Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1917-04-06

his extOrtion-resisting cOmpatriOts. For
this reason Legar had prepared q
rough diagram. which he now carefully
explained to the furtive-eyed black
mailer.
That this diabOlical undertaking was
entirely TO the liking of Black Tony
was evidenced by his evil, yellow
tOOthed grin as he took the paper from
Legar's fingers and placed it In his
pocket. Carrying a small and we'll
worn black bag, he started blithely
forth on his terrible errand of destruc
ton.
Dressed in a rusty tuxedo, the sup
posed waiter emerged from the gayly
striped marquee where the long sup
per table was receiving it's finishing
touches and paused for a moment on
his way to the small service tent
which was pitched near by. His eyes
rOved over that assemblage much as
the eyes of a cold-bloOded butcher
for slaughter. AS his glance rested
upon the massive oak towering over
the refreshment tent, he made a little
grimace of evil satisfaction.
Several feet from its base the great
trunk had been nearly sawn through
by Legar's picked henchmen. And
now their ruthless handiwOrk had
been supplemented by the charge of
powerful explosive which waited only
the spark of ignition to send that
huge oak patriarch crashing down up
on the fiimsy affair of canvas under
its branches.
The dark-skinned Italian, exulting
over the successful completion of the
first part of his deadly mission, stood
amidst a scene of wOndrous beauty.
High in the heavens swung the full
moon, casting its mellow effulgence
over shimmering lake and wooded hill.
Dispelling the wavering shadows were
myriads of softly glowing lights, fes-
looming the trees and bespangling the
shrubbery. From the rose garden came
the sound of gently splashing fountains
as they flung their silvery cascades
into the scented air. Beautifully
gowned women and their sOmber clad
escorts danced on the velvety lawns to
the softly swelling music of the great
orchestra, or StrOlled arm in arm about
| this brilliant land of enchantment.
A slender, gOlden-haired girl was
| the center of a laughing group. AS
she caught sight of something NOV
ing at her feet she stopped and picked
up a sleepy and blinking-eyed collie
puppy, which she held snuggled in
her arms for moment.
| "Now, Sandy" she admonished, as
she set him down, cit is time all good
little dogs were in bed, so run home
as fast as you can"
| The dutiful Sandy started for the
house in obedience to the commands
of his mistress, but as he passed the
caterers service tent sundry whiffs
and odors assailed his nOstrils with
an insistent temptation that was not
to be denied. He quietly slipped
through that inviting opening and,
finding no one to dispute him, nosed
inQuisitively into various hampers Of
savory edibles. AS the clumsy puppy
bumped against an imprOvised table
consisting of a board resting ON two
barrels, a large bowl containing a
siruplike mixture toppled onto his
back and deluged him with its entire
contents.
At that moment there entered the
tent a swarthy Italian dressed In the
garb of a waiter. Either through a
doggish distrust of this forbidding
figure or because of a guilty dread
of the punishment his recent mis-
chief might bring, the sirup-drenched
puppy skunk into a dark corner of the
tent and waited for Black Tony to
leave. But that worthy showed no
immediate intention Of departure. In
stead he seated himself on a cracker
box and studied a small square of
paper with every evidence of salts
faction.
| He made a movement to stuff that
soiled bit of parchment into his hip
pocket, but in his haste he missed
the pocket and the paper fell to the
ground, where a puff of wind, creep
ing under the tent, f1uttered 1t under
the nose of the frightened puppy. He
shifted at it curiously. but the gluelike
substance now soaking through his
shaggy coat was q matter needing
much more urgent attention. Forget
ting the menace Of that repellent
stranger, he rolled frantically on his
back, endeavoring to rid himself OF
that cohering and exasperating liquid
with which he was smeared His long