The Raymer enterprise., 1917-01-11

~ suoto olu NJ bpuIilo mAA0o VI
In this deal. gov'nor. who tipped OF
that bunch o Grape to all this inside
gossip she handed Red!" solemnly
queried the wide-eyed thug.
Unless ! miss my guess there's Z
dictaphone planted In this room and
I'm going to find It II It takes . week.
said Legar.
He lost no time in making good this
declaration. fishing under the fur
niture, along the holdings and in
the dark corners of the room with
that prehensile iron hook which
seemed almost endowed with human
intelligence. Suddenly he gave . gut
tural bark Of triumph-under the
heavy iron safe backed against the
wall he found the object OF his search
and a few moments work sufflced tc
trace the tell-tale thread Of wire back
to the storeroom, where the up
ended packing case and unlocked sky
light told their own story.
That ought to answer your raw
ings,' was Legar's quiettoned com
ment to his bewildered lieutenant
and thea he added maliciously
there will be some unlimited guests
at the next seance of your high
priestess friend. and somehow ! have
feeling that she and Red are going
to join those departed spirits inside
Of the next twenty-four hours"
The unsuspecting object Of Legar's
levity. with her features still heavily
shrouded as on the preceding night
stepped out Of the sagging doorway ol
a weather rstained old barn which clune
dizzily to the brink Of a precipitous
and rock-toothed ravine. As she ap
preached the formal Italian garden
centered about q musically cascadine
fountain she perceived a golden.haired
girl seated on one Of the rustic
benches
Presently an elderly. white-hairet
man. whose deep.lined face and trou
bled eyes bore mute witness of past
mental strife. came slowly down the
graveled walk and stopped beside the
disconsolate figure on the rustic
bench.
You mustn't take this SO to heart
Margery-if Davy could speak from
the grave he would tell you to b.
brave for his sake-and as for the
Laughing Mask that unmitigatet
scoundrel and hypocrite isn't worth
one Of your tears"
The reply trembling on Marsery'i
lips remained unspoken. for at thai
moment q young woman whose fea
lures were hidden by heavy folds o.
black yelling stepped out from be
hind . vine-covered trellis.
You are doing the Laughing Masl
a grave injustice. Enoch Golden" sh,
cried In . clear and ringing voice
"and even now II you and your daugh
ter will accompany mo but . shor
distance I viii place in your handi
indisputable proof of what l say"
A suddenly terminated Marger,
sprang to her feet. She turned to the
unknown intruder and cried impetu
ously: Can you really show thai
the Laughing Mask was innocent o.
all those terrible charges7 II 20,
can, please. please take US quickly Il
where you have the proof"
Wait, Margery." cautioned the ex
perience-saddened banker. First lei
this veiled person tell US who she Il
and where she wants to take us
This may be one of Legar's tricks. fol
all we know"
Il am a well-wisher Of the Laugh
ing Mask. Beyond that cannot dis
close my identity" came the guarded
reply. II am unarmed and ask vol
to 30 only as far as the old barn or
your own estate"
Still questioning the outcome o
this dubious venture, the stern-facet
millionaire finally yielded to Mar
gery's earnest importuning, and, fol
lowing the black.garbed figure of theil
swiftly moving guide, they present.,
stood before the dilapidated old build
ing tottering on the brink Of the ra
vine. At that moment a thick-set
nat.nooted individual shufied into
view along the dusty road, the visol
Of his cap pulled low over his malev
olent blue-jowled face and his beefy
fists Jerking uneasily as he walked
The woman in black turned to heI
companions. and. indicating this un
calmly figure. spoke rapidly.
Il have every reason to believe tha
man has kept faith with me. and II
am right l shall be able in a few min
utes to place In your hands the proc
Of which ! spoke. But II there should
be treachery | wish to face 1t alone
You will find that the harness room In
the loft of the barn has strong dool
with heavy bolts. Please wait for me
there. and at the first sound of trou,
BILE, barricade yourself until help
comes from the house."
This sounds like trap" returned
the millionaire, with emphatic disap
proyal. Come, Margery. come back
10 the house at once"