Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-04-27

AWN WWN VI hME AWNAM WMEAN MAH.N
Wilkens sleeps stood open a little way
and I caught the glim Of a lashlight
near where she keeps her Jewel case.
showed my hand just inside the door
and pushed the light button. And
there we was face to face with a
couple Of the most surprised and
toughest lookin' crooks that / ever
met up with. Miss Wllkens was lynn
there In the bed sleepln' like q baby"
Then two housebreakin' agents Of
Legar's was as full Of fight as a cou-
pie Of Kilkenny cats. They whipped
out their guns, and one Of them ieshed
me In the shoulder, while the other
fetched Joe a crack over the head
that put him to sleep for a minute. By
the time Miss Wllkens had got her
eyes open an let out a scared screech
they was through the winder and
climbin' down the latticRwork."
"Wait a minute. Jenkins" Captain
Bracket interrupted. "Your story
may be very interesting, but what has
this part Of It got to do with the
Laughing Mask"
81 was Just comm to that" his sub
ordinate replied in a somewhat ag-
grieved tone. "We got out the front
door just as the thugs was maxim
tracks for a racin' car they had hid
den or to one side Of the road. Old
man Parker tried to stop 'em, but he
got a wallop on the jaw that knocked
him stiff. They jumps into the car
and sends her Off with the self-starter.
We thought they was gone all right,
when that automobile stops up with a
Jerk that pretty neal put them motor
bandits over the glass front. We was
Johnny on the spot then, an we col
Jared u men In a hurry. An say,
what do you think put the kibOsh on
that Joy ride getaway"
1.-THE thing that brought them
crooks to q standstill was a rope as
thick as my arm. with one end tied
to the rear axle of the automobile
and the other end made fast to a big
tree. The wheels was buzzin' round,
but they wasn't gettin' nowhere. An
the man who rugged up the contrap-
ton for stoppin' those crooks must
have been that Laughin' Mask ye're
after. We found those jallbirds had
pretty bad records an the commish
said 1 was likely to get some good
news in a couple Of days. Perhaps
this Teller with the mask amt as bad
as you think, chief"
"Why doesn't he come out into the
open, then, and explain these charges
standln' against him, instead OF
sneakln' around like n masked safe
blOwer?" he demanded with consid-
cradle heat.
81 didn't know you wanted me to
begin backwards" he said In rufled
tones. 1--WE got somethin' worth
talkin' about all right. If you'll give
me a chance to tell it."
"Please tell rs everything that hap
pened, Jenkins" Margery i~nterposed
"WeIl, It certainly was some scrap
Miss Golden" answered the thief
catcher, addressing himself exclusive
ly to the diplomatic girl, IAN the
strangest part of the whole thing hap
pened after | got the bracelets on
them crooks and left Joe to watch
them, while l went up to the house "a
see II anything WIS mlssin'."
"Just as / reached the house." he
quickly resumed. "the moon broke
through the clouds an l stood loOkin.
into the garden, for l had a hunch
that one-armed desperate might be
hangin' around to superintend tina
job his men tried to pull Off. Then
all at once l seen Miss Wilkens
dressed I'm a kind Of lace wrapper
standln' like a ghost down al the fur.
Their end Of the garden. An she
wasn't alone by a long shot. TalkIn.
to her. free and easy as II he'd known
her all his life. was that daredevil
Laughin' Mask. I felt sort Of Obliged
to him for tlppin' me or about Lee
CARS second-stOry workers, but
knew you was anxious to have a little
talk with him. so I commences tC
sneak up on them night providers like
an old Tom would 20 after a couple
OF sparrows. / had covered about
hnlf the distance when that masked
Romeo grabs Miss Wilkens in his
arms an commences to kiss her like q
happy bridegroom. An she keeps
comm right back for more. / was
that surprised l must have let my
foot down heavy. for they broke apart
and he goes through the hedge like a
shot. When I comes up on the run
there was only Miss Wilkens an when
/ told her she was harborin' a man
wanted by the law. she froze me W
with a naughty stare.
"You must have been drinkin', OF.
hcer, she says. 4 Just came out for
minute TO calm my nerves after all
that excitement an the only person
I've seen Is an extremely rude police.
man.
Il don't believe q word Of the last
part OF your story" Margery cried In
a voice perilously close to tears. u
don't believe the Laughing Mask was
promenading about that garden with
a strange young woman at midnight d
"WeW settle that when tho flme