Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-01-26
FIFTH EPISODE
THE INTERVENTION OF TITO


David Manley was not altogether
proud OF his days work. AS he sat
tied and bound on the rough brick
floor beneath the Owls Nest that once
fippant- minded young man even &C
knowledged that things looked rather
bad for him. He had been made a
prisoner. The iron claw of Legar had
reached suddenly out and closed about
him.
But David Marley did not altogether
give up. As he lay there, sore in body,
but even more battered in mind. he
stu systematically struggled with the
cords that held him hand and foot.
The solitude Of that unsavory den
did o add to his comfort. The mere
tact that Legar could see ft to leave a
prisoner thus ~unguarded impressed
the prisoner with .he fact that his one-
armed enemy was only too well as
sured Of his power. And the mor
Manley thought of Legar and his meth
DDS the more that sinister figure seems
10 bewilder him. He knew that Legar
was Aut uIl HltnAllb anu tAtA hdA bhphAg
Of Enoch Golden. Just as he had been
the enemy Of Golden's daughter Mar
CORY.
The thought OF Margory directed
Manley's mind back to the earlier
events of that strange day. He recalled
his long talk with that qulet-eyed girl
I'm the q%uiet-toned shadows of the
Golden library. 1t had been the first
talk between them into which the per-
sonal note had entered. He had en-
1oyed that talk, for he had felt, as 1t
progressed, that the girl had begun to
realize he was her friend, that he want
ed TO be her friend.
But the quietness OF the Golden
home had proved TO be nothing more
than a lull which %precedes the sud
den storm. For, five minutes after he
had left the smiling girl. the Golden
butler, with terror in his eyes, had
come running to him saying there was
p stranger in the house, a stranger
Who had been seen lurking about the
halls and had promptly disappeared
at the sight Of one Of the servants.
SO Marley, forgetting everything else,
had promptly Joined in the search for
that mysterious intruder. And his first
thought. after doing so, had been for
Margory Golden.
Hurrying to the library to make sure
Of her safety, he had found her seated
at her fathers desk. quietly talking
over the telephone. And there had
been little in that scene not suggestive
Of tranquility. For blinking placidly
down from its perch beside her had
stood Tito, Margory Golden's newly
acquired parrot, for which Manley him
self had small love. This feeling was
based, not 80 much on the malevolent
air Of wisdom surrounding that green
bodied hlcher Of human phrases, as on
the somewhat disturbing trick, taught
Il by some earlier master. OF seeking
put gas Jets and turning them on the
moment II was freed from its chain.
Yet as It had stood close beside the
girl so busily talking over the tele-
phone II had seemed as companionably
innocent as a canary. And It had
turned to blink sagely at Manley as the
girl, apparently unconscious Of his
presence, had crossed to the mahogany
faced vault set in the library wall and
proceeded 10 open its ponderous door.
This had startled Manley not a little,
10? the combination OF that vault was
q secret ~jealously guarded by Golden,
q secret unknown TO Manley himself.
II was not until she stood with the
massive door swung open that Manley
had confronted her. But she showed
no embarrassment at his sudden inter
fuption.
MY father has Just phoned from
Philadelphia" she explained. There
are certain papers he must have for
his conference with the Regent Trust
company tomorrow"
but when did you find out how "a
open that door," had been Manley'l
inquiry.
1.-TWO minutes ago, over the tele
phone" had been the girls reply.
Then the sooner hat door is shut
and locked again the better" he had
warned her.
"Why7" she had asked. for the hrsI
time conscious OF his excitement.
Because there's an unknown mar
aiding somewhere IN this house. ant
heaVsi only knows what he's after
q times ike thesei"
Even as he had spoken Manley hat
aOtsctsd an unnatural fullness abou.
~ ~r~si~~~ Avaping the side door 4