The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-09
rCopyright, 1915, by Arthur stringer.
 EIGHTH EPISODE.
The Stroke of 12.

lKElNOCH GOLDEN had never |N @ been known as a half-heart- RI ed fighter. He was, in fact, Ia@ of that pertinacious breed who fight best when half defeated. And as he grew into fuller reali- zation of the virulence of Jules Le- gar's hatred for him and his house, he proceeded to take more effective steps to protect himself.
 But the mere posting of a couple of paid sentinels about his doors did hot mark the limit of his activities. He strove for still more substantial protection by installing in one of the upper rooms of his house huge bur glarproof vault of chromium steel. The installation of so ponderous a vault, however, involved much mate rial strengthening of g. structure not primarily designed for the support of Beven-ton safes, and for days a small body of expert workmen had been busy putting in pillars and girders and disgusting these ponderous SUD- ports under veneer of mahogany teiling beams and oriental lockwood tolumns. In the ornamentation of he latter, in fact, the owner of the house found valued assistant in Count Luigi Da Espares, who, with pis finished taste and his knowledge If the fine arts, advanced many sug- estions for beautifying what might therwise have been an ungainly and unbersome innovation.
 It was Margory Golden, even more han her father, to whom Da Espares, these small efforts, looked for ratitude. And the more Margory Folden saw of that gallant young ntiquarian the more mysteriously impressed she became.
 4 4 +
 David Manley, who was not a1to- ether ignorant of this new turn in he tide of events, found little to add his happiness in this evergrowing intimacy between Margory and her uest. For Manley, by this time, id more than merely distrust Da spares; he hated him.
 These vague misgivings of Man. by's extended even to the costume inner dance which this esthetic for gner undertook to engineer for Mar pry's amusement. And in talking yer his plans with Golden himself, the latter was making ready for be of his hurried trips to Washing bn, the young nobleman even ven-' lred the hope that this fete might made the occasion of an even ore suspicious announcement. "What d'you mean by that?" de- anded the astounded financier. Are you trying to tell me that you ant to marry my daughter" 'That is the honor of which I have -eamed," was Da Espares' quietly toned reply.
 ''Well, the point is, has my Mar bry been dreaming along the same he?"
 -'That I cannot venture to say," piled that unctuously gallant suitor. F"Well. in America that's about the st thing that counts! And I guess sd better call off this courtship talk til we find out how the girl feels out it!'
 The disappointed, but not disheart- ed count, accordingly proceeded ietly yet earnestly to sound Mar Try Golden herself as to her feel ys in the matter. But here, too, he ls met with reply which, if gra- busly worded, was at least noncom- ttal.
 'Then you will at least permit mo hope" persisted her soft-voiced OCT.
 The girl turned on him one of her rancingly inconsequential smiles. was smile which he sometimes md it no easy matter to under nd.
 Your hopes, I'm afraid, are some- ng have very little influence br."
 But you at least know that wish bring you happiness, that l was pr friend in the past, that always the future I want to be your knd!"
 But when friendship remains Aked, it remains harder to under nd!"
 Then the mask may be withdrawn,
 withdrawn sooner than you eX- t."
 Just what does that mean?" asked
 clear-eyed girl, studying his face. It means that am about to make nove which will deliver you and T father from his enemy. And this @ I think the plan will succeed" What plan7"
 That I cannot yet explain to you.
 if you trust me in what I am do-
 in what I have done, you will see am working only for your hap Bss!"
 ysterious as that plan was, it de- bped through an incident which brought things down to the be of the practical. For when the
 ons and ironworkers who were
 pleting the installation of the new len vault returned from their mid-
 meal a far-from- attractive nger stole into the house at their 8. . And when David Manley hap Bd to catch sight of this stranger