Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-01-26

ten years through that sand, looking
for his precious treasure! Now it's
my chance, and l want hat paper.
And unless you want your secretary
to come home a rather unpleasant
thing to look at, you're going to have
that map in my hands in half an hour.
So tell me quick, what your answer is.
DO l get it,"
For one moment the girl sat silent,
breathing quick through parted lips.
"Yes, I'll bring it," she at last said
over the wire. Then she sat motion
less, with her hands gripping the desk
edge for several minutes. When she
moved it was with the quickness Of a
sudden and clear-cut decision.
Give me police headquarters" she
called out as she caught up the re-
ceiver. The next minute she was ex-
planning to the desk official at Center
street the news of Legar's latest
threat and the need of forestalling it.
Then, after another interval Of studi-
u thought, she crossed to the vault
and began a hurried search for the
document which Legar had described
rs being stored away there.
She found it at last, in a package Of
faded deeds and papers to do with
Windward island, and while one
glance at it persuaded her that it was
indeed a chart of the island, the fact
that 1t represented only one-half of
this island tended to convince her that
Legar had spoken the truth.
But she had no time to deliberate
over that discovery, for her next
move, she felt, should be to call the
servants and warn them against any
midnight intrusions.
She crossed to the rosewood desk to
carry out this plan, and her finger
was ven extended to press the bell
button when q sudden soft move
ment at her shoulder caused her to
swing sharply about.
Confronting her, with a slightly tri-
umphant smile on his deep-scarred
face, stood Legar himself.
81 am intruding, l know" he began
in his suavely calculated tones, but
there was a possibility, you see, of
your friends in uniform interrupting
u meeting beside the Soldiers mon
ument!"
The girls fingers, as she edged
away along the desk, closed determin-
eddy on the scrap of MANILA paper
still held in her hand. The vault door,
she saw was also still open. But that
was not the thoughts troubling her.
The vague fear at the back of her
mind was whether or not she was too
late to save Dave Manley from the
danger threatening him. And she
edged still farther away.
Her movement was arrested by the
ringing Of the telephone bell close be-
side her.
Answer that phonel" he suddenly
commanded.
The next moment a great load
seemed to lift suddenly from her
heart, and a renewed wave of audacity
swept through her body, for the voice
that spoke to her over the wire was
the triumphant voice of Manley him
self. Manley declaring that he was
free and that he would hurry back as
fast as wheels could carry him.
who spoke then?" cried Legar, his
face clouded by a move which appar-
emily was an unexpected n from his
standpoint. But the wine of hope now
singing through the girls veins made
her more crafty, more ready TO face
Legar with his wi weapons. Instead
Of answering him her hand moved out
to the bell button, for with the ring
ing of that bell, she felt, would surely
come help. And once the slip of ma
nilla was back in the vault, and the
door locked, she now had little to fear
from Legar. So when she fell back,
as he spraug forward to strike her
hand from the bell, she say that her
retreat lay in the direction Of the
vault door.
Her pursuer, however, was in no
mood for ~eQuivOcation. He seemed
suddenly to foresee her intention. For
without warning he leaped towards
her, as an animal leaps for its prey.
And with one sweep OF his manned
arm the iron hook at its end was
buaASo uOSP Al NAO AoANo VI AoA SAObh
ing.
"Give me that mapl" he said, in a
voice husky with blind and unreason-
ing rage.
Margory Golden, however. had no
intention OF giving him the map in
question. She fought against him,
with all the strength ut her command,
knowing that any moment now would
bring the needed help.
But Legar, with his hand on her
throat. hurled her back against the
heavy vault door, shook her as q ter
rier shakes q rat, snatched the yellow
| sheet from her fingers. dung her stag