Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-09

single move against EoE. And besides
that. we've rot him 50 beaten a. This
game that he's going 70 CRY quits the
minute he sees we've roped IN the last
of his gang. the minute tel him III
leave the country On condition he
coughs I'D the usper."
And s'posin- he does weaken and
hand ever that paper. Where do ]
get or
You come back here with il as fast
as wheels can carry you And II v0u
move as quick as ] want you 70 move.
youn Just about get hack II time 10
see the finish OF your friend IN the
yellow mask
But Betsy LeMa-sh's friend in the
yellow mask. for al his captivity. was
apparently preparing for that finish IN
3 more active manner than was mag
ined by his captors. For, the moment
he Was locked in the narrow closet.
he had undertaken a systematic
search OF its gloomy corners. That
search. however, was rewarded only
by the discovery Of q group Of insulsf-
ed wires running along its outer wall
Yet these wires he examined with not
q little care. And the examination
led him 10 conclude, both from the
nature OF the wires and the heavtness
OF the insulation about them, that they
were an integral portion OF the light
ing system Of the hotel That they
were not dead" he promptly discor-
cred by scraping away the insulation
tissue and bringing two Of the barred
wires IN contact This resulted in an
immediate hiss and spark of light
And that gave the prisoner an idea
BY breaking" the current. he knew.
he could send q message nee ling
through Ru the nervous system OF the
house And az some one point. he felt
sure. that methodic play OF dot and
dash in the light bulb would arouse
suspicion and cause q search 10 be
instiEafed
II was. in fact. in the Office OF the
hotel itself. where Eigh-CoIlar Davis.
the house detective. leisurely perused
an evening paper for certain racing
returns close beside q rotund and
rohinliEe room clerk IN q red vest.
that an electric bulb Just above the
register began 10 conduct itself IN a
manner that was first mysterious and
then challenging
High-coIlsr Davis. looking languidlr
up from his racing charts. watched
this light for several moments Of ST.
lence.
We'll III be blowed," he finally
calculated
What's wrongs" asked the room
clerk.
Instead Of replying. the house de-
tective took out paper and pencil and.
carefully watching the winkins and
blinking bulb, wrote a number Of let
tiers down on his slip Of paper.
That's the first time" he solemnlv
announced, II ever saw an electric
bulb talk Morsei"
Talk Morse?r echoed the other.
Yes. talk Morse. or / never pound
what il has said. twice over. Help
room fhree-o-seven-h
The house detective suddenly stood
upright Say, who is in BOZ IN this
house, anyway"
That vfrginian with his arm in
sling"
Then it's up TO MS TO find out what's
going on in that room!"
The Laughing Mask, in the mean
time. was no longer giving his atten-
ton 10 the wires along the closet wall
But with his pocket knife he had al
ready removed the set screw from thu
door knob Of the closet door. Then.
swinging lightly up 70 the shelf that
stood some FIVE feet from the floor. he
seated himself there opposite the door.
By grasping the two heavy clothes
hooks screwed into this door. and by
planting his feet firmly against the
sash On either side Of IT, he felt that
he was not altogether nj the merry Of
his enemies
Even as he sat there he could hear
the key turned in the lock and then
the sound Of LeEar's quick oath Of ex-
ASPIRATION as the d~or knob fen loose
70 the floor. IN response 10 his ting a
Il Al the same tire here rose IN the
czpsixe's heart for he could hear the
mufHed sound q knock on the outer
door And still again the prisoner IN
The closet could hear Begar's oath CT
evaporation This was followed by
the sudden impact Of the heavy wing
chair against the panels Of the closet
door That blow. repeated again and
vet again was heavy enough 70 break
through the wood But that dignitarv
known as K5igh-Collar Davis, being a
gentleman not given 10 inactivity n
moments Of emergency. and being suf-
fcienTly persuaded q un1owzrd pro
ceedings behind the door which re-
fused 10 oper 70 his knock. promptly
seized q FIRE ax from its veruilisn-
painted rack IN the hall. and sent il
crashing through the panels Of the
door which bore the numerals 3e7-
Legsr. seeing the door giving way
before this determined onslaught. drew
his revolver and enpt5ed II into the
half demolished closet door even IS he
backed away across the room 70 the
open window. There he followed his
already vanishing accomplices ont on
the FIRE escape swETmtng down the
narrow ladder after them as the outer
door q the room gave WAY and 3
group OF excited hotel attendants.
headed bv High-C0llar Davis. came
-Tr-- al7T-,r F--1 -ha -yor-n