Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-01-19

tucked them stoically away in his
pocket.
You're all right, lady" he pro-
claimed. And I'll be there, wit bells
on, as soon as you take the count"
But Margery was already stealing
along the shadowy roadside to the
spot where she had seen Legar creep
in through the bushes. She followed
as best she could, found herself face
to face with a tunnel-opening that
showed itself dimly in the moonlight,
and after moments hesitation
stopped low and crept into this tunnel.
feeling her way cautiously along the
smooth brickwork of its wa lis. She
came to a turn, buttressed with heav-
Ter masonry, and padded along this
wall until her cropping fingers came in
contact with light switch. This, az
ter moments thought, she turned on.
The next moment a number of bulbs
cred into light.
Staring ahead Of her, she saw that
the corridor ended in nothing but q
blank wall. But as she stared intently
at the wall she detected in one side Of
it partially concealed electric but
ton. She moved toward this cautious
ly, for she had learned of old to be
wary of approach to any Of Legar's
Businesses. Then. as she advanced,
she came to a sudden stop. For she
saw on the flagstone upon which she
was about to step a small cross. There
was also a minute crevice, unnotice-
able in it's companions, about this
quadrangle so suspiciously marked by
it's cross. So she stepped carefully
over the suspected area, crept forward
to the button. and touched it with
tentative fingertip.
The next moment remarkable
thing happened. A section of the
heavy masonry shutting of the end
of the corridor, at that touch, swung
silently about on its axis, leaving an
aperture wide enough for a human
body to pass through. The girl, hold
ing her breath, stepped through the
ponderous masonry. Then q sudden
pang of fear took possession Of her.
for she noticed that the moment her
left hand left the revolving stone it
swung back into place. shutting OF all
retreat. But she breathed again when
she found wrought-iron handle set in
the back of the stone and discovered
by actual experiment that 1t could be
swung into place without difficulty by
anyone inside the chamber where she
stood.
This chamber, she saw, was empty.
except for two mysterious strands OF
iron chain that ran from ceiling to
floor, close against the wall, while
against the other stood a deal table
and a camp couch across which lay
couple of very dirty blankets. But
along the floor at the far end of the
room her quick eye detected thin
pencil of light. So she tiptoed quietly
forward until she stood close to the
door above this illuminated crevice.
Then she stopped lower, listening in
tently, for the sound of muffled voices
came to her from the room within.
II tell you we can't afford to fail in
this move" she heard the voice of
Legar himself announce. THE things
got to be settled, and settled before
morning!"
"But how?" asked one of his fol-
lowers.
with two pounds Of guncotton and
q time fuse" was Legar's reply.
I'm the O'Mara cottage?" asked an
other voice.
Eyes: l want that cottage wiped on
the face of the earth, and the family
with It! And I want it done before
morning!"
Margery listened, oblivious Of the
passing of time, as the conspirators
behind the closed door continued to
debate on their plan of action. Then
she started, even as much as they did.
when the sudden buzzing Of an cleo
trio annunciator warned that intent
group of ar intruder's approach.
It was then and only then that the
girl remembered her parting message
to the taxicab driver. But she had no
time to intercept that driver. for al
ready she could hear the sound Of
steps crossing the stone floor Of the
inner chamber. All that was left her
to do was to dart over to the camp cot,
drop down on the stone floor beside 1t,
and then roll deity in behind the
soiled blankets draped untidily along
its side.
The next moment Legar and his
men were in the outer chamber. While
one of the men crept to a secret out
look crevice in the farther wall Le-
gar himself stepped to one Of the con-
troll chains which ran from floor to
ceiling on the other side of the room,
and by pulling one of these started
into action some mysterious mech
anism which the watching girl could
not quite comprehend. She saw
them run back to the inner room
and stand waiting while Legar
manipulated still another secret
spring which threw open a hidden
door in the back wall of that room.
And that door, she surmised, led by
some unknown passage to the outer
world.
But Margery did not give much
thought to this. for there came to her
as she regained her feet the repeated
cry of q human being. q cry husky
with terror. She ran to the pivot door