The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-12-30
TWELFTH EPISODE
The Haunted Canvas.

The daughter Oh Ian " -"hi"
very happy girl. So happy, in fact'
was the freckled-nosed Peggy that
there were times when the sheer nov
city of her good fortune somewhat
frightened her. For the tide had
turned. The O'Mara family, as Peggy
put it. was at last in clover. That mys-
FERROUS Fighter of wrongs known as
the Laughing Mask had interested
himself in getting honest work LOT
Dan OMara. And that gracious-eyed
lady known as Margery Golden, once
she had realized the true position OF
the family, had become equally inter
ested in doing what she could for the
spindle-legged Peggy.
II is true, none the less, that this
aforementioned young ladys beneiac-
tress had been momentarily nonplused
by Peggys choice of vocation. when
this choice was placed before her.
What would you like to do most?
Margery had asked at the end of her
second trip to the O'Mara cottage
with a bundle of clothes for the all
but breathless Peggy.
BE a artists model" promptly an
nounced the rapt-eyed factory girl.
But Why a model?" asked the
amazed Miss Golden.
ITO doll up in glad rags and get
meself painted" explained the dream
er of the dye watts. And odd as that
choice seemed to her, Marger. Golden
did not depart from her promise. She
sought out her artist friend, Frank
Aimick, and inveigled him to expert
ment with a new and somewhat I'M
tried model.
Frank Aimick, however, soon found
the ardent-eyed young Peggy more OF
a help to him than he had anticipated.
She was dramatic by nature, eager to
succeed, and tireless in her determine
ton to hold the most difficult pose
once she realized what was expected
of her. Some of her unctuous yet I'M
couth attitudinizing, in fact, brought
smile to the face of the busy artist.
But that smile was never broader
than when he noticed her standing
wide-eyed before the large canvas
above the fireplace at the end of his
studio. For this painting. which bore
the title of The Vigilante," was a re
markable piece of work, in more ways
than one 1t showed the life-size fig
ure of a frontiersman staring out into
the room, with a leveled carbine al
his buckskinned shoulder. But the ar
resting feature of the painting la,
in the fact that both the eyes of thu
figure and the barrel Of the leveleC
rifle seemed always to be directed a
the spectator, no matter what position
the spectator might take. 1t stool
there like an armed and menacing ser
tinel seeming to command everv col
ner of the high-walled studio.
THAT guy gives me the willies!
Peggy protested as she made her wa
back to the model throne.
WHY" asked the smiling man a
the easel
He keeps such a bead on you. n
matter where you get in this room!
was the girls reply.
That's why I keep him here. s
see that you never do anything wront
Peggy, or that carbine of his will ca
you to account"
Peggy O'Mara accordingly conduc
ed herself with all due decorum durin
her working hours in the studio. An
those hours took unto themselve
wings, for she was happy in her wor
and even happier In her knowledg
that her fathers troubles were ODE
But destiny, in the form Of one julie
Legar. had secretly ordained tht
Peggy's happiness should not be las
ing one. For Peggy O'Mara was n
longer q trivial factor in the activitie
Of the Iron Claw. This slip OF a 81
had brought defeat to his plans whe
success seemed well within his ham
And for these humiliations Legar d
cided that the girl should pay. and pa
% the full
The modest home OF the O'Mara
however. had no inkling Of this dec
sion until Dan O'Mara himself, wa
dering about his combined kitchen ar
living room IN search OF his pipe. W;
somewhat startled to see a square
paper pinned to the faded door pane
Peggy herself, joining her father. WI
equally mystified by this slip Of pape
for IT'S surface showed nothing but
round blot or two OF black ink on
square of white. Neither Dan O'Mai
nor bis daughter had any reason
know the meaning OF the spott'
warning, any more than they kne
that one Msuki. the steaithy emissal
o. the Iron Claw. stood hidden behir
ne walls OF one of the three cottsg'
commanding . clesr view Of Il
OIlar4 Boms.
They had no wsy Of knowing thi
fkl1 e6n5e Hfukf IoSksd thers behind
Glte6R6d v1s16~, petiently wstchin