East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-03-05
.NoveXized al by ALBERT RAYSON TERHUNE
from the Consolidated Motion Picture Triumph

the room and stood in front Of IT. the
silver whistle still at his lips.
All five made q concerted move
toward him. As they did 30, he
dropped the whistle and passed his
hands rapidly over his face and head.
Then he Strengthened up to his full
height, his crutches Gathering to the
floor.
No longer crippled. and with his
clever makeup removed-Harold
Stanley confronted them!
Before the gangsters could clear
half the distance that separated them
from Harold the police whistle signal
had been heard and answered.
Bob Clayton rushed into the room.
The hallway outside seemed full Of
policemen. They poured in through
the doorway and straighe at the five
trapped Crimson Stain members.
Pierre La Rue, with a shout, met
the charge of the bluecoats. With
the Black Mask at his side, he burst
through the Gordon Of advancing po-
licemen and gained the doorway.
At the street door La Rue turned
north and the Black Mask south.
Stanley was close behind La Rue.
Clayton pursued the Black Mask
The masked man fled across the
street and plunged into a tenement
area. Clayton, at his heels, chased
him down tie basement hail TO a
flight of stairs, then up flight after
fight.
At last the fugitive gained the roof.
Clayton was st sadily gaining on
him. The masked man sprang at
the edge of the roof and gathered
himself for a leap across the airshaft
top TO the next house.
He was a second too slow; Clayton
seized him from behind and threw
him with terrific force to the grav-
eled surface of the roof.
As ne fell the mans head struck
the edge of the coping, knocking him
senseiess and displacing the mask he
wore.
Thus Clayton, fastening a pair Of
handouts on the helpless wrists.
looked up to see the UNCONSCIOUS
mans unmasked face.
The prisoner was Layton Parrish!
Harold Stanley meantime all but
grasped La Rue's arm as Pierre
vaulted into one of the two automo-
biles that stood at the curb, a door OF
two TO the north of Tanners apart
ment.
With one fist La Rue struck Har-
old fun on the jaw as Stanley Ieaped
upon the running board of the car.
With the other he pressed the self
starter.
Harold. losing his balance, tumbled
backward. Before he could regain
his feet La Rue was speeding north
ward out of reach. Without a sec
ond's delay Stanley boarded the sec
ond car and gave chase.
The cars mounted a steeply wind
ing stretch of road that curved about
the summit of a steep embankment.
suddenly Harold saw the first car
coming to a jarring halt.
a barrier was stretched across the
thoroughfare just ahead, bearing the
sign, Road Closed"
La Rue ieaped to. the ground and
ran at headlong speed along the per-
hous brink of the cliff. Stanley
sprang from his own car and fol-
lowed.
Presently La Rue glanced hack 10.
see whether or not his foe was gain
ing on him. 1t was perilously rash
tning to do at a moment when he
should have been needing closely his
foothold on the crumbling cliff-brink.
lie stepped on a fat stone that
turned sideways under his weight
La Rue threw up both hands in &
Wild ehort to regain his balance. But
he was too late.
For an instant he swayed above
the brink, clawing at space. his fsr.
hideous in its distortion of terror
Then he pitched headlong into spacs
Carefully Stanley made his MAS,
down the embanlIment until he stood
at the side of the injured man. Leu
ing over the victim, he noticed Wsf
a shock OF surprise how utterly e
approach of death had changed
Rue's face.
Pierre looked up at Harold a-.
smiled family.
This is the end" he said, H.
voice not at all like his own.
Feebly he raised his hands ..
pulled away the beard and br
eyebrows and wig. And now il
no longer the sinister Pierre La
on whom Harold gazed in much u.
wildered awe.
1t was DR. Montrose.
You knew whispered the doctrr
Il guessed" stammered Harold.
Il am Pierre La Rue" went on tr.s
faint voice. AT least 1 was. MfCl
the drug turned me, at times, into a..
1NfAs AhhN AtEEt Ii EAle Is QeH 4-
As presently I shall diei"
mol" protested Harold. "Nc
Live! Live to atone"
Il am dying" answered the doctur.
smiling. And / am glad. 1t is tl,.
only atonement can make. Be goo.
to my little girl. And-don't let he
know. Don't let her knowl Let he
me as
A rattle in his throat cut short hi
words. He sank back
and lay very still.
God forgive himI" he prayed. his
voice choking with grief.
Or. Montrose's body was brought
home to the great Riverdale houso
that he had loved. 1t was Harold
who brought home the man
gied remains OF the man whose secre-
he vowed TO keep.
To Florence he told the one lie y,
was ever to tell her-a lie that the rc.
nOrding angel surely forgave. HI
told her that he had seen her faith
struck down by an automobile H.
added the news that Pierre La Ru..