Evening star., 1927-11-29

ries, the impulses, the irrational
promptings of an insane mind were
beyond his control or guidance. 1t
was the last thing he had expected
the old maniac to do. But it was done
now; it was too late to consider that
phase of it. There was work for his
own brain to do-he hoped more
logically.
He turned sharply now and began
TO make his way as best he could in
the darkness toward the window at
the end Of that aisle of tanks outside
of which he knew the masked man had
stood. He dared not show any light
here, though by so doing he would
have been able to move more swiftly.
The man who had been at the window
was almost certainly gone now-to
watch for the old maniac's appear
ance outside the house. And Mr..
Marlin would assuredly, and as quick
ly as he could. scurry outside to hide
his money away again. And even If
the man in the mask had had no pre-
vious knowledge of the old madmars
strange nightly movements, which
would be a very unsafe assumption
on which to depend. he would have
heard enough at the window, il not
to know. then, at least, to expect that
the old maniac's one thought now
would be to secrete his money, and
that the hiding place. this time-lock
that God had made, as the old man
had called it, was somewhere outside
the house But the watchers new
lurking place might still embrace a
view of the window, and if he, Locke
climbed out with the light behind
him
He was at the window now. He
smiled grimly. He was pitted against
no fool-but then he never had been
fool enough himself ever to place Capt
Francis Neweombe in that category!
The man in the mask had left no
telltale evidence of his presence be-
hind him. The shade was drawn
down; the window closed.
Locke lifted the shade now. raised
the window quietly, and stood for an
instant listening, staring out. He
could see little or nothing, other than
the swaying branches of trees against
the sky line; and there was no sound
save the sweep of the wind, which was
still blowing half gale. And now he
swung himself over the windowsill,
dropped the few feet to the ground
and crouched against the wall, listen
Ing. staring again into the blackness
Nothing. The moon, burrowing
deeper under the clouds, made it even
blacker than it had been a moment
ago. He Strengthened up and began
to run toward the front of the house.
1t was perhaps a case Of blind mans
DUN, Dut there was not an instant
to lose, and, deprived of any aid from
the sense of either sight or hearing. he
was left with only one thing to do
From the living room window a little
while ago he had seen Mr.. Marlin COM
ing toward the house from across the
10x nf Il
unearthed his money from it's hiding
place; the chances We're that 1t was
by the same route the old maniac
would return now.
Locke ran on. stumbling, half grop-
Ing his way through what seemed a
veritable maze of outbuildings here
at the rear of the house The min
utes seemed to be hying-wasted. The
old maniac, If he had left the house
the moment he had run from the
aquarium. must by now have had a
good three minutes start; and If the
man in the mask had at once picked
up the trail; them
No; he was not too late! He had
reached the front corner Of the house
now, and across the lawn, where in the
open space it was a little lighter
something, a blacker thing than the
darkness, moving swiftly, caught his
eye. 1t was the figure of a man run.
ming toward the trees in the direction
of the path that led to the shore. and
from which old Mr. Marlin had
emerged earlier in the evening. AMI
now the figure was gone-lOst in the
trees.
But he. Locke, too, was running
now, srrinting for all he knew across
the lawn. 1t was perhaps 90 yards.
There was no time TO use caution,
and circuit warily around the edge OF
ohe woods. He might be seen-but
ne had TO take that chance. He would
not be heard-the soft grass and the
whine of the wind guaranteed him
against that. 1t was a little better
than an even break. The figure he
had seen was not, he was sure, that oi
the old maniac. The long, Tapping
dressing gown would, even in q
shadowy way. have been distinguish
-.ble. If he were right, then, in hi:
supposition, the figure he had seer
was the man in the mask, and ole
Mr.. Marlin was already in there OF
the path leading through the woods t
,tle shore.
A cry. sudden. like scream tha