The Yale expositor., 1917-01-18
Even as the Knife Was Raised to
Strike, the Miracle Happened.

Strike, the Miracle Happened.
the fields toward Seven Oaks hill.
looming across the valley. A few mo-
ments later the stalwart police cap
tain and his two men came pounding
over the same course, but at a some
what slower and heavier gait.
Far down in those buried chambers
under the hill, for which those striving
| figures were headed, wOlfish-faced
man desperately clawed at the pile Of
rock and debris choking the tunnel.
Suddenly with an eellike movement
he wrigged through the narrow pas
| sage he had effected, and staggered
like drunken man toward the ladder,
his scar-ravaged face liyid with dread
apprehension.
He made his way through the open
ing and stood confusedly blinking In
the bright flood Of sunlight. The next
moment a running figure bore down
upon the outlaw from the other side
of the rock. There was a sudden i'm
pact of colliding bodies and Jules Le-
gar and the Laughing Mask stood in
dazed uncertainty, staring into each
others eyes.
BY warily evadlng the menace of
that terrible claw of iron, the masked
mystery, with a sudden trick of Jap
| anese origin, sent his heavier Oppo-
nent topping over backward. Then,
before Legar could regain his balance,
the Laughing Mask slipped through
that still open passage into the bowl
der, the panel closing sharply as he
stepped on the platform. The next in
stant Legar found himself face to face
with Captain Bracket and the two de
tectives. who had been hot on the trail
of the Laughing Mask.
Before Legar could draw his gun
| those three heavy and resolute officers
| avalanched themselves upon him, bury
ing him under their combined weight
as he crashed to the ground.
To Margery Golden, still lying on
| that narrow rocky ledge, expecting
every moment an attack from out OF
| the dark, the passing time had seemed
| like fearful eternity. She had heard
Black Tony creeping about below her
In an apparently futile search for his
| flashlight.
Then came low cry Of triumph and
a thin streak of light wavered upon
her. She saw the sinister, leering face
| Of the swarthy italian as he came
| steadily nearer. She shrank back
| against the rough wall as long, ta-
pering knife, clutched in sinewy fin
| gers, came reaching toward her. II
seemed certain. that nothing short of
a miracle could save her. But even
as the knife was raised to strike, the
miracle happened.
The apparently solid wall behind her
suddenly gave way and Margery felt
herself quickly pulled through an OPEN
| ing by strong, tender arms. She was
| vaguely conscious of being borne up
ladder and presently a gentle breeze
famed her cheek. When the fresh air
had revived her and she became ac-
customed to daylight she saw the
Laughing Mask bending over her.
II had feeling up to the very last
that you would save me-" she mur-
INJURED gratefully.
'Tt was lucky knew about the old
ventilating shaft connecting all the
galleries in the mine," he modestly re-
piled; "it will be quite safe for you to
go home now, for 1 happen to know
that Legar himself is captured and his
men have all met the final punishment
1 they so richly deserved"
But Margery fixed a pleading iook
upon her masked savior.
"Can't you see how am tortured by
this terrible uncertainty" she said in
supplcating tones, 'if you really love
me, you viii tell me who you are"
For a Sloment the Laughing Mask
hesitated, then he slowly raised the
yellow visor which so long had pre-
served the secret OF his identity.
Trans6xed with wonder, Margery
stood gazing upoD the face of her
companion. A little cry broke from
her lips, cry that might have signi'
fed either Joy or sorrow.
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