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


turned to stare belligerently towards
Arson A%pplewaithe, the immaculate
son OF the factory owner himself, as
he ushered into the room OF whirring
shafts and flying belts q small group
Of visitors.
Yet the Ishmael-like young face soft
ened a little as she looked at one mem
Der OF that approaching group. For
one fair-haired girl Of about twenty,
dressed in black. whom young Apple
waithe piloted about amid the roaring
and gathering machinery and repeat
eddy addressed as Miss Golden" was
beautiful enough TO bring a hayward
pang Of envy to the breast OF Peggy
0'Mara. AS she watched her eyes sud
denly widened in alarm. For Margery
Golden, in staring about the room, had
unconsciously moved closer to one Of
the ponderous machines. There the
loose end of her motor-cape was
snapped at by a spinning cog wheel, as
q hound snaps at n bone. The next
moment the whirling teeth had fas-
tened themselves In the fabric Of the
garment edge. carrying It back be-
tween the jaws of the twin cogs that
quickly closed on the cloth and
seemed to reach out for more.
At the same moment that Margery
Golden turned about to determine the
meaning OF this sudden tug at her
clothing, the alert-eyed Peggy o'Mara
made an apparently maniacal spring
for that astounded young woman's
throat.
With a quick Jerk Of her thin young
fingers Peggy tore the cape free where
It was already straining against the
white column Of its weaIer's throat.
It was not until Margery Golden
saw the iron teeth of the cog wheels
swallowing up the last OF her vanish
ing cape that any inkling Of her dan
ger came home to her.
Margery Golden stepped back and
leaned against a guard rail. Then, aft
er looking studiously at the slattern
and slightly abashed figure of her de-
l~iverer, she opened her pocketbook
and from It took out two Or three neat
ly folded bank notes. These she held
smilingly out to the girl with the
broken-toed shoes.
But q quick fash spread yer the
usually colorless cheeks Of Miss Peggy
O'Mara as she backed determinedly
away from the bills.
Don't you care to take them?"
asked the somewhat astonished young
woman in black.
mo ma'ami" was the girlB almost
sullen retort. 81 amt earned emil"
But l rather think you have" per
sisted the other, still smiling.
you see, you saved my life. And
surely you won't embarrass me by
arguing that it's not worth that
muchl"
q" don't want your money" an
nounced the sullen-eyed girl, putting
her hands behind her. But already
young Applewaithe was d%iscreetly do
ing his best to pilot his visitors awaJ
from the scene.
Peggy O'Mara stared after the dc
parting group. So bltently did she
stare after them thai she was oblivi
Gus Of the movements OF the one-armed
man who had been STOPPING low over
his machine, in a p%retense Of filling iti
oil cups. lie crept out to where q
small gold locket had dropped from
Margery Golden's neck during the en-
counter. He caught 1t up from the oil
stained floor, looked at it for one shori
moment, and then slipped 1t triumph
antly into his pocket. After that he
stood behind his machine, well out Of
sight, watching the iair-haired girl In
black as she stepped out through the
factory door. His eyes, as he watched
her, were both calculating and SIMS
ter. But the pallid-faced girl standing
so close beside him had no means OIL
knowing that this ~preoccupied and
stoop-shouldered workman who hac
lost his right hand was Jules Legar
long known to his enemies as the
Iron Claw.
That mysterious one-armed man
however, was destined to become bet
ter acquainted with Peggy O'Mara
than she imagined. For that night
when the uneasy-minded girl knew hei
father to be once more shut up in hi
cellar workroom, she was further
disturbed by the sound OF stealthl
steps across the bare wooden floor o
her home. She tiptoed out through
the door, crossed to the cellar steps
and crept silently down into the dark
ness.
There, vaguely outlined against tn,
door cracks in the wall shielding he
father, she could make out a stealthil!
inqutsitive figure. And she knew tina
figure could mean no good to the hous.
OF O'MaTa.
She crept as silently up the broker
, steps again. went to her fathers time
worn tool chest and from II took out
| somewhat rusty but ominous-loOkinl
revolver.
The thin-armed girl with the thick
bodied revolver then crept back e
wards the cellar. She had reached tn
top Of the stairs when she saw q darl
I figure slowly emerge from the gloon