The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-02-24

To the desk where lay the unfinished
confession. Skidmon faltrred toward
the desk in obedience.
But his intelligent mind worked
quickly, and by the time he had affixed
his name to that document wildcat
ing the masked fugitive from Legar'S
atrociOuS crimes he had buuiShed the
| fears which this supernatural rvSur-
rection had caused him and deter
mined on course of action. Rising
from the desk he approached the
! Laughing Mask, who was standing
near the open closet with his ready
| weapon in his hand. Skidiuon held
| out the signed confession, but before
the other could take it the paper, with
seeming inadvertence, slipped from
! the fingers Of the scientist and nuiter-
cd To the floor. As he stopped I" re-
gain it he suddenly hurled his weight
against the legs Of his unSuSpectinS
| enemy with a 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 boltcd.
Margery, from her place Of conceal
ment, saw the loose-lipped malefactor
make motion as though TO destroy
the confession, but he suddenly grew
rigid as though Gripprd again by the
hand of fear. Following the dircc-
ton in which his eyes were staring,
she saw the reason for his trepida-
rion. y figure masked in the identi-
cal manner as the man just imprlS-
oned in the closet came slowly through
the hall doorway.
at would be foolish TO tear up that
little document" he said in tones Of
grim determination, "for you would
have to write it over. AS it is rather
essential to my welfare, I'll trouble
you TO hand it to me-"
Bur instead of complying with this
demand the daZed and panic-strickcn
analyst backed slowly away from
that terrifying speCter. His retreat
was suddenly ch.cked by the labor
, atory work bench on which he heavily
l dropped Il trent ling hand to steady
= himself. As he did so there came q
l I sharp sound Of breaking glass and
with an abrupt cry Of pain, he flung
| up his deeply gaShcd hand, SplaShcC
| with blood and thick oOZe of gelatin
| Gus matter. He turned and saw the
| splintered pieces of the fragile vesSe
| which had contained the colon bacili
\ culture. 4 dull moan of horror cam,
| from his blue lips as he realized hC
/ was hopeleSsly inoculated with the
\ deadly virus.
II In wild desperation he caught VI
/ the towel from the work bench ant
II scrubbed the smear of blood ant
i sticky substance from his open wound
\ But the strip of linen dropped from
4 his nerveleSS fingers as series %
4 cOnvulsive tremOrs shook his tortured
II body. Then his knees gave way unde
II him and he slowly sank upon III
/ floor. and after several jerky spasm
4 his pain-racked form was stilled il
l death.
II Overcome by the sight of that Crue
Il some tragedy, Margery stood roote'
/ TO the floor, inarticulate and trem
i bling. She saw the Laughing Mas
! pick up the confession and 90 out o
the laboratory toward the stairwa!
J. Still holding the revolver, he descend
ed to the cellar with the air of
l. man whose mission is but half fiji
q iShed. Even as he hastily cOnceale
IS himself back of the piles of carpt
"a he heard Legar returning from hi
" futile search of the premises. THIS
1t puzzled worker of iniquity suddenl
d, found himself looking into a revolvt
te held by the Laughing Mask, who ha
ly stepped out of the shadows.
he Realizing he had been Outwitte
or and that resistance was useless, Leg;
III raised his arms above his head
10 obedience TO the curt command of II
IS other. But the evil genius was N
s. slumbering, and as his lifted rigl
in hand came in contact with lars
n earthen flower pot standing on
lg shelf above him he grasped tn
heavy object and hurled 1t with
Iii his strength full in the face of h
re masked opponent.
IT. That crashing and unexpected bio
ed accomplished its purpose, for Il
IL Laughing Mask dropped in a motto
" less heap as though he had be-
tie struck by bullet. The one-arm'
n man, bending over his apparent
lifeless enemy, saw paper protru
III ing from the inner pocket of his co;
DIV AS he glanced at it by the sickly hg
,r- of the lantern he realized its pr
port. and hurried up the stairs to C;
SI;idmon to account for disclosing
guilty secrets.
m The first door he opened prov
nd TO be that Of small buffers pantl
m and by the Pickering light of t
tb match he saw in the gloomy compa
his ment q statue-like form standing wi
10. folded arms. The silently ACCUSE
DIV figure wore q yellow mask. With
or half-strangled oath he dropped
ms glowing match end and slammed
his door on that masked appariuOn.
an He raced up the stairs to the iii
rill story landing, where he paused to
rill gain his breath before entering
laboratory of his traitorOus henchm;
mo IJa suddenly rpcOiled as though Stru