Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-02

Dan O'Mara turned 10 the TAME AT
his side.
Here's his message, plain as day.
written in his own handwritin'." was
the puzzled workmans only explana-
ton.
Margery took the message in her
hand and studied it. Then her color
faded a little.
THAT is not Frank Aimick's writ
ing," she suddenly announced.
I'VE must get to that studio as fast
as my car can carry us.
Peggy OMara, in the meantime.
was being confronted by more than
one surprise. The first came with her
arrival at the Aimick studio, when
the stranger who opened the door in
response to her knock informed her
that the artist was out. but would re-
turn in a minute or two. The sec
ond came with the quiet movement
of yet another man who sidled up to
the studio door and promptly locked
and barred it. But the greatest sur
prise of all awaited her as she turned
from the door and saw Legar himself
standing before her.
She stood there, white Tipped, star
ing from one evil face to the other as
Legar's companions closed in about
her
You're a fine bunch o cradle
snatchers," she finally and wrathfully
burst out of them, with the ultimate
and reckless anger of desperation in
her eyes. You're a grand army
heroes, you are, to come five strong
agin' girl like me!
stop that brat commanded the
irate Legar. And there was a general
movement in the direction of the blaz-
ing-eyed girl.
There was one man in that group.
however, who did not join in that
movement. The reason for this lay
in the fact that at that moment he
happened to be looking up at the paint
ing of The Vigilante.'
He was about to reach for a heavy
easel-peg, to fling at the canvas, when
he suddenly Strengthened up. clapped
a hand to his shoulder. and turned
about. There was look of mingled
wonder and incredulity on his face
Then he slowly drew from the fleshy
part of his upper arm a small steel
dart, little bigger than a knitting
needle
The next moment a second man.
moving across the room 10 catch up a
curtain cord with which to tie the
captured girl, felt a sudden sting in
his hip, stopped abruptly and point
ed with a shout OF anger toward the
canvas above the mantel
Still another of Legars followers,
not realizing the meaning of that cry,
stepped forward and stared at the
painting Out of the barrel-end of the
painted rife, as ne did so. shot sim
another dart which buried itself in his
neck.
'Th darts!' he mumbled as thick
ly as a drunken man might TIL
darts re druggedi"
But even before those mumbled
words were spoken the swarthy.
skinned Mauki. trying to hold the still
struggling Peggy O'Mara down on
divan, felt sharp pain above his
shoulderblade, turned about and saw
Legar run across tho room and catch
up the heavy brass fire tongs from be
side the mantel end
The painting, sQueaked Mauki,
staggering out against the model
throne The painting-it is spit
ting steel at usi"
Legar, however, was no longer in
need of that warning. Standing to
one side of the mantel, close beside
the wall, he attacked the huge can
vas with his fire-tongs, beating in the
center of the picture at the same time
that Peggy 0Mara, realizing that
she was no longer being held a pris-
oner, caught up a teakwood tabou
ret and with it precipitated her
self on the preoccuDied Legar.
ITO Be Continued