The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-02-24

lace was all twisted up WITH Sull'Ilh
and full of deep lines and wrinkles.
Then | seen his hair was all StrcaKcd
with gray. When he spoke to me he
was healthy young Teller, but when
found him he was like some old man
about 30, what had died of some awful
disease. That's about all an / don't
see how"
But Margery did not wait to hear
the concluding remarks of the detec-
tive, for at this point she abruptly
hung up the receiver. Here was news
of a startling character which must
be impaired to the masked guardian
of her safety without loss of time.
Without stopping to even catch up
hat, she slipped ont of her room ana
down the stairway. As she uptoed
softly past the living-roOm, the door
suddenly opened and Captain Track
EFT and Walters stood on the thr"sh-
old. The stern-faccd officer watched
the slender girl as she went out of the
| front door and closed it behind her.
| Then he turned to his Crestfallcn sub
ordinate.
Never mind dom what | was tell
| in you, Walters" he tersely command
ed. 81 want you to shadow that young
woman. Don't lose sight of her for
| a minute"
So it happened that when Margery
! Golden paused by the mysterious lone
| bowlder on Seven Oaks Hill hawk
faced detective was hidden not ten
PAGES distant behind one of the great
trees from which the ridge took its
name. He saw the girl glance fur
| lively about her, and then from her
| purSed lips came a low, thrilling call
| like that of bird. After Il brief in
| terval she repeated this signal, and
| presently a yellow-maSked man came
stealthily around the side of the
| great bowlder. The hidden listener
| caught enough of what Margery Col
den was saying to become aware that
she was recounting, almost word for
word. his own story of the escape of
Jules Legar.
81 have theory of my own as to
what was used to kill Jenkins in
that fearful manner" the Laughing
Mask was saying, land | am going
to find out tonight whether ! am right
or wrong. Legar's followers have all
been wiped out with the exception of
a man calling himself SkidmOn. He
| was known as n brilliant scientist I'M
til he contracted the drug habit, and
| then, when he was down and OUT, he
fell in with Legar. He lives in a
| tumble-dOwn old house at the foot of
the blind alley south of Washington
square.
At that moment the detective
burning with zeal to make up for the
escape of Jules Legar by the sudden
capture of the Laughing Mask. sud
denly emerged from behind the oak
tree and rapidly advanced upon the
startled pair. As the Laughing Mask
darted around the bowlder toward the
secret door leading into the subterra-
mean retreat, Margery planted herself
directly in the path of the oncoming
Walters.
you've about gone the limit this
time, young woman" he snarled as
he seized her slender wrist In his
powerful grasp, 'an' We'll see what
the chief thinks of your helpin' that
criminal make a getaway"
A little later the burly Walters
hailed his frail prisoner into the living
room, where her father and the de
tectives were still gathered Captain
Bracket, Tuning with anger, tried
his utmost to wiring from her the
secret of the bowlder, but his rapidly
volleyed questions failed to break hel
sphinxlike silence. Finally her loving
but sorely tried father locked her II
her bedroom to prevent her further
interference. Hastily going to her i'm
promptu dictaphone, Margery heard
the voice of Walters repeating wha
the Laughing Mask had said abou
Skidmon. the last of Legar's bench
men. When he had finished, the blat
ant tones of Captain Bracket cam'
over the thread of copper.
"Our best move will be to watcl
the house of this Skidmon," he an
nounced decisively, "an' when our maj
comes along we'll nab him. If Weir
playin' in luck we might get Legar II
the same dragnet."
As Margery replaced the receive
she realized the Laughing Mask wa
threatened with grave danger. Ii
some way she must warn him. Blu
there seemed no possibility of escap
ing from the bedroom. Then suddel
scheme flashed into her mind, whicl
she fastened to put into execution
To mislead her father she tied tn
| bed sheet to the window sill, and whe
r that gentleman discovered the sur
: posed escape, he ran to the shrubber
{ beneath the window. Then Marger
( stole out of the closet and SILENT
] went her way in her car.
As Margery paused in front Of
dismal old rookery she suddenly pei
L ceived in the moonlight a shadow
S form mounting steadily upward o.
e the narrow fire-escape ladder. Whe
y that stealthy prowler stepped ont
n | the iron platfOrm inst outside III