Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-02-09

Ills bluo. uc HcAt uOLlCht thos WV
arm. bearing heavy hook of wrought
iron, crashed down upon the skull Of
the unsuspecting Peter.
With panther-like spring the meta
morphosed gardener was upon the be-
wildered girl bending over the safe,
and again that cruel iron claw shot
out, clutching her arm as in wise.
with a derisive laugh of triumph Le-
gar tore off his false trappings. his
thin lips gave a shrill, penetrating
whistle. In response to this signal a
faint shutting noise came from the
direction Of the fireplace. and two Of
Legar's followers. with faces black
ened like imps of darkness. sprawled
out. At a curt command from their
grin-faced leader they quickly bound
the shrinking girl, and, tying hand
kerchief over her mouth. dragged her
across the floor into the fireplace. Lee
gar caught up the sack of disputed
plumber, and. clawing his way up the
ragged lining of the murky chimney
fue. vanished.
Even as the quaint personality of
old Tim merged into that viciously
depraved character, Jules Legar, the
baffled group of searchers returning to
the old barn saw approaching them
the rheumatic stopped figure of the old
gardener who carried his left hand in
q red bandanna sling.
What does this mean, Tim?" Enoch
Golden Intercepted sternly. Il thought
told you to guard the safe until we
returned"
Faith an I dom know phwat We
moight be talkin' about, Misther Col
den," rejoined the old man Querulous
ly, 9TH new docthure yer was afthel
sendin' to look at me hand gave me
shlapin' powdher to relave tn pain
an said twas ye'er ordhers to stay in
me bed tn whole"
Into the faces of his startled listen
ers flashed bewildered amazement
then came a babble of incoherent
questioning. then, as the full signifi'
canoe of this astounding chicanery
beat in upon their senses. they rushed
with one accord toward the distant
manor house. AS Davy raced up the
steps and into the hall he encoun
tered Mrs. Golden coming out of the
library door.
Where is Margery?" he gasped
I'VE haven't second to lose. She
may be in terrible danger"
She went to the gunroom about an
hour ago and haven't seen her since
What is it? What has happened?'
came the startled response.
But the apprehensive Davy was al
ready throwing his slender weight
against the bolted door of the gun
room and calling out words of en-
couragement to, the gentle girl he
believed was in that room. But his
frenzied efforts to force that heavy
barrier proved impotently futile. anC
the others now came crowding about
him, painting like tired hounds. Thu
strong-armed police captain, skilled
in the raiding of fortified poolrooms
proved himself a man of action
Quickly Selling a medieval battle-al
which ornamented the wall, h
smashed in the locked door with ;
couple of well directed blows. Thu
men stormed across the threshold o
the gunroom. then stopped short IL
blank surprise. The windows wer'
shut and fastened from the inside
the limp and spraying Peter la.
where he bad been dropped in hi
tracks. but of Margery Golden and tn
burlap sack there was no trace.
1t was Davy who. eagerly circlin
the room, picked up by the fireplac
dainty square of filmy lace, and rec
cgnized it as that same handkerchie
which a little earlier had fluttered 1t
friendly message to him from Maj
gery's hand as she stood on the VI
randa His quick eye noted tn
marks Of grimy fingers on the Woo
work and the layer of dislodged SOC
coating the brick flooring of the fir,
place. The next moment he dived int
| the gloomy throat of the chimney an
gained a narrow ledge formed by tn
junction of the gunroom chimney wit
one leading to another wing of tn
house.
| Cautiously peering about for som
sign of his unseen foe, Davy caugh
a brief glance of a swaying shadow
figure perched high above him. The
with a muffled oath, that totterin
figure came avalanching down tn
chimney. and landing on the narro'
ledge. gripped at Davy as a drownin
man clutches a floating bit of wrecl
age.
Vainly the young secretary strov
to free himself from that deadly en-
brace, but the added weight gradl
ally loosened his own uncertain hole
Lurching out into space, the intel
locked antagonists hurtled headlon
down that dim shaft into the fireplac
of the gunroom. To the horrible
group which heard the impact G
those falling bodies against the soil
foundation Of brick and mortar
seemed hopeless that either Mamie
or his murderous opponent could e'
cape death. 1t was due to the fac
that Legar's picked assassin ha
landed underneath. and broken tn
force of Davy's fall. that the badl
shaken secretary owed his life. A,
sisted by Golden and Captain Bracl
EFT, he struggled unsteadily to hi
feet. his face grotesquely smesre