The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-24

hospitable roof Of tie Kicks home
stead. After lunch she slipped away
from the group sitting on tho broad
veranda, discussing ways and means
for the immediate capture of the
Laughing Mask, and taking short
cut across the fields, soon came in
sight of the old gray farmhouse.
OF to one side of the weather.
beaten dwelling she saw a figure COM
fortably sprawled in g. fringed ham
mock, slung between two gnarled
apple trees. The air was filed with
the heavy incense Of climbing honey
suckle, from which came the drowsy
hum Of nectar gathering bees.
As that indolent figure Iazily
reached for his pipe Margory caught
q glimpse of the clean-cut features of
1er youthful adnirer. After a few
ccntented whiffs from his black briar-
wood Davy comfortably settled down
for quiet nap. But at that particu-
lar moment large and noisy bee cir
cled repeatedly about his face with
an angry murmur of buzzing wings.
After several Intellectual passes at
this well-armed intruder, which per-
sistently continued it's exasperating
tactics, Davy finally sprang out of
the hammock and, after an irresolute
glance toward the house. set off at an
easy pace down the road in the d.
rection of Seven Oaks Hill. Under
the deserted hammock Margory saw
folded square of paper, which she
concluded was the note Davy had SO
narrowly saved from the ruthless
clutches of Captain Bracket earlier
in the day.
But instead of the penciled lines of
the Laughing Mask she saw a rough
diagram of a great bowlder with
star bisecting it's base-line. Under
this star were the words: press at
this point until opening appears"
The significance of the puzzling
sketch suddenly flashed into the mind
of the quick-witted girl. She knew
that at one time extensive coal min
ing operations had been carried on at
Seven Oaks Hill. She had heard her
father say the entire hillside was
honeycombed by series of aban-
Goned shafts and galleries.
In these forgotten catacombs, an
entrance had apparently been effected
by the construction of a secret door
at the foot of the lone bowlder on
the hilltop. This would account for
the sudden disappearance of David
Manley behind that solitary rock on a
previous occasion, and the equally
sudden emergence of the Laughing
Mask a moment later. With a feel
ing that at last she had stumbled
upon tangible clew, Margery sped
rapidly across the meadows in the
hope of reaching the undermined hill
before Davy should arrive by the
moro circuitous route of the highway.
To her relief, the coast was still
clear when she reached her destina-
ton, but when she had toiled half
way up the steep slope the unsuspect-
ing object of her espionage came
sauntering leisurely along the shaded
road. Margery darted into nearby
laurel thicket and from this oppor-
tune covert kept an intent watch on
the movements of the young man,
who was now picking his way along
the crest Of the ridge. AS he neared
the isolated bowlder he stopped, and
then, apparently satisfied he was free
from observation, disappeared behind
that great sphere of stone. A mo-
ment later as the breathlessly wait
ing girl half expected, there issued
from behind that rocky screen a fig
ure clad in the familiar habiliments
of the Laughing Mask.
From Margery's mind all doubt
vanished. There could no longer be
any question as to the identity of her
mysterious protector. Davy had not
deceived her, after all, for under that
yellow visor he had faithfully guard
ed her from the snares and pitfalls
with which that monster of evil,
Jules Legar, had bestrewn her path.
Her jealous fears were forgotten, and
in her sudden rush of happiness she
was about to call out to that reced-
ing figure.
But at that instant another person
emerged from behind the bowlder and
descended the hillside within few
yards of the thicket where the wide
eyed girl crouched in utter bewilder-
ment. For that newcomer was none
other than David Manley himself,
and the solution of that battling mys-
terry seemed further off than ever.
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