The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-08-31


railing and gave ono glance towards
the water below him. Yet, 40 he poised
there, ready to leap. Da Espares lev.
eled his weapon and fired.
Hanley could hear the shrill scream
OF the girl. and the shouts Of the star
tied men, the great splash Of the tum-
bling body as it catapulted down In
the black.running water. The next
moment the captain and his uni.
formed squad from the Greenock
clubhouse were charging across the
bridge. joining in with their plain
clothes colleagues already forcing the
last OF Lagar's adherents to flight. And
az Manley made his way toward the
glimmering limousine and Margery
Golden he could hear the latter's nerv.
GUS sobs as she leaned weakly against
the bridge railing and wept.
did you kill him?" she asked with
q voice tremulous with horror as Da
Espares stepped to her side.
your enemy is dead!" was the lat
ter's quiet-toned reply. He sank at
OuCob AuO lilo t1M0 A0 WIZ A0VSA
return"
Tho UnbIdden Guest.
The gallant Count Luigi Da Espares.
in view of his much-talked-of victory
on the Turnpike bridge. found himself
forced into the not uncongenial role
of hero. II that discreet nobleman
took advantage Of the high esteem in
which he momentarily stood to push
through to completion certain arrange
ments for the costume ball on which
he seemed to have set his heart.
Knowing what he knew, the secre-
tary still regarded that impending
function as a danger in disguise, just
as he still nursed very substantial
doubts as to the actual death OF Legar.
So fixed was Manley in his suspi-
cions, however, that he insisted on a
conference with Enoch Golden him
self. From that conference he wrung
small consolation for his suspicious.
Marley, in fact, had given up any
hope of further argument on the ques.
ton. when trivial yet disquiet!ng in.
cident occurred, and in occurring
brought about slight change in
Enoch Golden's attitude. This Incl
dent involved the receipt Of strange
missivo bearing the signature of that
elusive interloper in the affairs of the
house of Golden known as the Laugh
ing Mask. 1t read as follows:
Count Luigi Da Espares 10 not only
an impostor, but also your enemy. And
40 a friend herewith warn you that
he 10 not to be trusted.
Even this epistle. which bore only
the emblem Of Laughing Mask for
signature. might have been accepted
as of no great importance, had not
Enoch Golden been the recipient of
still another communication. This
time it was telephone message from
a stranger, acknowledging himself to
be an active colleague Of the Iron
Claws.
"Legar may be gone." said this un-
known voice over the wire, "but his
work is going to 90 on, and don't you
forget it! You still hold that chart.
If the chief didn't get his chart, before
he cashed in, I'm the guy who's going
to get it,"
"All right" was Golden's shouted re.
Spouse. You come up here and get
it! And at the same time you'll get
what you deserved"
Then, having slammed down the re-
ceiver, the deliverer of that ultimatum
promptly sent for his secretary.
Il want extra guards put around
this house," was Golden's command.
"And l want nobody to come into it
who can't be accounted for"
Tonight will be hard time, I'm
afraid, to put that order into execu-
ton explained Marley.
What d'you mean by that?"
you can't give a masked ball and
put every guest on a microscope-slide
as he comes I'M"
Marley. how are We to know just
who or what those guests are, II
they're coming into this house with
all sorts of makeup on?"
That's exactly what I've been try
ing to make you see for the last four
days!" was Manley's reply. And it's
exactly what that man Da Espares has
been maneuvering for, or l lose my
one last bet! And If this man Legar
is still alive, all we've been doing is
putting a strip Of red carpet down for
him to walk In on"
We'll, I'll be at the other end Of
that carpet waiting for him!" was the
old fighters thunderous retort.
That's exactly what want you to
do, what ask you to do. That's our
one chance, II what l suspect proves
to be the case! You can disguise
faces, in an affair like this tonight,
but you can't disguise lost hand"
Golden stood slowly shaking his
head up and down in comprehension.
"And II our Iron Claw is there,
Davy, Wen give him a welcome that
he's going to remember"
Two hours later, as Enoch Golden
stood with his daughter at his side
receiving their guests, 1t would have
taken a particular penetrating eye to
detect any darker undercurrent OF in
trigue to that ripping tide Of color
and mirth which eddied about them.
So punctilious was Golden in his hearty
hand-grasp to each OF those incoming
visitors. that MarGerv herself mada