Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

by Gorcdion Woun: . Ot. ti < ret +> — B74 ace Author of “Bluffed,”’ “White Men,” etc. The first part. of the story briefly retold in story form MBS. HELENA HOLDER LOUDEN, sister of Frank Holder, whose millions had been made in Texas oil, was giving a house-party; one of her many attempts to “break into’”” New York society. One of the entertainers, a girl named Javotte, had attracted attention by her black-masked face and clever dancing. Although many speculated as to her identity, only Frank Holder knew. He had found her in some cheap cabaret and had fallen in love with her. That night when Javotte went to her room she found a masked man concealed there who robbed her of her jewels. He warned her not to marry Holder, and Javotte was in terror lest her past life had been discovered. “Pease, p’ease tell me who yéu are,” she begged in broken English; but the man refused to raise his mask. While they talked screams sounded through the hall; another woman had discovered the loss of her jewels. Quick as light, the masked man slipped from the room and was gone. The crack of a re- volver sounded as he shot out the lights, warning the guests to stay in their rooms. Holder, thinking only of Javotte, hurried to her room and then brought her secretly to a tower chamber where she would be safe until he and a private detective could get her away next night. During the day the black-masked man obtained ‘ated N CHE library of a duplex apart- ment on the first floor up of the Wellington-Dane two fellows were discussing the marriage of Frank Holder to Aliza Cabrona, who had not yet been generally identified as the Cabronette or as Javotte Murilla. In hastily taking a new name to live under admittance to Javotte’s room and revealed his identity as “Black Wolf,” a notorious character of the underworld. Javotte, who feared he would betray her forced marriage to a gangster, promised to help him escape that night. It was dark, without moonlight; and together they slipped down-stairs after the detective to the car which was to take Holder and the girl to the city. With infinite quiet, Black Wolf overpowered and bound the detective; then when Holder appeared he had already taken his place as chauffeur. Followed a mad ride through the night while Javotte, hysterical with fear, told Holder that the driver was Black Wolf. The car drew up at a lonely spot, and the masked man opened the door. “It’s a good place for a murder,’’ he murmured. “But we'll postpone it,” he continued. He had seen the look of terror on Javotte’s face, “She really loves him,” he thought; “‘and if so, why——” s Holder seemed as impassive as ever. He re- vived Javotte by fanning her slowly with a news- paper in which was an account of the murder of Javotte’s gangster husband. Finally it caught Javotte’s eye, and she became radiant. Holder had been trying to make her see it for ten minutes. With a corps of detectives in his pay, he knew far more than any one suspected. after her flight on the marriage eve she had taken her mother’s name of Murilla and kept it, though it was strongly suggestive of the other from which she fled. One of the fellows talkatively concerned in the marriage was William Wingate, alias Billy the Dude. The other, a man of pessimistic garrulity, was Jerry Peete, who . go CORnICLOO© (C@