Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1917-02-02

oOOA OlOuShI Ihlh5o w" IA W SAN PAA~
os the practical. For when the ma
sons and ironworkers who were COM
pleting the installation of the new
Golden vault returned from their mid
day meal a far-from-attractive stranger
stole into the house at their heels.
And when David Manley happened to
catch sight of this stranger deep in
talk with Count Da Espares, he
promptly jumped to the conclusion
that he had at last discovered some
thing on which to concentrate all his
earlier Scotch-mists of suspicion.
For Da Espares' visitor unmistak-
ably bore the earmarks of the I'M
kempt denizen of the hotpoint and
the Bowery saloon.
What is this man doing here?" he
asked as he confronted the intruder.
This man is here at my request
And the happiness of this house de-
ponds much on his visit" was Da Es-
pares' retort.
What has a crook like Red Egan
got to do with the happiness of this
house?" scoffed the irate Manley.
And what right have you to bring a
tool of Legar's into this room?"
But still Da Espares remained out
wardly calm.
Pardon" he replied. But this
man you call Red Egan is no longer
a crook and no longer a tool of Le-
gar's!"
Then what is he doing here?"
That, monsieur, concerns mostly
the young lady for whom have sent!"
The soft-spoken foreigner swung
about as Margery Golden stepped a
little wonderingly into the room.
This, Miss Golden" said Da Es-
pares, lis the man of whom l spoke
to you. AS your friend here protests,
this man has been a tool Of Legars.
But he has tired of being the serv-
ant of so evil a man. He now seeks
to have the state extend its pardon
to him. And as a price for this par
don he is willing to deliver into our
hands Jules Legar!"
But what is the plan?" asked the
girl, with a touch of impotence.
Da Espares, with upthrust Shout
ders, looked from the one to the other.
1T is a plan which we had thought
it wise to keep a secret" he suayely
explained.
Mr.. Manley has earned the right
to be included in any secrets which
may involve the capture of Legar,
Margeyy Golden quietly assured the
family smiling count, who bowed in
acquiescence. And realizing the note
of authority in that reply, he outlined
the plan in as few words as possible
} That plan, with Red Egan as theil
emissary, was not a complicated one
This renegade from Legar's gang was
to go to his old-time chief and report
that Margery Golden might be found
!, at such and such spot, at such anC
: such a time. She would be alone. Ant
to Legar and his men, waiting there
it would seem a simple enough matter
to recapture the girl. But that cap
ture would never be effected. For 6
, squad of police would be held there
: in hiding, and when the moment ar
rived, they would promptly surround
, Legar and his men and put then
where they belonged.
: In other words, monsieur, what We
propose to do is to set trap, ant
when this Iron Claw is about to gather
in his prey, he himself will be gath
cred in"
You propose to set trap" repeat
} ed the incredulous Manley, "and you
, also calmly propose to take this un
/ protected young girl and use her al
: the bait for that trapi"
"On the contrary, monsieur, she will
not be unprotected. Many duly ap
pointed officers of the law will b.
there. And, as / have already ex
planned to her, also will be there
D And Miss Golden, / think, knows tina
l would readily give up my life for tn
3 sake of keeping her from harm"
: rs that the way you feel about 1t !?
demanded Marley, swinging about t.
Y the slightly frowning girl.
Count Da Espares and will carr,
: out this plan, and we will carry
:. out, / hope, quite as successfully a
0 we may carry out still other plans
s And in the counts hands I shall a
k ways feel that / am fully protected!
s David Manley, thus dismissed, ha
the dubious satisfaction of KNOWN
T. that he had once more made a mes
d Of things.
y Yet he did not remain altogether IL
n active. He watched his chance an
s quietly installed dictaphone in tn
y room, attaching the transmitter-dis
to the underside of the desk ledg
b where Da Espares did most of his tall
IS ing, and running his well-hidden wire
IS down through the floor to a line
IT closet, which the ever-dependable Wi
son threw open for him. There MAJ
IS ley made the discovery that polio
r headquarters had actually been con
municated with and that the feint fo
q, Legar's capture, however its end, wa
K intended to carry every sign of sil
certify.
ID Before another hour slipped by, how
g. ever. Manley made two further di