The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-09-29
finger to the switch a sudden knock
| sonndad an thu daor Of the room

| sounded on the door of the room.
Both Red Egan and the woman
turned mutely to Legar. And as they
looked, the knock was repeated, loud
er than before.
Lock him in that closet" was the
| Iron Claws whispered command.
And throttle him at the first sound!"
Legar. who had already crossed to
the door that opened into the hall.
waited there until the closet door had
been locked and shut.
He found a chanbermaid standing
there.
rs there anything the matter, sir?"
she asked in genuine alarm.
THE matter? What should be the
natter" inquired the sleepy-eyed &C.
cupant OF the room.
II thought heard scream, sir"
explained the chambermaid, already
relieved.
mot in this room, my DEAR" calmly
announced Legar.
I'm sorry if / was mistaken" ex-
planned the maid.
1t was Red Egan who stepped to
Legar's side as the key was once moro
silently turned in the lock.
Here's signet ring took off your
man In there. Would that give you
any tip as to who he is "
Lesar stood studying the ring, turn
ing it over and over in his hand
NO" he finally announced But
It'll let me send tip to our old friend
Golden. III send him that ring to
show him we've got the Laughing
Mask here. With it will go note
giving him his last chance to hand
over that chart."
And who'll carry that note?' asked
Williamsburg Sadie, out of the silence
OF apprehension which fell over the
little group.
You WILL" calmly announced lie.
gar.
mot on your life!" was the girls
quavering reply. I'm through with
those people!"
"But you're not through with me
yet, my girl. You're going to take this
note to Enoch Golden, and you're 60
ing to do 1t without any risk. I'll call
up Golden myself and tell him he'll get
it back, ten to one, II he makes
single move against you. And besides
that, we've got him so beaten at this
game that he's going to cry quits the
minute he sees we've roped in the last
Of his gang. the minute tell him I'll
leave the country on condition he
coughs up the paper!"
"And s'posin' he does weaken and
hand over that paper? Where do I
get OFF,"
"You come back here with it as fast
as wheels can carry you. And II you
move as quick as I want you to move,
you'll Just about get back in time to
see the finish Of your friend in the
yellow mask"
But Betsy LeMarsh's friend in the
yellow mask, for all his captivity, was
apparently preparing for that finish in
a more active manner than was imag-
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 group of insulat-
ed wires running along its outer wall.
Yet these wires he examined with not
. little care. And the examination
led him to conclude, both from the
nature Of the wires and the heaviness
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 discov.
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 a message needing
through all the nervous system Of the
house. And at some one point, he felt
sure. that methodic play OF dot and
dash In the light bulb would arouse
suspicion and cause q search to be
fnstigated.
1t was, IN fact, in the Office Of the |
hotel itself. where High.Collar Davis, |
the house detective, leisurely perused |
an evening paper for certain racing
returns close beside a rotund and |
robinlike room clerk in q red vest, |
that an electric bulb Just above the
register began to conduct itself in a
manner that was first mysterious and |
then challenging.
High-Collar Davis, looking languidly |
up from his racing charts, watched |
this light for several moments of 81. |
lence.
We'll, I'll be blowed!" he finally
eiaculata,