The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-10-21

He Slipped Unobserved From the
Grounds
the door refused 20 close. Before that
body could be dragged to one side,
the lieutenant and his men were IN
through The door. welding night
sticks and flashing firearms
1t was Maulcy himself who caught
up chair and brought it crashing
down on strangely complicated mech
auism standing squaroly I'm the light
OF the Tower window.
But Lcgar himself had not been
idle. At the first wild charge into his
tower room. the master criminal had
dropped crouching behind work
table. dartcd across to his parcel
chute ana there touched hidden
spring The next moment the chute
stood open and LcEar was descend
ing Ike a plUmmet to the floor below.
But not before Manley had caught
sight of his vanishing head and start
ed in pursuit.
Legar. however. was already a con
! siderable distance in the lead. And
at the end of that sudden drop, be-
fore Manley could pick himself up,
| Lcgar was on his feet and across the
| lower room floor. There he swung
| open a door heavily fircpToOfed with
sheetiron. slammed it shut aud turned
! the key in the huge lock, even as tho
GREATNESS Manley staggered against
It.
Manley was joined a minute later by
the police. In the meantime Legai
had escaped to the street by way OF
the fire escape.
He hailed a taxiCab and hurried
eastward TO the Owls Nest. Two
minutes after Legar went rocking and
! swerving eastward he was followed
by a stranger in a second cab. This
stranger drove straight to the water
front, two blocks to the north, dis
missed his taxi. and earnestly con
ferred with a roughly-dressed long
shoreman, who later rounded the sliI
in a rowboat and took the stranger
aboard. They then dropped down
with the tide, drifting silently in un
der the dripping wharf timbers until
they came to the water gate once
made use of by river pirates ant
lighter thieves.
Legar. in his quarters beneath thu
| in N a
amiable mood He stared about a
his coterie of unsavory confederates
A CLEAN OF triumph showed in hi
narrowing eyes as he spicd a white
faced girl in a chair near the fireplace
, so we've got you back. little one?
, he Knocked.
She WINGED as ne wheeled he
; roughly about. but remained silen
4 slccpy-eyed parrot. standing o
its perch beside the empty fireplace
stirred uneasily at Legars roug
, movements. The girl, rising slow
from her chair. stared into Lcgar'
+, evil face.
, What are you going to do wit
8 me-" she demanded.
, Lcgar laughed.
/ You won't be asking question
about it. when you find out"
p Courage, little one, courage" sal
a low yet distinct voice
r. Lccar, at the sound. wheeled SUI
D denly about.
d who taught that damned bird {
? talk" he demanded There was
o stir Of uneasincss about the room.
! why. cap. that parrot can't talk
2 declared the trcmulous coke snuff.
l. at the end Of the table. 1T Hey'
could talk"
.. Then who said Courage ?' Gale
e out the irate master criminal
+ Il did" said the same distinct -
d ghostly voice And had that Wild
# eyed group stared closer into the fir
place, instead OF at the silent al
r. motionless bird on It's perch. the
= might have noticed whore a sma
II stone, little bigger than q mans han
r had been worked loose and LITE
, away from the heavy wall scparatll
y that unseen watcher from the roo
a into which he had been pcerinG.
g Yet that stone was once more
q place before Legar and his worthi
N pecred. squirting eyed, about u
- smoke-stained masonry Only. q
"a hands OF the girl, sitting silent ar
h. thoughtful il .cr chair. were no Ion
4. c- trembling. III" covering look h'
n faded from her eyes. For 10 her u
p, voice had not seemed an altoseth
: unfamiliar one.
g. (TO BE CONTlNUED9