The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-21
IThe Marvellous Story, Hitherto Unpublished
From Which the Pathe Photoplay of
the Same Name Was Mode)


third person had entered the room.
And a second glance showed them
that it was the Laughing Mask him.
self.
He stood for moment or two.
staring face upward on the floor.
Then he stared at the shattered win
dow. The next moment he was push
ing Peggy and Dan O'Mara bodily
back from that square of light.
But what's the meanin' of all this.
anyway" demanded the astonished
householder.
1T means that O. bullet came
through that window" the Laugh
ing Mask explained. And / know
that bullet was intended for your
daughter here
But who'd be shootin' at me
daughter" persisted Dan O'Mara.
THE man whose plans she double
crossed at the dye works. the Iron
Claw, himself, or somebody posted
about her by the Iron Claw"
Now, want that sniper to think
he's done his work. I don't want him
to break from cover until your friends
have surrounded that house. so take
your daughter and carry her out. just
AS though she were a dead girl"
Dan O'Mara, doing as he was d.
rected, stepped from the doorway
with his own white-face daughter
hanging limp in his arms. He acted
his part with q sincerity that was
not without conviction. For. two
minutes after he had staggered into
the open with that apparently sad
burden, the sniper from the shattered
house was detected slipping out OF a
cellar window and scurrying along a
broken fence.
That escape, however, came before
Dan O'Mara's friends could COM
pletety take up their position about
the suspected house. But one of
those friends caught sight Of the
fugitive in tho strange looking cape,
the alarm was given. and the pursuit
began.
II was not n long chase, but it was
n stern one. Determined as those in
dignant factory toilers were to run
down the mysterious gunman so
wuntouty threatening their homes.
the fleeing Mauki proved himself
startlinely feet Of foot He gained
sufficiently on his pursuers to round
q corner. dodge into an empty coal
shed, and emerge a moment later as
a stopped old woman in amber-col-
ored spectacles and rusty gray wig
appeared. Being obviously hard of
hearing. this same old woman could
not give much information TO the
group Of excited men suddenly &C.
costing her as she hobbled across the
street.
Five minutes later a swarthy-
skinned man with wiry black hair
was hurrying across country to one
hf the well concealed dens of Jules
Legar. where he duly reported to the
Iron Claw the news OF his enemys
ruse and his own narrow escape.
Before the second day had passed
Legar had evolved yet another plan
for the subjugation Of his enemies
This took the form of a decoy mes
sage delivered to the unsuspecting
Peggy OMara. purporting to be a
hasty request from Frank Aimick to
come 10 his studio at 8 o'clock that
night. to the end that he might hurry
to completion one of his unfinished
canyases for which the girl was act
ing as costume model. Legar and
two of his followers, in the meantime,
entered Aimick's studio on the pre-
tense of being n fire marshaTs in
spector, caught the artist off his
guard. and carried him, bound and
gagged and helpless. to one of the
small back rooms of the studio build
ing.
Peggy herself, before starting out in
answer to that summons, was still
somewhat uneasy in mind over re-
cent events. So she left word with
her father to call for her not later
than II o'clock.
But more than Dan O'Mara called
for his daughter that night, for ten
minutes after her departure from
the cottage Margory Golden's limou-
sine drew UP at the door. Margory's
eyes widened when O'Mara explained
the reason OF his daughters absence
from home.
but an artist like Frank Aimick
would never be able to work at
night" she argued. with growing
alarm. He must have daylight for
working In color"
Dan O'Mara turned to the table at
his side.
Here's his message, plain as day,
written in his own handwritin'," was
the puzzled workman's only explana-
ton.
Margory took the message In her
hand and studied it. Then her color
faded a little.
That is not Frank Aimick's writ
ing!" she suddenly announced.
O'Mara stared at her.
Then whose is it?" he demanded.
That's more than can say. But
feel sure II means some danger to
Peggy"
But what can we dor
I'VE can get to that studio as fast
as my car can carry us. And we
must pick UP what help we can on
the way!"
Peggy O'Mara. in the meantime,
was being confronted by more than
one surprise. The first came with her
arrival at the Aimick studio. when
the stranger who opened the door in
response to her knock Informed her