The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1917-07-20

ssszss $500:
The Pistol Was Held In the Calm Hand
of a Masked Figure.
flashed the vision of the double cross
he had seen on the arm of the mys.
tcrious girl in No. 7. Could she be
one and the same referred to in his
fathers will? Certainly the cross was
the same, and was it likely such
cross would be found on the arm Of
any girl save the one destined to be
his wife?
Peter fell into q brown study.
"Well," said Mr.. Granger entirely mis-.
taking the cause of his silence. "Do
you agree? l admit 1t is strange, but
the main thing is whether you are will
. ing to follow the suggestions made BY
your father9" >
II certainly do agree" said Peter.
Mr.. Granger sighed as though re.
lieved. That's good; I'm glad to
hear it."
"And what would happen If ! did
not agree". asked Peter, again sink.
ing into his chair and lighting q;
cigarette.
''In that event your father provides
that bis fortune is to go to the man
who, does marry the girl described In
! this WILL"
"Fn see nothing like that happens
said Peter to himself, as he lit a
cigarette, and then he started, for In
the shining interior of the gold case
he caught sight of face-was he
dreaming? No: some one was open.
ing the door to an adjoining room.
( The face flashed back to him the
scene' aboard ship. He leaped to his
feet in such evident alarm that the
lawyer, too, jumped up.
"There, there" shouted Peter, point.
ing to the door; "the girl in number
seven; the girl Of the double cross"
and he dashed for the door, which had
closed. He put his weight against II
; as he turned the knob. In the short
mofhent between his sight of the mys'
! terieus girl and the time of his reach
ing. the door the key had been turned
and the way barred.
Peter put his shoulder to the dooFs
Don't break It'll" shouted Mr.. Granger,
but Peter did not hear. The door be-
gan to bulge. Peter had not been an
athlete for nothing. Gathering bis
whole weight, he threw himself against
1t, and nearly fell with it as the lock
broke.
With Mr. Granger following close
behind he peered into the room-no
one was there--a short flight of steps
led to the court below. Peter dashed
down and began to peer among the
foliage, while, the lawyer ran In the
opposite direction.
The young man bent among the
shrubs-for they seemed to afford the
only possible hiding place for the
mysterious lady. Suddenly he felt o.
hand touch his shoulder and, turning
quickly, found himself looking into the
barrel of q revolver.
Great .as was his surprise, he was
still further astonished to see that tho
pistol was held In the calm hand Of al
masked figure whose eyes were visible
above the black strip Of cloth that bid
the lower part of the face.
Peter Immediately thought he was
the victim of q hold-up, but the stead'ss
lily spoken words of the masked
stranger disabused him.
+, He had no time to ask why o.
wherefore.
The slender stranger who looked
scarcely more than a boy was SPEAK
Ing. Peter listened, aghast:
ain force she will best you every
time; In cunning she will beat y'sl
every time; In one thing alone can YOU
equal her--your faith In her love fofl
you--go."
Peter started to argue but me
steady eye and the steadier pislOiI
! showed him that questions would pel
useless, He was beaten. For the see'l
ond time the mysterious lady OF tnsl
double cross had escaped him.
Moreover, the masked stranger aan'
ed a. new complication to the slIua
ton. His mind In O turmoil .Eele'
made his way back to the roolA
Friend or fOe--which? was the pnraae
which kept echoing in the back OF ~.
brain and over oil came the VISION z
the lovely face and the bare shoulass99
with the mysterious double cross
which had now assumed such an w
portant bearing on his life.
{END OF FIRST EpIS0DE)