed God.
The Midnight Meeting.

The Midnight Meeting.
ct THOUGHT you had discarded
that theory. Captain Bracket"
Marsory Golden said in sur
prised tones. Il know you discovered
some strongly convincing evidence. but
when. with cur own eyes, we saw
both David Maaley and the Laugh
ing Mask in the same room at the
same time, +: stands 10 reason they
must be different persons" Then she
added softly to herself. And / arm
sorry IL turned out that way"
I've seen some strange things in
my time, Miss Golden" no COM
nenced in reminiscent tones. when
] rounded up that bank looter in In
dia ] had a chance TO see those Hindu
artists. fakirs ! think they call EN-,
pull eff some OF their stunts, and /
tell YOU the mystery we're up against
Amt a Circumstance in comparison.
Why. one OF those begEars with
white nightcap on his head planted
a seed in a pot. aud when he made
few passes Zip came a regular Eas-
ter plant with blossoms on IL. Then
that smells like a church, and while
he was wavin' his arms and singln'
low TO himself he faded right out OF
sight like a puff OF steam off a sky
scraper Some wise bug who teaches
In college claimed the fakir didn't
do the vanishin' act at all: said we
only imagined he did because some
kind Of hypnotic influence had been
worked on US. Now what I'm Eettin'
at is this: your fathers secretary
was born and raised In India. His
father worked for tho government.
And I'll bet he pulled some Of that
Hindu stuf@ and saved himself from
gettin' pjnched by maxim us think
we saw the Laughing Mask standin'
by the window when he wasn't there
al all.
Margery had hard work controlling
her facial muscles during this long
and apparently serious harangue and
no doubt would have laughed out
right. in compliance with the cap
tain's permission, II just then one OF
that romsncer's men had not entered
the room with news OF a startling
character written large on his face.
We'll, jenkins. what is it," tersely
demanded his superior, and then SIS
the self-important sleuth glanced at
Margery. he added. Miss Golden is in
On iris as much as any or US She Ia
the only one who ever saw that
gentleman yegg with his mask off,
but now she thinks the face she saw
p Ia n
slip one over on her. Just took the
place Of the Laughing Mask on that
particular occasion. So If you've got
anything new she'll be mighty inter
ested 10 hear it"
Wen. YOU see II happened like
THIS. he began in neditative voice.
hAd been doin' a four hour stretch
Gown at the four corners II was
the bfackest kind Of night and
there wasn't even n stray rabbit
lor company, 7 hadn't seen ANYTHING
that looked suspicious so when
Donovan comes along to spell me
on, / thought I'd stop in a minute
Tor a chat with Parker. the head
gardener down AT Wilkan'a place. 7
FOUND the Old man and his son. Joe
In tho kitchen and they gave me n
little aomethin' TO take the dust out
OF my throat. We was settin' there
quiet and pea cea bic. when all az n
sudden I seen old Parker starln' at
the oren winder with the eyes hulgin'
out Of his head. I took squint my
sell and I'll be blamed II that slip
perry customer with the comic mask
wasn't lookin' right into my eyes.
Jenkins he says. quite calmlike,
you're n good man in your way. so
thought I'd tip You off that a cou-
Pile of the Iron Claws second-story
workers are pullin' Off job right
In this house while you're guzzl!ng
your beer II YOU nab those two
porch climbers he says. III ought 70
help that promotion ye're lookin'
for"
''Then he gives a little laugh an
with that he WAS gone. ! thought
he Yves kiddin' rue along and I was
pretty sore by that time. I makes
4 dive through the winder with Joe
close behind me. but that masked
Jerry had disappeared like he always
does
I'VE did the best we could. chief
an you ought to know 1t amt no
.inch 10 round UP the I4aughin' Mask.
Weli-as ] was saying he made a
lean getaway and me and Joe de-
.ided 10 take look through the
house to make sure he was only
ttringin' us. We went up them front
stairs like a couple OF g1lm-shoe art
: lists an then we seen somethin' was
wrong. The door OF the room where
Miss Wiikens sleeps stood open lit
dc way and / caught the glim Of
MAslhlight near where she keeps her
3ewel case. / showed my hand Just
inside the door and pushed the light
fulton And there we was face TO
I face with a couple OF the most sur
prioed and toughest lookin' crooks
that ] ever met up with. Miss VII
I kens was lynn there in the bed
D1eepin' like a baby"
Them two housebreakin' agents Of
Lesar's was as full of fight els a cou-
p1e Of Kilkenny cats. They whipped
out their guns. and one of them fieshed
me In the shoulder. while the other
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