Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-12-22
EIGHTH EPISODE
The Stroke of Twelve.

Enoch Golden had never been known
as a half-hearted fighter. He was, In
fact, of that pertinacious breed who
fight best when half defeated. And
as he grew into fuller realization OF
the virulence of Jules Legars hatred
for him and his house, he proceeded to
take more effective steps to protect
himself.
One OF his precautions was to place
an armed guard about the home which
had been repeatedly and audaciously
invaded by Legar and his agents.
But the mere posting of a couple
OF paid sentinels about his doors did
not mark the limit of his activities.
He strove for still more substantial
protection by Installing in one of the
upper rooms OF his house a huge bur-
glar-proof vault of chromium steel.
He chose for this purpose that small
but well-screened chamber which had
once been known as his bond room"
The installation Of so ponderous q
vault, however. involved much mate
rial strengthening of structure not
primarily designed for the support of
seven-ton safes. and for days a small
body OF expert workmen had been busy
putting In pillars and Orders and
Disgusting these ponderous supports
under a veneer of mahogany ceiling
beams and oriental teakwood columns.
In the ornamentation of the latter. in
fact, the owner Of the house found a
valued assistant In Count Luigi Da
Espares who, with his finished taste
and his knowledge of the fine arts, ad-
vanced many suggestions for beautify-
Ing what might otherwise have been
Kainly and cumbersome innova-
tioh
1t waS'Mafgefy Golden, even more
than her father, to whom Da Espares.
in these small efforts, looked for graft
tude. And the more Margery Golden
saw of that gallant young antiquarian
the more mysteriously impressed she
became.
David Manley, who was not alto
gether ignorant of this new turn in
the tide of events. found little to add
to his happiness in this evergrowing
intimacy between Margery and her
guest. For Manley. by this time, did
more than merely distrust Da Es-
pares; he hated him.
These vague misgivings of Man.
ley's extended even to the costume
which this esthetic for.
eigner undertook to engineer for Mar
gery's amusement. And in talking
over his plans with Golden himself.
as the latter was making ready for
one Of his hurried trips to Washing.
ton, the young nobleman even ven.
tured the hope that this fete might |
De made the occasion of an even moro |
auspicious announcement.
But the morose-eyed old millionaire
did not quite follow the others line
of thought. So Da Espares was driven
to the expedient Of openly yet cour-
teously requesting the privilege of
his suit for the hand of this
ARREST daughter of America.
What d'you mean by that?" de-
handed the astounded flnancier. Are
'ou> trying to tell me that you want to
marry my daughter"
That is the honor Of which I have
lreamed." was De Espares' quietly in.
oned reply.
We'll. the point Is, has my Margery
zen dreaming along the same line?"
That ! cannot venture to say" re-
lied that unctuously gallant sutton.
We'll. in America that's about the
rst thing that counts! And I guess
red better call OF this courtship talk
ntil we find out how the girl feels
bout it,"
The disappointed, but not disheart- ,
ned. count, accordingly, proceeded
uetiy yet earnestly to sound Margery
foioen herself as to her feelings in :
ne matter. But here, too. he was
net with reply which. IL eraciousIv
'orded, was at least noncommittal >
Then you will at least nermi, mo
hope! persisted her soft-yoiced .
vooer.
Inc girl turned on him one of ber =
ntrancingly inconsequential smiles
was a smile which he sometimes
ound 1t no easy matter TO under.
tand.
Your hopes. I'm afraid, are son :
hing have very little influence =
YER"
But you at least know that l wisb .
bring you happiness. that I was =
our friend in the past, that always :
the future want to be your I
'iend.'
But when friendship remains 4
asked. 1t remains harder to under. 4
.andi"
Then the mask may be Withdrawn
nd withdrawn sooner than Won AZ. !,
ect." =
Just what does that mean ?" asked n
le clear-eyed girl. studying his face I
1t means that l am about to mako :,
move which will deliver you ana =