Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-03-09

With q 5ed-Rldden
mother isl" asked Margery. gathering
up her skirts as she glanced into the
dingy storeroom feebly lighted by its
one dingy electric bulb.
9TH be back In a minute, ma'am,' the
girl replied, only too glad OF any rea-
sonable excuse for disappearing.
Margery, in the meantime, peered
doubtfully about the somber building
in which she found herself so unex-
pectedly a visitor. Along one side Of
the room In which she stood she could
make out dark masses Of dye VOID
piled as high as her head. Beside tails
she Jaw, in the uncertain light, an
open pit filed with. water. Into one
side Of this pit ran a cement-walled
~sluiceway, stained almost black, with
a watergate set in the upper part Of
its channel. The opening in the far
side Of the pit, which was guarded by
a heavy iron grin rs big a. a park
gate, led into a high-walled cavern
across which stretched a number Of
huge steel drums. Set in these drums
were rows Of ~knife-edged cleavers.
The polished surfaces Of these great
blades Of steel shone ominously in the
half-llght.
Margery was still staring at the
great drums bristling with cleavers
when with a ~suddenness that startled
her the electric lights were thrown on
across the roof Of the chamber. She
wheeled about quickly to discover the
cause for this. As she did so, an invol-
untary gasp escaped from her lips. For
standing beside the door. with his fin
ger still on the switch, the Iron Claw
himself confronted her.
why are you afraid of met" he con-
idently purred. For the girl drew
slowly away while he as slowly fol-
lowed after her, step by step. Then,
with a movement that was feline In its
quickness. he flung out az arm and
seized her. Then he turned her DELHI
erately about until she faced the black.
walled sluiceway. But the girl shrank
back.
Don't be afraid Of It, my DEAR" he
Knocked as he led her forcibly, step by
step, to the lip Of the channel through
which the mill water was curling and
eddying. 'In fact, l want you to look
at it closely and understand It fully.
It's wonderful, wonderful for many
reasons. At the end Of this sluice, you
see, IL a log mangle. l have seer those
knives shred a six-inch timber in less
than a minutes time"
He turned and stared down at the
white-faced girl, drinking to the full
the dizzy wine Of her terror, wringing
a v%cluptuous delight out OF her word
less cape Of horror. Then the look on
his face suddenly altered, and he
! wheeled about, still clutching the girl
close to his side. He stood staring at
the door which he had locked but a
minute before. And his face sudden.
ly hardened as he saw the heavy iron
latch Of that door move.
Margery, following his glance, also
watched that door. And when she
heard the thump of a heavy timber on
its panels a new hope sped through
her. That hope equipped her with
fresh strength. II prompted her to
struggle against the Iron Claw with
the utmost power Of her desperate
young body. But her enemy, for all
her efforts, was too much for her. Foot
by foot he forced her back towards
the open ~sluiceway. Then, with O NUT.
tered gasp Of hnality and a sudden up
ward heave OF his shoulders, he flung
the girl headlong into the water.
As he did 81 the door burst open.
For the heaVy-hearted Peggy O'Mara,
after slipping guilty away from the
~sluiceroom where she had left her
quite unsuspecting victim, awakened
for the first time to the full enormity
Of her oiense. AS she stood there In
the darkness, staring back at the dark
mass Of the factory walls. the aches OF
remorse lay heavy on her young heart,
She was standing there, with tears
Of helplessness in her eyes, when q
figure stepped up to her. She wo1ld
have fed, incontinently, at the an
proach Of that intruder But the
stranger held her with a gently re
straining hand. And as she peered ur
at his face she saw that It was the
man In the laughing mask.
THE righting OF wrongs Is a part OF
my business in life. Can l helm o -
The girl hesitated.
Yes" she finally confessed, with a
burel Of tears. And through her sobs
she brokenly recounted as much =
she dared Of that nights p-roceedings
But she continued to weep.
And me father1l be goin' 10 the
pen for what I'm tellin' you" She
walled out In her misery,