Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-11-03


bearing down on q nearby cotton-shed
At the same moment that he caught
sight of his daughter Margory on the
roof of this shed he made out the fig
ure of Palidori himself directing the
movements of the bearded man SC
frenziedly rowing the boat
my child-they will kill my child
gasped Golden. H
Open laughter showed on Palidori's
sinister face. as with his sound arm
he held the struggling figure in white
close to his side.
Have no fear of that" he called
back across the swirling water. as his
bearded confederate bent to the oars
"She will live. But she will live in q
way that will leave you praying she
had died."
Twelve Years Later.
Casavanti, the cadet, was firm up
holder of the pregnancy of apparel
He believed in keeping up appear
ances. He even reveled in his appel
lative of the Beau Nash Of the Ten.
derloin. His clothes were of the lat.
est cut and from the folds of his nov
city cravat always flashed a sinner
! of the first water There was, accord
ingly, almost a note of condescensiOn
in his manner as he received slim
Legato in his meretriciously sumptu-
| Gus sitting room. For Slim" what
ever his aspirations in crookdom. was
still a mere underling.
Who sent this?" demanded Casa
vanti as he took note from his Wis.,
! itors hand.
'Legar." was the answer. The cadet
pulled languidly at a cigarette as he
opened the note and read it.
The girl spoke of will come to-
night at twelve. You will find her a
| flower that Is ripe for the picking.
And once the flower gets In your
hands ! want it kept there.-Jules.
p Casavanti restored the letter to it's
envelope Then he stood thoughtfully
regarding his visitor.
did anyone see you come here?"
he asked.
Not that was wise to-" was Sims
prompt reply.
Then see that you get as quietly
away"
Slim Legato, accordingly. kept a
weather eye open as he emerged to
the street. Nothing suspicious met
his gaze. II was not until he had de-
scended the steps and reached the
curb that closed limousine, running
as quietly as a frozen river. flowed
along the pavement little more than
ten PAGES away from him. At the
first corner it turned sharply and
stopped. obstructing the crossing.
The debonair Slim drew up, blink
ing suspiciously at the mysterious We
hicle. Then he blinked even harder.
for from the open door window of the
limousine gloved hand had unmis-
takably beckoned to him. And the re-
markable part of it all. to Slim. was
the fact that the drawn car curtains
concealed everything but that mys-
teriously reckoning hand.
Slim promptly decided to investi-
gate. But he also decided to advance
with caution. Before he could place a
foot on the runningboard, however,
and thrust a pertly inquisitive head
into the hooded gloom of the car, that
car began to move forward again. Yet
before it passed from his reach the
gloved hand thrust into his own an en-.
velope.
On this envelope was clearly tn
scribed:
"Or. Ludwig PaIidori,
Care Of Jules Leqar,"
and beneath these words Sims be-
wildered eyes made out the unmistak-
able emblem of a laughing mask What
it meant was more than he could tell.
So inscrutable did this mystery
seem. in fact. that Slim, after one min
ute Of deep thought. promptly yet de-
licately slipped the blade Of his PEN
knife along the gummed flap of the
envelope and forced it open. On a
single sheet Of paper he found written
the cryptic words:
Remember the Hammer Of God,
which smites, and erushes whom Il
smites!"
Slim. the gay cat and gangster, puz-
zled much over this message as he
restored it to its violated envelope
and adro&ly resealed the flap.
Nov; who tells gettin' his little
knocker out rr the Doc?" demanded
that bewildered worthy of himself as
he made his guarded way back to the
rendezvous which was
known to his confreres as the Owls
Nest.
The Owls Nest proper was an I'M
savory cellar room in one Of the most
unsavory sections of the lower East
side. Years before it had been a wine
cellar, presided over by a Neapolitan
Of Mano Nero Affiliations, until fed
eral shoo-fly, in sesarch for "coiners,"
had been found stilettoed behind one
Of its casks Of Marsala, whereupon |
the Neapolitan had vanished and in |
due time the Owl herself had taken |
possession of the quarters.
With the advent of Jules Legar, the
mysterious center of a mysterious cir
Gle OF evildoers about whom. she
knew. 1t never paid to be too inqusi.
tive. life had become easier for her.
Her cellar. inconspicuous in q dis
.rict so crowded with equally dubious
had proved precisely the type
If quarters the leader of the new cir.
lie was in need of. And as Legar him.