Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-04-10
THIRD EPISODE
THE COGNAC CASK

side, the next moment, as the figure
in black, pinioned close between
young Manley and Wilson, the butler,
was piloted into the shadowy room.
sit DOWN." he barked out at the
silent and motionless figure with the
heavy black veil still draping it's face.
Marley, is there any chance OF
this woman being armed?" Golden
| suddenly asked of his secretary.
She's not armed, sir" was young
Manleys quiet reply, though it took
a tussle before Wilson and l could
get hold of her"
Well" Golden said to the yelled
| figure in the chair. what brought you
spying and lurking about my homer"
That was a question which the WON.
| an apparently chose to leave unan-
| swered.
DO you intend to answer" de-
| manded the millionaire. COR must l
have you put out of this house with
out a hearing?"
THAT seems to be a habit of which
| time has not deprived you," was the
quiet-toned reply.
1t was not the mufiled sting in those
| words, nor the calm bitterness with
which they were spoken. but more
the voice itself, with it's ghostly re-
hinder OF other days. that brought
Golden up short.
Who are your" he repeated when
| he saw that he and the yelled woman
were alone in the room. And why
are you here?"
You will misjudge that" answered
the woman as she threw back the
heavy folds of her veil, "as much as
you misjudged my actions of twenty
years ago!"
why are you here?" repeated Gold
en-, with unconsciously hardening
voice
1T was love for my daughter!"
The pugnacity went out of the grim
face bent over the desk top.
What do you know about-about
meeting her gaze.
Il know that she is in danger, in
terrible danger"
That means you know where she
is, where she could be found?" was
Golden's quick inquiry.
That is the one thing that made
me brave enough, or cowardly enough.
to come to you do not know where
she is. But / know that she can be
found"
80 you have suspicion where she
is?"
Yes" acknowledged the patient
eyed woman.
What are those suspicious founded
on?"
"On certain words which ! over
heard, words spoken by very evil
man"
What is that mans name?'
HE is a one-armed man, named Lee
sar
Golden half rose from his chair.
SO you and LePar are still com
AIDES. sect he cried. turning the
blade of hate in that still open wound
Of pride
~Lesar ana Z never were comrades.
ror wears nave kent a little res
2urau, or ara a,uiants and shopgirls
'r Foshia son square. II is
he or there. Some
times a foreigner or two comes in,
mostly by accident. But yesterday,
when was in the kitchen, three men
came in hurry. They had lodged
under cover there to escape being
seen by a plain-clothes man. 1 could
hear their talk through the little
kitchen slide through which we pass
our dishes. And when heard their
voices l opened the slide a little, and
| knew at once that one OF the men
was Palidori, or Legar, as he calls
himself now. He was talking mostly
to man called Casavanti. Then"
Wait a minute" interrupted Gold
en-, with his finger on the bell button,
Il want my secretary to hear this
The woman in black sat silent until
Manley had re-entered the room. Then
Golden motioned for her to continue.
Il heard Legar mention your name"
she went on. still unmoved by the
older mans half-sneering incredulity.
Then he blamed Casavanti for some
scheme that had failed, some scheme
to degrade my Margory But he had
the girl back, he said, and this time
he'd expect Casavanti to do his part
"Casavanti also said he wanted that
woman for himself. and declared she'd
come like hungry cat when he'd fin.
ished with her. l knew then what he
was. knew what Legar was plan
ming. lit made me forget every
thing. I started for the table where
they were. i tried to hold Legar. l.
| think l called for help. I chung to
him as he staggered toward the door
But one of his men struck me- They
escaped, then, for i was too dazed to
do anything more"
It was Manley who spoke next, an
eager light in his scowlirtg young eyes.
But where did they say the girl
was7'' he asked.
They did not say. But one Of them
-