The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-11-04


Window
ponent clear OF the deck boards and
Ringing him hcadforcmost into the
black water Then he turned and
braced himself for the charge Of the
second man. This second man he met
by dropping quite fiat and unexpected
ly on the deck itself. He felt the
charging body go over his own, caught
at one still kicking foot as he twisted
quickly about. and before his opponent
could recover from that fail the patri-
! arChal boat owner lad assisted his I'M
| welcome guest over the GeCk-lip after
his companion.
But. oddly enough. in that struggle
the bewhiskered old bOatman had I'M
dergOne a sudden and startling change.
! The clutching fingers of his enemy in
the second contest along the boatdeck
| had buried themselves in the thick
white beard decorating that launch
! owners chin. And when this enemy
went overheard that fringe OF whis-
kers went with him. leaving at the
wheel a somewhat altered and consid-
erably younger looking man. And that
| this unknown amender of destinies
was still intent on nursing the secret
of his identity was further evidenced
| by the fact that, before turning his
! boat about and facing the ebb-tide cur
rent Of the North river, he carefully
adjusted over his nose a narrow band
of yellow cloth. with its little apron
OF an inverted crescent. Still later.
as he closely watched the light-span-
gled shore line. he caught sight OF
two small winging eyes of green and
red. Accepting this apparently as a
signal. he swung in close under the
shadow of a coal barge and made fast
at the slip end. where high above him
a waiting taxicab stood close beside
the stringpiece. Yet, hurried as the
man in the mask seemed to be, he took
time to sit under one OF the cabin
lamps and indite short epistle. This
epistle, addressed to "Enoch Golden
and his friends" read as follows:
The Funds of the Third National
and will be duly returned to the right
full owners. But that ! may enjoy the
luxury Of the game as we'll as the
name. ! am Withholding from those re-
turned funds the fifty thousand dollars
in geld which was formerly the prop
erty Of the man who. by depressing
the poor. has compelled this action.
When that man looks into his own
heart and returns to the paths Of wis
dom, this gold will be returned to him
by
THE LAUGHING MASK.
Still later that night while Dayie
Manley and Margory Golden and her
father were arguing and wondering az
to the origin and full meaning OF this
strange message, Legar and his men,
emerging like water rats from tho
river-frOnt rendezvous close beside the
Owls Nest. piled into harbor launch
with a muffled kicker and silently
made their way for Oyster Joe's.
Crowding into tho dimly lit sail loft
OF Oyster Joe. they found themselves
confronted, not by the millions IN
stolen treasure. but by a stiT-jointed
and blasphemOus old man in white
whiskers. tied and dashed to one of
his own shack beams.
Don't yelp at me about your
damned gold" cried oyster Joe. with
sulphurous string OF oaths, when
he was able to speak. Il never saw
any gold! All saw was that chain
lightning gink in a mask. the glnk
who's double-crossed me twice at the
same game"
Legar staggered back into a broken
chair
so it's the Laughing Mask again"
he said with an oath which, II quiet
toned. was even more impressive than
Oyster Joes believing imprecations.
CTO BE CONTINUEDJ
Wise Druggist