Charlevoix county herald., 1917-05-04


to the desk where lay the unfinished
confession. Skldmon faltered toward
the desk In obedience.
But his Intelligent mind worked
quickly, and 10y the time he had affixed
his name To that document vlndicat-
ing the masked fugitive from Legar's
atrocious crimes he had banished the
fears which this supernatural resur-
rectiOn had caused him and deter
mined on a course OF action. Rising
from the desk he approached the
Laughing Mask, who was standing
near the open closet with his ready
weapon I'm his hand. Skidmon held
out the signed confession, but before
the other could take 1t the paper, with
seeming inadvertence. slipped from
the fingers of the scientist and fiutter-
ed to the floor. AS he stopped to re-
gain II he suddenly hurled his weight
against the legs OF his unsuspecting
enemy with force that sent him
topping over backward into the
depths of the closet, and before the
Laughing Mask could regain his foot
ing the door had been swung shut
and bolted.
Margery, from her place Of conceal
ment, saw the loose-lipped indicator
make motion as though to destroy
the confession, but he suddenly grew
rigid as though gripped again by the
hand of fear. Following the direc-
ton I'm which his eyes were staring
she saw the reason for his trepida-
ton. A figure masked In the identi-
cal manner as the man just impris-
oned in the closet came slowly through
the hall doorway.
at would be foolish to tear up that
little document" he said I'm tones Of
grim determination, 'for you would
have to write 1t over. AS 1t is rather
essential to my welfare, I'll trouble
you to hand 1t to me-"
But instead of complying with this
demand the dazed and panic-stricken
analyst backed slowly away from
that terrifying specter. His retreat
was suddenly checked by the labor
atory work bench, on which he heavily
dropped a trembling hand to steady
himself. As he did so there came a
sharp sound Of breaking glass and,
with an abrupt cry of pain, he flung
up his deeply gashed hand, splashed
with blood and thick ooze Of gelatin
Gus matter. He turned and saw the
,splintered pieces OF the fragile vessel
which had contained the colon bacilli
culture. A dull moan of horror came
from his blue lips as he realized he
was hopelessly inoculated with the
deadly virus.
In wild desperation he caught up
the towel from the work bench and
scrubbed the smear of blood and
sticky substance from his open wound.
But the strip of linen dropped from
his nerveless fingers as a series Of
convulsive tremors shook his tortured
body. Then his knees gave way under
him and he slowly sank upon the
floor, and after several jerky spasms
his pain-racked form was stilled in
death.
Overcome by the sight of that grue-
some tragedy, Margery stood rooted
to the floor, inarticulate and trem-
bling. She saw the Laughing Mask
pick up the confession and go out of
the laboratory toward the stairway.
Still holding the revolver, he descend
ed to the cellar with the air of q
man whose mission is but half fin
ished Even as he hastily concealed
himself back of the piles of carpet
he heard Legar returning from his
futile search of the premises. That
puzzled worker of iniquity suddenly
found himself looking into revolver
held by the Laughing Mask, who had
stepped out of the shadows.
Realizing he had been outwitted
and that resistance was useless, Legar
raised his arms above his head in
obedience to the curt command of the
other But the evil genius was not
slumbering, and as his lifted right
hand came In contact with large
earthen flower pot standing on a
shelf above him he grasped that
heavy object and hurled 1t with all
his strength full In the face of his
masked opponent.
That crashing and unexpected blow
accomplished its purpose, for the
Laughing Mask dropped in a notion
less heap as though he had been
struck by bullet. The One-armed
man, bending over his apparently
lifeless enemy, saw a paper protrud-
ing from the inner pocket of his coat.
As he glanced at 1t by the sickly light
of the lantern he realized it's pur-
port and hurried up the stairs to call
SkidmOn 10 account for disclosing his
guilty secrets.
The first door he opened proved
to be that of small buffers pantry,
and by the Pickering light of the
match he saw in the gloomy compart-
ment statue-llke form standing with
folded arms. The silently accusing
figure wore yellow mask. With "a
half-strangled oath he dropped the
glowing match end and slammed the
door ON thot mo cl-od ANN tinn