Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-09-15
CHAPTER discontinued.


'You money trickster! Do you think
I would spare such man as you? You
draw your rents from the poor and
destitute, your mortgages cover half
the parishes in the state, and in your
heart is neither compassion nor pity
for man or woman. Bah! I could
shoot you down without .qualm!"
In his voice was so deadly a menace
that Maillard trembled.
There is nothing of mine in that
safe," he said, his voice a low growl
Il have given it to my son to use. He
is not here"
''That," said the Masquer calmly
''is exactly why desire you to open
it. Your son must make his contri-
button for keenly regret his absence.
If you are criminal, he is worse !
You rob and steal under shelter of
the law, but you have certain limita-
lions, certain bounds of an almost out
grown honor He has none, that son
of yours. Why, he would not hesitate
to turn your own tricks back upon
you, to rob you, if he could Open
that safe or take the consequences j;
no more talk, noww
The command cracked out like a
whiplash. With a shrug of helpless
ness the banker turned and fumbled
with the protruding knob of the safe.
With one exception all eyes were fas-
tened upon this amazing Masquer
The exception was joachim Fell, Who
suddenly alert and watchful, had
turned his attention to Maillard and
the safe, a keen speculation in his
gaze as though he were wen dering
what that steel vault would produce,
All were silent. There was some
thing about this Midnight Masquer
that held them intently. Perhaps
some were inclined to think him a
Jester, one of the party masquerading
under the famous bandits guise; if
so, his last words to Maillard had re-
moved all such thought. That indict-
ment had been deadly and terrible
and true, as they knew. Bob Maillard
was not greatly admired by those
among his fathers friends who best
knew him.
Now the door of the safe swung
open The compartments appeared
empty.
take out the drawers and turn
them up over the table" commanded
the Masquer.
Maillard obeyed. From the last
drawer there fell @out on the table a
large envelope, sealed. The Masquer
leaned forward, seized upon this en-
velOpe and crushed it into his pocket.
''Thank you," he observed. "That
is all"
On you'll" cried Maillard, shaking
a fist you'd try blackmail, would
you?"
The bandit regarded him a moment,
then laughed.
IF you knew what was in that en-
velope, my dear fnancier, you might
not speak so hastily. If l knew what
was III it, l might answer you. But l
don't know. only suspect-and hope
And now, my friends-au revoir!'
The Masquer sprang backward into
the hall. The door slammed, the key
clicked. He was gone!
Maillard was the first to wake into
voice and action.s "The other door %
he cried Into the dining room"
He flung open a. second door and
dashed into the dining room, followed
by the other men. Here the windows.
giving upon the garden, were open.
Then Maillard came to a sudden halt,
and after him the others; through
tie night was pulsating, with great
sdistinctness, the throbbing roar of an
airplane motor! From Maillard broke
a bitter cry:
"The detectives-I1l get the fools
here! You gentlemen search the
house. That fellow can't possibly
have escaped"
They hastily separated. Maillard
dashed away to summon the detec-
tives, also to get other men to aid
in the search.
The result was vain. No one had
bten seen to enter or leave the house,
and certainly there had been no air
plane about. The Masquer had not
appeared except IN the library, and
now he was most individually not in
tie house. BY all testimony, he had
neither entered it nor left it!
"Well, I'm d-d!' said MaiIlard,
helplessly, to Judge Forester, when
the search was concluded. "Not a
trace of the scOundreI! Here, Fell
can't you help us out? Haven't you
discovered a thing?"
"ii7othingA" responded joachim Fell,
calmly.
At this instant Bob Maillard rushed
up. He had just learned of the
BIasquer's visit. In response to his
excited questioning his father de
scribed the scene in the library, and
added:
81 trust there was nothing impor-
tant among those papers of yours.
RObertY