h further
rough treatment. She knew that Leslie Cairns was quite apt to go as far
as she dared. She resolved to show, no fear of her captors. She disliked
intensely the idea of hand to hand encounter with them. It was utterly
beneath her standards. Still she did not hesitate to warn them that she
would defend herself if forced to do so. Once she was free of them she
had not decided what she would do, further than that she would set off
for the gymnasium post haste. Even before the unmasking her chums would
miss her. If only she could reach the dance prior to that!

"S--hh! Keep your voices down!" warned a domino who had taken no part in
the ill-natured discussion. "I believe you can be heard clear out in the
street."

"Mind your business," snapped the Scarlet Mask. "I pay the rent here.
It's nobody's business how much noise we make. Who amounts to a button
on this alley? Don't be so cowardly. Even Bean has more nerve than you."

This produced a laugh at "Bean's" expense. Behind her enforced veil
Marjorie could not repress a noiseless chuckle. How she wished that
someone would hear her captors and come to her assistance. No such thing
was likely to happen.

The admonishing domino, hitherto peaceful, now took umbrage. "You can't
tell me to mind my own business or call me a coward," she stormily
hurled at the scarlet executive. "You make me exceedingly weary!" Her
further candid opinion was not calculated to flatter.

"What you need is a midnight session here with Miss Bean," declared the
Scarlet Mask, with a touch of cool purpose which caused the angry domino
to flare up afresh.

"Try it, and see what happens to you," was her instant retort.

"Oh, forget it. I merely said you needed it. I didn't say you would be
left here. You are the last person I expected would go back on me." This
with intent to mollify.

"Well, you shouldn't have----" The somewhat placated rebel suddenly
paused. "Hark!" She held up a hand for silence. "I thought I heard a
noise."

"Someone going by in the street," the Scarlet Mask asserted, after
listening attentively for a moment. At the ejaculation "Hark!" the eyes
of the other maskers had been directed with one accord to the door.
After a brief interval of uneasy silence the discussion regarding the
prisoner was resumed.

The recently ruffled avenger who had given the alarm still continued to
watch the door. She was not satisfied with her leader's explanation of
the sound. Thus she was