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

~ 6NNN HNN%h |L
"He will not" avowed the Laughing
Mask, with decision. He'll have
more than help before this night 10
over, and a better Job and a clear con-
science before another one comesl
But tell me first where you left this
girl you brought out from the city3"
Inside the door o. the sluiceroom
there"
Good Godl" gasped the man in the
mask. Then he caught the spindle.
legged Peggy O'Mara by the hand and
started for the shadowy pile Of the fac
tory on the run. "QuickI" he said a.
he ran, show me the doori"
The ha~lf-breathless girl pointsl e
out to him. But as he ran up to il ne
found It locked. 'He stopped and fran
tically caught up a piece Of timber al
most as long and heavy as his own
body. Peggy OMara seeing that its
weight seemed more than he could
manage, promptly ran to his assist
ance.
Nov, come together" he said, FOR
we've got to knock that door int"
Twice, three times, they charged the
door before It gave way. But the mo-
ment its panels crashed in the Laugh.
ing Mask leaped through the opening,
As he did so he caught sight OF the
two struggling figures on the brink
Of the ~blackened runway. AS he saw
the figure Of the woman flung headlonR
into the open sluiceway he leaped with
a shout towards the one-armed man
who stood on it's brink. But that one
armed man, with a lightninglike move
ment, whipped a revolver from his
pocket, swung round on the intruder,
and fred.
The Laughing Mask wheeled half
way about, staggered a step or two,
and then fell forward on his face.
The wide-eyed Peggy o'Mara, fol.
lowing at his heels, saw both that fall
and the fact that the Iron Claw had al.
ready leaped towards the control
board Of the water mangle. Peggy
screamed aloud, shrilly snaGSlligerent.
ly, as she leaped for the man already
before the control board. She Taught
at him, clawing at his upraised arm.
fought him with every jot Of her4hin|
blooded girlish body.
But she was no match for that de.
termined and malignant opponent. The
most she could do was to distract and
harry him for a precious moment or
two. Then, realizing she was a factor
to be eliminated without scruple, he
caught her bodily up from the floor.
raised her above his head, and with q
sickening thud, sent her body against
the solid masonry of the factory wall.
She lay there stunned, without NOV.
Ing, moaning brokenly with pain, as
Legar darted back to the control lever
OF h mangle drums and shifted that
lever to the spot marked start" The
next moment he had thrown over the
switch Of the sluicegate control.
He ventured one triumphant glance
in the direction OF the whirrinR
mangle knives and the slowly ascend.
ing gate. Then, with a grimace of sat.
isfaction, he leaped oVer the inert
body OF the Laughing Mask, ran to the.
door, and disappeared in the darkness.
Had that flight been less hurried
Legar might have observed that the
eyes OF the Laughing Mask were open,
n the inert body, weak as It was
from the loss OF blood from a flesh
wound in the hip. was already pain
fully gathering itself together for some
predetermined movement. That move
ment, wavering and unsteady as Il
was o ok the crawling man directly to
the control board Of the water mangle.
There, by a supreme EFFORT. he raised
himself to his feet, CROPPED about with
an unsteady hand, and swung back
the lever.
The next moment the roar Of the
machinery stopped, the threshing
knives stood poiEed. But It had been
only in the nick. Of time. For Mar
gerry Golden, who had chung to the
s~luicegate until its Withdrawing bars
had compelled her to relax he. last
desperate clutch on fits bars and drop
back into the black It'd carrying her
closer and closer 70 those failing
blades Of death, now caught and chung
to a graphite-coVered driving chain lit
ASAo ~hoA yoAu hOm bAo ASAO
o -nangie drum which lowered
above her like an open Jaw. And as
I she chung there. a renewing wave OF
hope swept through her body, for from
the sluiceway wall above her she could
hear q ~reissuring II somewhat I'M
steady voice calling down 70 her. And
that voice. she knew. wal the voice
Of the Laughing Mask
| (TO an CONTUyTUUDl