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ikesyc * I 1 . > 8 Qj^l&nda AUTHOR OF "BEYOND THE FRC "MY LADY OF 1 NOVtOZiO won THt PHOTO* v oec*ot ? MiTZ eortuoMT. ifii SYNOPSIS. Adventurous Jerry Carson embarks In search of hidden treasure with the promise of Leontine Walcott to be his wtfta on his return. Her father favors Sebastian Navarre. Jerry's ship Is burned, five Is reported lost. Jerry suddenly i terns up to confront charges of the Na-1 Carres against him. In a,. struggle for a Storged paper Diego NavartV'liTKVlfed ahd Jerry fts convicted of the murder. He es- j napes, and finds the treasure and a won- | derful chemical pellet. Leontine is forced i te marry Sebastian. On the honeymoon, i be attacks her in a rage. Suddenly he is ; confronted by a weird apparition. Rav engar forces a confession from Louie. ! Sebastian attempts to get it. An earthquake occurs; in the excitement. Red j Finn steals the confession and floes. Ho j appears in New York as Romanoff and enlists the aid of Madame Bianca. | Leontine consents to accompany Hain- , ilton on a balloon ascension. Sobastian j drugs Hamilton and arranges to have I*fcontine set adrift in the balloon. The j balloon bursts into flame and Leontine , finds that her companion i3 Ravengur. They Are reseated, but One-Lamp Louie reports that they perished in a hurricane. .Sebastian arranges to marry Bianca. Ixmie prevents it to /ave himself and Is ' thrown to death by Sebastian who changes his marriage plans. He sees Leontine alive and well. Later Sebastian kidnaps Leontine, but the Shadow has nrnmlanrl hiir nrntn^l ii\n Tf 11 von tr., r. rlr? livers L^eontine from the hands of her enemies, but Blanca's thugs capture him. *Slanca hesitates to hill him as she Is passionately in love with him. By maintaining that Ivoontine is insane, Sebastian again gains possession of her. Ravengar. after a terrific battle, rescues her. hut the mystic mantle which renders them invisible. is stolen. Bianea's thugs corner Havengar and I>coniine In a shuck. Blanco, defends Ravengar. He escapes and recovers the invisible mantle. Out of revenge the thugs dynamite the shack. Rav engar offers Sebastian his freedom in exchange for the confession: as tlie police arrive Sebastian escapes. Ravengar take.; l^iontine to his laboratory to explain a mystic pellet. Sebastian steals the pellets and the mantle. After a struggle Sebasiiuu by !!ic aid of the mantle spirit:; Rav engar away unconscious. I.eontitie retums to the laboratory but her husband follows her, locks her within and sets tire to the building. Ravcogar escapes from JiiB prison and rescues Leontine. FOURTEENTH EPISODF Absolute Black. Ravengar, in the midst of his conversation with Leontine, laid seen Sebastian's face at the window of a nearby tenement house. Sebastian had changed his mind about the immediate destruction of Ravengar. He was sensible enough to prefer to finish one Job at a time, and at present he preferred to watch ids wife burn to deuth in Ravengar's laboratory. lie was examining Joseph Dexter's journal in the room of a certain Mr. Waug. This gentleman was not, as his name might imply, of Oriental persuasion. He had never seen the Flowery laud, und his only idea of a Chinaman was of a purveyor of chop suey to ordinary folks and clean laundry to those who had a taste for such luxuries. Wldtey Wang was an old friend of Sebastian's, and lived in the aforesaid tenement. Sebastian soon perceived that the dead scientist's journal needed more than a careless scrutiny, lie closed it and handed It to Wang, together with the bottle of pellets. "Take these to the Central Trust company's otllces and have them put in my safe deposits box," he said. i Wang took them and went out. But as he was closing the door Sebastian hailed him. "Come here!" he said. "Do you see that man over there?" Wang nodded. "Watch him carefully. That's the man I'm after. See, he's looking at lis! Better heat it. Sure you've got ; a picture of him?" i ^ "I got him," answered Air. Wang morosely as he went out and descended the stairs. , Now Air. Wang was a man of sudden Impulses' i '! Why should Sebastian wish to place an old book and a bottle of black pellets In his sufety deposit box? They must be worth something. He went downstairs all right, but he 1 Began the Perilous Ascent. went further than hl$ instructions. He went Into the cellar. The old tenement building was honeycombed with rut holes, and human rat holes in the basement. From the cellar Wang squeezed his way into a back street. ( lig^a3ow Ufarrislv ffl iNTIER" "MAID OF THE FOREST." HE NORTH." ETC lay jbuai or thi urn nm i , ?""? rr mm ' Wf MUMNI I carrying the pellets and the manuscript with him, with the idea of double-crossing Sebastian later. Sebastian, meanwhile, remained at the window, watching Ravengnr. He knew he had been seen, but he trusted in the invisible mantle, of which he had had ample demonstration. Ravengar, having satisfied himself as to Sebastian's location, came up the stairs at a run. Sebastian went to the door of his room and, looking down over the banisters, watched him. When Itavengur was two (lights beneath him he slipped along the passage into a room at the farther end. Sebastian crouched down in the middle of the room, the mantle drawn over him. Through the fllmy cloth he could see Ravengar reach the top of the (light, stop, and look into the empty chamber. llavcngar hesitated, and then entered the room, lie looked out of the window into the street beneath, turned, and walked back within a foot of Sebastian, lie reached tlie door, quietly loeked it, and went away with the key in his pocket. Sebastian, 1 lie moment ho had gone, leaped to his feet and rushed to the door. lie had not been able to believe that it had been locked, though he hoard the key turn in it. Rut it was looked, and with his considerable strength he was unable to open it. He had had implicit faith in the mantle. * He took it from about his shoulders and looked at it. It was now . i r.. ? .........i u i i.. ..n? ;4% |.* J 1/11.-. 1 IV.* 1 I? 4 11V VI U AUOIUV \MU f AC was still visible. The mantle had ceased to work. Sebastian felt that his last clianco had gone. From the window he saw Ravengar below, in conversation with two policemen. They were looking and pointing upward. 1'anic seized him. He rushed back to the door and struggled, furiously to break it down, but in vain, lie ran back to the window. He saw Ravengar and the policemen entering the hull. It was impossible to leap to safety. Rut outside the window ran a waterpipe. it. was substantial, though loose in places?tills, however, would give him a securer grip, and Sebastian, in his early days in the Argentine, had climbed like all his race, when, a barefooted boy, lie scaled the crags along the shores of l'orto Delgado. He climbed out of the window and begun to muke the perilous ascent. He was breathing hard in terror, for he was unused to that sort of predicament, and years of good living had softened him. He was half-way up to the roof when a shout beneath him apprised liim that he was discovered. One of tlie policemen had entered the rtice with Ravengar. Astonished at his disappearance, at first they had looked into the street and railed tr? tlh? mail on guard *t the door; this uione gave Sebastian his leeway. "Com# hack!" shouted the policeman. Sebastian climbed the harder. The root' was almost within his grasp. The policeman hesitated, uncertain whether to shoot, and then, followed by Itavengur, run from the room and up the stairs. It was an even race, but the cover of the scuttle stuck, and Sebastian laid the advantage. He was crossing the roof when the scuttle at last came loose. As the policeman's head appeared Sebastian stopped and kicked out viciously with ids foot. The policeman groaned and fell backward, ltuvengar was a few feet behind him, near, but not near enough to intercept his quarry, now running again with all his speed toward the tire escape at the opposite end. Sebastian thing himself down and began to worm his way down the rickety, rusty ladder. lit! hoard a shout beneath him. Looking down, he saw the second policeman coming up the lire escape. The man was on the flight immediately beneath him; in his hand was a revolver. "Halt! Hands up!" he yelled. Sebastian Hung up bis hands in token of surrender. I The policeman shinned up the lire escape iikc a moiiKoy, me revolver in; ; his mouth. Sebastian waited for hiru at the top. He could see, out of the corner of his eye, Itavengar beginning to emerge from the scuttle behind him, followed by the first policeman, from [ ! whose mouth the blood was streaming. | As the first man set foot upon the roof Sebastian leaped at him like a tiger. A furious struggle followed, the policeman trying in vain to get the drop on the hunted man whose arms were about his own, while the hands clutched at his throat. Stair goring on the e(lge of tlio dizzy height, the policeman let the revolver fall and caught at the rail of the escape to save himself. As he did so Sebastian stooped and picked up the weapon. He sow that Ravengar and the first policeman were within a few feet of him. He thrust the revolver against x. ra86**ri?&his antagonist's body and tired. | The ballot pierced the heart. The ' policeman flung up his arms, stumbled, and pitched backward. Then, as Ravengar leaped forward, SebartKa struck hlra a vicious blow I with the revolver butt which sent him reeling backward. The next Instant Sebastian was half way down the first flight of the Are escape. lie ran through a back yard, down an alley, crossed a street, went through a garden, and finally emerged breathless In a main thoroughfare of traffic. Ravengar'8 sudden disappearance frightened Leontine. She saw him dart across the street toward the tenement building. Then he was swallowed up In the crowd that still lingered about the burncd-out ruins of; the building in which had been the1 laboratory. As she stood in Mrs. Splelburgor's yard, with Pat McGulre, trying to compose herself, she heard a distant revolver shot ring out. She caught at Pat's arm in an agony of apprehension. "It's nothing, lady/' said the ever-' ready Irishman. "Sure he'll be back. Them rats in that district is always shooting at each other. Maybe it's a tire blown out," he added hopefully. I But when a second crowd began to run around the corner of the adjacent block Put volunteered to go and find out what the trouble Was. And Leontine waited in terror Svhleh she could no longer conceal. What if the shot had been fired at Ravengar? It was, of course. Sebastian's shot which killed the poiicoman. Itnvengar had been a participant in that affair, hut not a principal. And Loon tine never k>\ ~ iow narrow his escape had bee a. As Leontine clung, trembling, to the fence, Ravengar stood before her. She gave a happy little cry and ran to him; then, remembering how short a time had passed since she had acknowledged her love, she drew back, suffused with blushes. Ravougar dropped upon one knee before her. "Be bravo, Leontlne," he said. "And be assured that I shall stand between you and any further danger all your life. "I saw Sebastian and went t9 find him," he continued. "But he escaped me." "That shot?" she faltered. "It was not fired at me," answered Ilavengar, and he said no more. "Leon line." he continued, "if it should prove impossible to catch Sebastian and compel him to free the memory of your dead lover, how long will VOll IllirKIU* ?1 lli?nnlnoc - ?. . ?.x ?.? <?w|rv tv H UVO t i "I cannot give that up," she answered gently. i "Put you love me, dearest?" "Yes. And do you not love me enough to bear with me a little longer?" .( Ilavengnr hesitated. Then he bowed his head In assent. He turned as If to leave her; then, returning, he took her in his arms, and their lips met in their first kiss. "I shall never give up the quest," he said, as he released her. Mr. Whitey Wang was decidedly disposed to consider ids charge a treasure. Nobody but a madman would put an old book arid bottle of pellets in a safety vault unless there were something more in the action than met the immediate understanding. And Sebastian was not crazy. Putting the book under his coat,, and still holding the bottle of pellets, I Wang began to make his way toward; another rookery, where lie also had! lodgings, in virtue of a certain alias into which it is not necessary to go. However, on the way Mr. Wang re-, i ceivod another impulse, and hastened I to obey It. He would find out what' was in the book. ? - Stepping into a doorway, he opened In nil/ ? M rl fo U > 1 iiiiu m f.1111 IV 1 'Jill I 11. >> 111 (A" V | snorted with disgust. It scrinerl to be j u book of travel. Mixed with it, how- j ever, were the figures of a cypher. Whitoy closed the book with a snap. Whitey was not particularly inter-! er.ted in the sight of a pretty American girl who was apparently saying good-bye to an old irishman and a German woman in a back yard. He had seen such sights before. However, Whitoy had a decided interest "I'll Pay Y< iLD/oovwfr, a. a S-\ for Loontlno, bectwt ih? recognised the book under bis arm, and the pellets In hH hand. She rus^d back to Pat. MDo you see that man?" she cried, Indicating the unconscious Whltey Wang. "Get that book from htm. And the bottle of pellets. That's the bottle you lost In the river!" Pat needed no second orders. He rushed from the back yurd and grabbed Whitney by both shoulders. "Gimme that book and the Inittle, or I'll knock your blamed head of!" he shouted. Whltey was taken by surprise, a thing that seldom happened to liliu. "Lemme go!" he yelled. "Lcinine go, d'you hear?" Pat twisted the bottle of pellets out of his hand and put It in his pocket. In doing this he had perforce to release his hold of Whltey for a moment. It was only a moment, but Whltey took full advantage of the situation. He twisted out of Pat's grasp like an eel and ran-rInto the ample form of Mrs. Spielburger, who promptly boxed his ears, knocked hiiu down with a blow of her brawny fist, and screamed for help. Pat got the journal from Whltey before he had found his feet again. A3 the two men struggled a crowd begun | to collect. A policeman came running up. I Whltey, freed by Pat, started off again, but this time he fell into the policeman's arms. The policeman recognized him as an old friend, and stuck to him as such. Pal thrust ins pellets and the journal into ILeontine's hands. "You'd better boat it. Miss," he said. "I'll trust you for that five hundred." Leontlne darted out of the yard, pushed through the crowd, and found a toxical). A moment later she was being whirled invar from the seene. Loonrlne's now address was in a fashionable part of the city. She lutd decided that the best security lay in publicity. She had a small house, with a gardener, a chauffeur, and a couple of maid servants. Thus aided, she felt a liiatch for any schemes of Sebastian. She was seated in her study waiting for Kavongar when she hoard the door opening. She looked up in surprise. She had not hoard tiie bell ring. It sounded like liuvengar's step. Then sho#found herself looking into the face of?Jerry !! She stared at him in amazement which robbed her of speech. Yet she l'elt 110 fear. And as she watched him I ....... -1-1 1 1- - 'I come to you in behalf of Kavon(rur," he said. "You are all in the world to him, and the life of the living is more than the memory of the dead." He turned and left the room, leaving Leontine storing after him. And, though she had no doubt that Jerry's appearance was that of a spectre, even then she remembered that she had heard his footstep. A spirit's footstep! Suddenly she regained control over her limbs. She sprang forward and opened the door. Jerry was nowhere to be seen, but itavengar was coming along the hall. "Who was that?" cried Leontine, in the reaction of deadly terror. . "Who, dear?" 'You saw somebody come out of tills door?" "No, I saw no one come out of this door," answered ltavcugar. "Whom did you think you saw?" ' "Jerry," slid answered, und burst into tears. Kaveugar put his arm about her and led her buck into t- study. "It was his spirit," Leontine sobbed, "lie came back to me from the grave, to tell ihe that I must give up my endeavor to free his memory. He said that tiie love of the living was more than the memory of the dead." I ltnvengar took lier in his arms. "Leontine?" he began. "But I want to clear his name," continued the girl eagerly. Iiavengur took her hands in his and kissed them. "Let us sit down, Leontine," he said, "and perhaps when I have shown you the secret of the pellets we shall see a clearer way towurd mat purpose." ? "And so we've found hcr.': Sebastian listened eagerly to the story of the two crooks, confederates of Whitey's, whom he had hired. They had discovered Leontine's ne<v abode, ' ' ^ ^ ' '' ' ^^ ^ ' B&:?^MflH * I* * * *fj lff* f|^HHH|H^^^^^I W4* o >||?H|^^I^^BB^H * M5K|SMRRGHflH|^^^^HB|^^^B * }>( i i. * * J* * * * 'l^^nBHi^^H^^H < ? i:? . t >u for Thisl" - .... _.* ^ . , rrwr*?-*?lfcMWb? and had learned the details of Its lo- i cation. Sebastian knew that what he had to do must be done speedily, for already every police station was posted with circulars descriptive of him and ottering a reward. He must secure the pellets and book, make an end of his enemy Iluvengar, and the wife whom he hated, and make a quick, clean getaway. At that moment Whltey Wang came in. The three had been waiting for him. ' "We can get her wow, boss,** he said to Sebastian. "I seen her througli her study window. She's setting there alone. She looks as if she was waiting for somebody." Sebastian understood. It was Itnvengar, and he would trap the two, get what he needed, and secure his revenge, in one dramatic coup. "We'll go along," he said. The three left the tenement separately, and rejoined each other some distance away. Tliey proceeded rapidly toward Leontlne's house. At length; the pair indicated it to Sehastiun. It was beginning to grow dark. Sebastian spoke a few words to his com- j pan ions and one of them went round to the bnck of the house. After giving ( him time to post himself, Sebastian and the two others stole past the lodge among the trebs until they were standing in front of the study. And Sohnsti tin's heart leaped up as he saw his wife and Havengnr seated opposite; each olhvr at the table. He watched them with eager eyes and listened with ears that heard a little?not lhueh, but. just enough to inspire the keenest interest. i Sebastian mid his companion stole round to the side of the house. The crook inserted a knife under the 1 sash and had the window catch shot hack in a moment. Then he crawled in, and Sebastian followed him. Clutching their revolvers, the two crept to the entrance of Leontine's study. The door was partly open. Sebastian motioned to his companion to halt and, his ear close to the crack, listened to Ravengars explanation. But he had not been there more than a half minute before both Leontine and Ravcngar turned their heads simultaneously and saw him. They sprang to their feet; Leontine screamed, and Ravengur issued a short command: 'The journal and the pellets, Leontine?destroy them !" ******* "Until now," said Ravengar to Leontine, as they sat down, 'there has never been such a thing as absolute black. Our blacks are not absolute black. If they were, tliey would reflect no light and would be invisible. We see things by the light they reflect." "Now let us begin with Dexter's statement of the discovery. 44 4fl*l %_?_- - xne diuc'k penets,' ne says, 'rep-1 resent, then, this absolute black Which ! I have discovered after my investlga-1 tions of many years. A solution of these, made in pure water and painted upon any object, confers the power of invisl?" That was the moment at which Ravengar and Leontine both felt the presence of Sebastian at the door. They ; turned their heads and saw hln^ "The journal and the pellets, Leontine ? destroy them 1" Raveugar shouted. As he spoke he darted to the door and struck Sebastiun a blow in the face that sent him reeling backward. Taking advantage of this, Leontine slipped past him and ran down the passage. The two companions of Sebastiun started after her, but Ravengar barred the way. With an oath one of the crooks drew his revolver. As he did so, Ruvengar, with almost incredible dexterity, snatched it out of his hand and fired point blank. The crook, shot through the brain, fell over backward, dead before his head struck the floor. The two others, maddened with fear and rage, threw themselves upon Raveugar. He had no time to fire again. It was an inextricable medley; but somehow j Ravengar managed to hold the passage. , T AAnf i n A Mft - ,Al' ucwiunic 1UU 1U1 Hit' MUCK (Kior, Willi the intention of gaining tlie garden and ! alarming the chauffeur and gardener, j But as she tilil wo she saw the third' creek on guard there. She Mopped back hnrriedly. It was a difficult srt'uatfon. Kavengar had ordered her to destroy the journal and pellets; hut; Kavenftar was lighting for his Kfo and J All her impulse was to help him. On; the cflher lib nit she was too weak To he. iff. assistance, and ndght even hamper J !d:r.. fflio d*eitfOd therefore to rtl/oy. I She rah iuto the card room, adjohflng1 her study, and flung the bottle of pellets and the book into the grate of tho open fireplace. It was summer time and there was, no lire, but a box of matches hung by' the mantel, and tliefe was the day's newspaper upon a chair beside the fireplace. Leontine heard the crook in the passage outside. She turned and locked the door. She heard Itavengqr strug(flitvcr rfloorvooofolif h tl..?i? uinjr mill UI9 u^nuillllim, and hc^ one thought was to destroy the Journal and pellets and then go to his aid. She struck a match, lit the newspaper, and flung the journal and pellets upon It, tearing out page after page to ensure complete combustion. In the passage outside Ravcngnr was still engaged in his furious struggle with Sebastian. The letter's surviving companion, who was none other than Whitey Wang, was not particularly adept at rough and tumble fighting, unless he had a revolver in his hand and a clear aim; the first condition was fulfilled, but not the second. The combatants were so mixed that it was im ' '"f possible to fire. Knvengar, winning free for a mo* meut, hurled Sebastian from blip wttti V all liis force. That was Wang's op* port unity. He sprang forward and 11 ml. The bullet hissed post Raven* gur'ri head. Ravengar struck Whltey a. blow that sent him staggering hack* ward, and snatched the revolver from him, aiming, not at him but at Se* bastlnu. The two exchanged shots. Sebastian's ballet clipped a lock of hair from Itavengar's head. Havengar's bullet went wild. ) Sebastian's revolver was empty. Before Ravengar could fire again Sebastian was upon him. The revolver butt descended upon his skull. As ltnveugar staggered under the force of the blow Sebastian begau striking ?.gatn and again. Itavengur was growing dazed. Sebastian and the crook hammered at Itavengar until he sank with a groan upon the door, unconscious. "Lcmme finish hlin!" begged Whltey as Sebastian stood over Ravengar's prostrate body, considering whether t<* fire or to give the final blow with his revolver butt. But at that Instant the back door opened and the gardener, who had Ravcngnr Was Coming Along the Hall. hoard the sounds of the tiring, rushed in. He realized the sltuatlou and dissppeurcd for aid, his speed accelerated by a shot from Sebastian. Sebastian, pausing only to give his enemy's body u final kick, ran forward, dragging Wang with him. , "Qulclt!" he shouted. "There Is no time to lose!" Meanwhile the third crook had been hovering in the background after mak- ? ing a fruitless effort to break down the door of the card room. "All together J" yelled Sebastian. They put their shoulders to the door. ?j A mighty heave, and it flew open, disclosing Leoutlne crouching before the ; lire, which was consuiuiug the last pages of the journal. The pellets had ? already melted into a mass of sticky black. Leon tine rose to her feet as Sebastian entered. | lie rushed at her, hurled her aside, audi stooped over the grate. Bitterly 1 he repented that he hud stopped to > hammer Kavengur after he had knocked hiiu unconscious. He saw now that it was too late. The pellets, even if they still retained their virtue, were stuck fast to the iron bars of the grate. The pages of the Journal were a smouldering heap of burned paper. Sebastian tried to pluck them out, i but only a few scraps and corners remained unconsumcd. He turned upon Leontine in fury. I'll pay y<*i for this!" he shouted, : and struck her a violent blow on the mouth that threw her to the floor. I Leon tine rose and looked at him fix- i edly. And Sebastian suddenly realized \ the moral strength of this woman J whom h* had married, tortured, be- 1 trnyHL 1 jtt* had been afraid of her before. J lie hM feared her vengeance for Jerry. Mtaft his fears had had a material j crJffifi. Now for the first time sometiring seemed to stand between them, AS tt it were a protecting angel, sometfr.Mift, that forbade him to lay hto hand upOft her ugain or to go a Step nearer, j her. * fl II11 wna ?rI.I. 1.1 M.. ?"? i*?~ ? 1 - v ...?o uiiuiu. iic nuw iiih tiwil lin- | pending punishment; he realized that?l all his life had been lived in vain. . Casting a glance backward, he dls- \A covered that he was alone. His com- \ panions had fled, leaving their dead r comrade upon the floor. Sebnstian hud p| struck his last blow and failed. And outside he heard the excited J voices of the chauffeur and gardener. Upstairs the maids were screaming. J| Somebody was shouting for the police. W He turned with a curse, flung up the J window, and leaped out to the ground. It was a light drop, he rose uninjured j] and made his way toward the street iu I the rear* among the stables, while the chauffeur -and gardener burst through | the hall, to find Leontlne, the blood streaming from her lip, bending over the body of ltuvengar. 1 As she crouched there, trying to re- N call him to consciousness, she made a j singular discovery. Ravengar's mous- l tache had been half torn from his face. 1 But it was a false one. Underneath it * the skin was white and freshly shaven* 1