The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-01
The Final Reckoning.

AS the moon swung across the star
strewn heavens it's pale light dis
closed the still form of the uncon-
scious Laughing Mask lying under
the laboratory window from which
the Infatuated scientist had flung him.
A one-armed man, who came Sinking
out of the shadows, saw that inert
figure and bent over it with savage
exclamation Of triumph. He glanced
furtiyely about him, and, throwing
back the bulkhead doors leading into
the cellar, backed down the short
fight Of steps, dragging the Laughing
Mask after him, like spider drag
cling q fly into some dark recess.
Legar seemed strangely at home in
his dark and gloomy surroundings,
for after letting the Laughing Mask
dron heavily to the cement flooring,
his proping fingers quickly found a
battered lantern hanging from a
rustv hook. This feeble iuumina-
ton showed the cellar 10 DC
piled with all sorts OF discarded
household furniture, including a pie
of wornout carpeting near Where the
masked man was lying. AS Legar
bent over that helpless hgure rant
noise came from the stairway ieadlns
70 the floor above. He instantly
straightened up and stood lntehty
listening. Then, holding the lantern
hefora him. he cautiously advanced
+o-,.rd the spot from which tnat
.o,,,,d bad come. AT the moment ne
+,,rrad his back an incomprenensipio
thing happened. o.;n
Erom under the pile OF carpetins
two nair of long arms suaueliy
stretched out toward the silent form
~ tha Laughing Mask. and, quickly
sa;a;,,s him bv the feet ana shoul-
5ons ragged him under the frayed
$50 ~ that ancient floor covering.
y1rt,a,, the SCARED outlaw gave UP MS
eu,,it,ass search and returned to the
Mace where he had left the Laugh
mo Mask. with the full INTENTION OF
lsisna+cbing that sworn enemy with
bic own hands, he gave gasp OF IN
a,,,ons amazement as it dawned
800, him that his intended victim
had completely disappeared
r. dashed into his mind that the
raughinp Mask might have recov-
arad sIfficiently to have crawled up
az short fight of cellar steps. and,
t,,rrv;nr outside, he commenced a
s,-stamatic search of the dark cor
Vars where a man in desperate
straits might endeavor to hide. He
nod hardly left the cellar when the
MA Of threadbare carpet showed
signs az sudden agitation, and, in
obedience to certain commands is
s,,ed in painfully broken whispers.
NO snectral figures emerged from
,,nder that singular refuge and glided
toward the stairway leading to the
upper story. where the laboratory
was located.
Tn that laboratory the wide-eyed
Margory Golden was searching the
uttered work bench, hoping to find
something to incriminate the venom
o,,s Skidmon. She did not venture tc
touch the glittering instruments. but
turned her attention to the object
which was hidden under the thin
strip Of toweling. When. after lit
tle hesitation, she gingerly raised
that fiimsy covering, she saw thin
glass vessel bearing q printed Label
and half filled with a gelatinous sub
stance. She stopped and read from
the label the words "Colon Bacilli, =
hut that did not convey to her tha'
in the nutrient medium contained il
that Petri dish was culture growth
alive with millions Of malignant
germs. Hoping to find some moro
tangible clew, she replaced the towe