The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-03-28

phone IL QdQ S66m0Q. DIS OupduiOuduiy
innocent as a canary. And it 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 little,
for the combination of that vault was
a secret jealousy guarded by Golden,
a secret unknown to Manley himself.
It was not until she stood with the
massive door swung open that Manley
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.
1.-TWO minutes ago, over the tele-
phone" had been the girls reply.
Then thsaS6onetsthat door is shut
and locked ~ IN We BETTER" he had
warned heg
"Why4s IA 4a(1 ksked, for the first
time cofiScID04Yo{ His excitement. I
"BecauSA TIL tef3f an unknown man
hiding HhN6 SfAin this house. and
heaven only skf0Ns what he's after;
in times. like Ssa!"
Even as A6fa spoken Manley had
detettedy an ansf6ral fuIlness abous
the portssfsd yaphg the side door to
the library. And on the polished par.
quet floor at the bottom of that pcrtiere
the toe of a mans shoe had been
plainly visible. Yet Golden's secre-
tary had waited until the girl had
closed and locked the vault door. Then
he had leaped for the figure behind
the drapery.
But that intruder behind the drapery
had apparently not been altogether
unconscious of the danger confronting
him. He had at the same moment
side-stepped nimbly through the quick
ly opened door, throwing an approach
ing and suddenly hysterical housenaaio
aside as he had swept past her. The
redoubtable Wilson, who had also at
tempted to block his exit, had even
more promptly gone down, knocked
fiat by one fierce blow. 1t had been
then, and then only, that Manley dis
covered the identity of the intruder.
He had caught sight of the SCARED
face, which even an ample beard failed
to screen. He had seen the right
arm of wood which ended in its sim
lister iron hook, and all doubt as to his
enemy had vanished.
But this discovery had in no way
interfered with Manley's pursuit OF
that audacious intruder.
It had not been a pretty fight, that
hand-to-hand contest between the slim,
bodied youth and the scar-faced ex.
ploiter of evil, but it had been des-
perate one. AS Manley, pressing stub
bornly on, had struggled to close in
on his opponent, Legar had discreetly
and nimbly backed away until he
lOuAQ LAO uOQOtO ASooO AOOA AsSSAA
barring his farther retreat. There
upon he had promptly shattered the
plate-glass backing the iron grill work
on the hinges, and had actually swung
one of these doors open before Manley
could gather himself together and
spring bodily on his escaping enemy.
They had gone down the broad steps
together, locked arm in arm, fighting
and clawing as ferociously as midnight
cats in a tenement court. And Man
ley, with one hand on Legar's leathery
throat, would surely have won, had
not closed car glided up to the curt
along which they were writhing and
painting and rolling. From that car
yellow-faced Italian known as Scoop
had taken prompt and active part in
the encounter. He had withheld
finalities, however, until Manley was
| uppermCst. Then, with quickly
drawn billy" he had blackjacked thai
youth into utter Indifference as to
Legar and mysteriously waiting limou
sine and ali the rest Of the world.