The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-09-21

other voice.
YES; want that cottage wiped on
tho face of the earth. and the family
with It! And I want it done before
morning."
Margery listened, oblivious Of the
passing of time, as the conspirators
behind the closed door continued to
debate on their plan Of action. Then
she started, even as much as they did,
when the sudden buzzing Of an cleo
trio annunciator warned that intent
group OF an intruder's approach.
It was then and only then that the
girl remembered her parting message
to the taxicab driver All that was left
her to do was to dart over to the camp
COT and drop down on the stone door
beside it.
The next moment Legar and his
men were in the outer chamber. While
one of the men crept to secret out
look crevice in the farther wall Le-
gar himself stepped to one OF the con-
troll chains which ran from floor to
ceiling on the other side of the room,
and by pulling ono Of these started
into action some mysterious mech.
anism which the watching girl could
not quite comprehend. She saw
them run back to the inner room
and stand waiting while Legar
manipulated still another secret
spring which threw open hidden
1~ h4 no nly 80 hot
And that door, she surmised, led by
some unknown passage to the outer
world.
But Margery did not give much
thought to this, for there came to her
as she regained her feet the repeated
cry Of q human being, cry husky
with terror. She ran to the pivot door
in the masonry, swung it back, and
there beheld q sight which made her
blood run cold. 1t took her, in fact,
q ponderable space of time to under
stand the scene confronting her. But
as she stared out she saw where her
unsuspecting chauffeur had stepped
on the cross.marked fagstone, for it
was now several inches lower than
the rest of the floor. And this, OBJ
viously, had released steel arm
which had swung suddenly forward and
swept the startled intruder fiat
against the stone wall, holding him
there as in wise. And as he stood
pinioned there great block of gran
tie, released by some hidden ma
chinery, was slowly descending from
the roof OF the corridor Margery
quickly manipulated the chains and re-
leased the chauffeur.
Let me at emf he shouted, bran
dishing the automobile wrench which
he still carried in his hand. Just
let me at emf
It's no use" cried Margery, hold
ing him back. They have gone, tho
lot OF them. And we've got to follow
quickly, or therell be whole fam
lily meet worse fate than yours
might have been tonight"
She had taken the wrench from his
hand and was leading him out OF the
tunnel mouth by this time, explain
ing that he would have to bring his
tayicab from it's hiding place and at
once start in pursuit Of the Iron Claw.
But these explanations came to sud
den and an unexpected ending, for Le-'
gar and his followers, skulking in the
bushes, caught that betraying sound
Of voices and saw a chance that was
too good to be missed. They closed in
on the girl and the taxi-driver. Yet
that sullen-spirited driver, when cor
nered, fought with an energy so ex-
plosive that the entire circle became
involved in the struggle. It was Le-
gar himself, and only Legar, who had
the presence Of mind to direct the at
tention towards the girl. He swung
suddenly about and started for her.
She saw him coming, raised the heavy
wrench she still carried and sent it
fat against his bony temple and took
to her heels. She jumped into the
empty taxicab and headed for the
O'Mara cottage.
So colorless was her face as the be-
wildered Dan O'Mara opened the door
that he started back in alarm And
her words were even more disturb
ing.
Come away" she called out.
Come quick, or it will be too late!"
And what's wrong now" asked
the astounded householder.
Get Peggy" gasped the girl as she
stared frantically about the little
room. Get her away from here, quick!
Tho house has been mined! There's
been a bomb left here, and any mo-
ment-"
She stopped speaking, for the pun.
gent smell of powder smoke had as
sailed her nostrils. Then from the
open window, in which somewhat
neglected f1ower-box stood, came q
faint sputter Of sound.
She ran to the window. Lying in
the fiower-box she saw a heavy
cylinder of metal. Even before she
caught sight of the time-fuse which
quietly Kissed and burned at one end
of the cylinder, she knew what it was.
1t was the Internal machine which Lee
CARS agent had placed there to de-
stroy the house. And at any moment
the explosion might take place.
Margery caught the heavy cylinder
up in her hands. She even tried to
blow out the fuse. But this was USE
less. Then she tried to tear it away.
mi Of