The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-17
copyright, 1915. by Arthur Stringer
EPISODE XVIII.
The Creen-Eyed God.
The Midnight Meeting.
ct THOUGHT you had discarde

The Midnight Meeting.
ct THOUGHT you had discarded
that theory, Captain Bracket"
Margory Golden said in sur
prised tones. II know you discovered
some strongly convincing evidence, but
when, with our own eyes, we saw
both David Marley and the Laugh
ing Mask in the same room at the
same time, it stands to reason they
must be different persons" Then she
added softly to herself, "And I am
sorry it turned out that way"
I've seen some strange things in
my time, Miss Golden" he COM
menced in reminiscent tones, "when
l rounded up that bank looter in IN
dia l had a chance to see those Hindu
artists, fakirs I think they call 'em,
pull eff some of their stunts, and T
tell you the mystery we're up against
amt q circumstance in comparison.
Why, one of those beggars with a
white nightcap on his head planted
a seed in pot, and when he made
few passes UP came a regular Eas-
ter plant with blossoms on it. Then
h. started some Of that dope burnin'
that smells like church, and while
he was wavin' his arms and singin'
low to himself he faded right out Of
sight like a puff Of steam off a sky
scraper Some wise bug who teaches
in a college claimed the fakir didn't
do the vanishin' act at all; said we
only imagined he did because some
kind of hypnotic influence had been
worked on us. Now what I'm gettin'
at is this: your fathers secretary
was born and raised in India. His
father worked for the government
And Ill bet he pulled some of that
Hindu stuff. and saved himself from
gettin' pinched by maxim us think
we saw the Laughing Mask standin'
by the window when he wasn't there
at all.
Margery had hard work controlling
her facial muscles during this long
and apparently serious harangue and
no doubt would have laughed out
right. in compliance with the cap
tain's permission, if just then one of
that romancer's men had not entered
the room with news Of startling
character written large ON his face.
We'll, Jenkins, what is it?" tersely
demanded his superior, and then as
the self-ilnportant sleuth glanced at
,EsofGery, he added, miss Golden is in
on this as much as any Of us. She is
the only one who ever saw that
gentleman yegg with his mask off,
but now she thinks the face she saw
belongs to someone who was trying to
slip one over on her. Just took the
place Of the Laughing Mask on that
particular occasion. So If you've got
anything new she'll be mighty inter-
ested to hear it."
well, you see it happened like
this" he began in meditative voice,
II had been doin' a four-hour stretch
down at the four corners. 1t was
the blacklist kind Of a night and
there wasn't even stray rabbit
for company. I hadn't seen anything
that looked suspicious, so when
Donovan comes along to spell me
or, I thought I'd stop in minute
for chat with Parker, the head
gardener down at Wilken's place. I
found the old. man and his son, Joe,
in tho kitchen and they gave me a
of my throat. We was settin' there
quiet and peaceable, when all of a
sudden seen old Parker starin' at
the open winder with the eyes bulgin'
out Of his head. T took a squint my
sell and I'll be blamed il that slip
perry customer with the comic mask
wasn't lookin' right into my eyes.
Jenkins he says. quite calmlike,
you're a good man in your way, so
thought I'd tip you off that a cou-
pie Of the Iron Claws second-story
workers are pullin' off a job right
in this house while you're guzzling
your beer If you nab those two
porch climbers he says, 1t ought to
help that promotion ye're lookin'
for"
"Then he gives little laugh an
with that he was gone. ] thought
he was kiddin' me along and was
pretty sore by that time. I makes
dive through the winder with Joe
close behind me. but that masked
Jerry had disappeared like ne always
does"
I'VE did the best we could. chief,
an you ought to know it amt no
cinch to round up the Laughin' Mask.
Well-as was saying he made a
clean getaway and mo and Joe de-
cided to take look through the
house to make sure he was only
stringin' us. We went up them front
stairs like a couple Of gum-shoe art
lists an then we seen somethin' was
wrong. The door Of the room where
Miss Wilkens sleeps stood open lit
tie way and caught the glim Of a
hashlight near where she keeps her
jewel case. / showed my hand just
inside the door and pushed the light
button. And there we was face to
face with couple of the most sur
prised and toughest looAin' crooks
that ever met up with. Miss VIII.
kens was lynn there in the bed
sleepin' like baby"
Them two housebreakin' agents OF
Legar's was as full OF fight as a cou.
pie Of Kilkenny cats. They whipped
out their guns. and one of them fleshed
mo in the shoulder, while the othel