The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-09-16
Chapter
THE MASK

THE MASK
THERE was no misinterpretIni
the significance of the substitu
ton of that wig of white hair tina
the man he had known as Bucl
O'Mara was pulling on now to re
place the one just taken of. Colone
Hargreaves. Heimie Schwarm. Bucl
O'Mara. the character that was nov
being assumed. all Of those othel
characters represented by that ar
ray Of clothing. were one and the
same-the Mask.
Colin gripped Sergeant Mulvey't
arm fercely and breathed into the
others ear:
"That fawn, checked suit-Heimie
Schwarm. That Inverness cloak
the night he killed Reddy. Get it?'
"Sure. ! get It'll" Sergeant Mulyey
breathed back. "And I'll get him!
But you stay out of this now, or his
mob'll get Clarke Lunni Let's see
who he Is this time"
The erstwhiie Buck o'Mara was
working with Incredible speed. lean.
ing toward the mirror. dabbing
swiftly at his face as his fingers
dipped into this jar and that. It
could have been scarcely more than
q minute since he had begun his
transformation.
And now he was donning a black
coat, buttoning It to the throat. The
next instant he had adjusted steel
trimmed pair OF spectacles upon his
nose and cane was In his hand. He
turned slightly. It was old Keppel.
stein.
Sergeant Mulyey's revolver was in
his hand as he stepped suddenly out
on the floor and toward the other.
Don't move. o'Mara. or Keppei.
stein, or whatever you want to call
yourself" he said coldly. "The
games up."
The man did not move--he stood
there as though frozen to the spot.
But there was . sudden Wilderness
In his face that no pigment could
defy, and his lips twisted jerkiIy for
an instant.
How did you get In here" he
asked hoarsely. who are your"
"Nsver mind how got inl"i
snapped Sergeant Mulvey. "And you
know damned well who I am. Ac-
cording to your own story you kept
pretty close tabs on me after you
bumped OF Reddy Turner. And so
you're the Mask! Well, by God,
you're well named!"
The man shook his head a. he
faced Sergeant Mulvey now.
you're crazy he cried out de-
nantly. u never head Of him. Who
said ! VAST"
"cut It outl" There was an omi-
nous snarl in Sergeant Mulyey's
voice. Where do You think that's
going to set you? You said so your.
self - the night you went to Mr..
Hewitt's home In that Inverness
cloak see hanging up there"
The mans eyes roYed around the
room in q hunted way. and It seemed
to Colin that he sagged . little as
he supported his weight OIL the cane
IN his hand.
'Tt's-it's . Iiei" The mans voice
had suddenly become Q craven. un-
nsrved whinu. ats Q lie-all lie!
] tell you IT'S . llel"
ssCURE It Isl" agreed Sergeant
~ Mulvey CONTEMPORARY. aAnd
sos Hsimie Schwarm. and Colonel
HArgreaves. and Buck o'Mara. and
old Keppelstein and God only knows
how many other aliases you're work.
ing-but I'd kind OF like to know
what the Mask himself looks like
when he hasn't got any war paint
on. ! didn't set look at your face
IN that mirror because the back or
your head hit e."
ne stepeca sbrhpsi, toward the
ether. II think ven take that wig
Andsthoss spectaclss Oh. and"
Swift as . lightning fash the cane
swung up from the moor. cutting I'M
der Sergeant MulFsy's wrist. knock
aing-the gun from his hand land.
with q jeering laugh. Tar from the
craven. nnnerved creature Of mo-
ment gone, the Mask leaped for the
weapon with the agility OF . panther
and secured II
But Sergeant MuiTey. too, was
agile. Before the Mask. who had
stopped for the revolver. could quite
regain his polse. Sergeant Mulvey,
hurting himself forward. had borne
the other TO the floor. And then. like
madmen struggling. they rolled over
and over - they fought.
And In that moment Colin forgot
Clarke Lnnn. II was the Mask who
had the gun-not Sergeant Mulvey.
And II was Sergeant Mulyey who
eoanted now. He flung tho packing
case aside. wrsnched his own gun
from his pocket. sprang out on the
noor--Ana came 10 q sudden halt ~
ashot mufied BY close-hugged bodies
rang out