The Elbert County tribune., 1916-07-21


| figure, for all its height, was strangely
stoop-shouldered, moving with dig
nifty OF step which went well with the
voluminous drapery in which 1t was
clad. And Manley watched closely as
| this stately Arabian chieftain. bowling
gravely to Golden, reached out two un-
gloved hands to greet the two hands
which his host extended to him. About
these hands he saw at a glance, there
could be nothing doubtful.
But Manley had little time to give
| further thought to the scene, for at
| that moment he became aware OF the
fact that Da Espares had slipped away
| to another part of the house-and dur
| ing that night, Manley had determined
| he would keep an eye on his enigmati-
cal foreign friend. But instead Of
following Da Espares, on discovering
him stepping quietly into the deserted
library, the alert-eyed young secretary
| promptly retreated to the quarter
where the receiver of his dictaphone
was concealed. There. on placing this
| watch-case receiver to his ear, Manley
had the satisfaction of catching the
| faint hum of voices. Much of that
guarded talk taking place in the IL
| brary Manley could not overhear. But
he caught enough to arouse his curl
osity.
Then the plan has worked?" asked
the anxious voice of Da Espares.
Without a hitch" answered the
other voice. "The girders have been
cut through and the bomb placed!"
And the clock fuse adjusted?"
YES"
| "But what was 1t set for?"
For the stroke of twelve!' an
swered the unknown voice. by that
time the crowd will be at the table,
eating!"
But how" asked the anxious voice
of Da Espares, could we get Legar
inside?"
| The sound of triumphantly quiet
| laugh came over the little instrument.
"Legar is already here!" announced
the other.
Hush! Not SO loud" warned Da
Espares. And from that point on 1t
was only broken phrases that trickled
into the hidden listeners ear.
| Game as an Arab chief. .
Nicchia the Dago acrobat on his back
/. yes, under cloak could hold
out both hands 3. and never even
suspected. /. being watched .
can't afford to lose this time!"
Again came the sound of the quietly
triumphant laugh. And it was De Es-
pares' voice that sounded clearly the
next moment.
But how did he work that bridge
fall?"
>. long dive %. came up under a
lumber schooner's stern and hung to
rudder chain :. q. down with tide i.
an hour later :. swan ashore
launeh to Oyster Joe's!"
Manley did not wait for more. Mid.
night. he knew, was already too peril
ously close for half measures. BY the
time he reached the upper floor, in
fact, he found Enoch Golden already
heading the grand march to the great
table running almost the full length OF
the huge room opening Off the conserv
atory. The next moment he saw Da
Espares himself step hurriedly. yet
|
en- and take their places in that gayly
colored line that rippled with laughter
and movement as the orchestra once
more struck up. Then, remembering
what he had overheard about mysteri
ously weakened girders and planted
bombs. Manley likewise remembered
the newly installed vault and the fact
that Legar's final object was the pos
session of a certain paper which that
vault held. And he slipped out through
the door, and on through the empty
conservatory, frantically wondering
Just what his first move to avert that
impending catastrophe should be.
The figure which intervened in that
crisis, however, was a much more pic
turesque one than the slight figure of 9
young private secretary in somewhat
disheveled evening clothes. For when
the merriment about the great crowd
ed table was at its height an unex
pected and unlimited guest strobe ir
through the wide door and confronted
the company there assembled. This
figure wore a dust-stained motor coat
and cap. But the most conspicuous
feature OF his attire was the yellow
mask which covered his face. Equally
conspicuous was the huge blue-bar
relied revolver which he firmly held in
his right hand. This weapon. in fact
glinted menacingly in the strong light
as the strangers left hand was sud
denly lifted for silence.
ladies and gentlemen" he pro
claimed in asclear voice, this intru
sion, fear, may shock you. But you