| Show f r h HEARTS AND MASKS by HAROLD macgrath Autho c with drawings by harrison fisher 1 w f copyright IWI by bobbt co CHAPTER IV in other words we had departed tle scene ot festivities none too soon I 1 uld readily understand why the door had been locked it as not to keep ais in the cellars rather it was to prevent any one from leaving the ball room by that route evidently our absence had not been noticed y nor had any seen our precipitate f hight I 1 gratefully for several minutes we stood silent and motionless on the landing at v length I 1 boldly struck a match the 1 first thing that greeted my blinded gaze was the welcome vision of a lit lie shelf lined with steward s candles one of these I 1 lighted and two others I 1 stuffed into tho pocket of my ca gown then we tiptoed softly down the stairs the girl tug gang fearfully at my sleeve there was an earthly smell it was damp and cold miles and miles away so it seemed the pale moonshine filtered through a cobwebbed cob webbed window it was ghostly but so far as I 1 was concerned I 1 was honestly enjoying I 1 myself strange as this statement may y sf seem here was I 1 setting forth upon M an adventure with the handsomest wittiest girl I 1 had ever laid eyes upon if I 1 extricated her neatly she would fr always be in my debt and the thought of this was mighty pleasant to con template do you know the way outa I 1 confessed that so far as I 1 knew we were in one of the fabled labyrinths of mythology go ahead she said bravely fc 1 I ask only to die in bour highness k soberly but I 1 do not want you to die I 1 want you to get me out of this cellar i ud quickly too V live or die in the attempt I 1 see nothing funny in our credic ament icily A few moments ago you said that aur angles of vision were not the t same I 1 begin to believe it As tor y W I 1 think its simply immense to fand myself in the same boat with rou 1 I wish you had been an anarchist or a performer in a dime museum you might now be alone here but pardon me surely sou do not lack the full allotment ot the adventurous it was all amusing enough to come here under false pretenses but I 1 had not reckoned on any t ones losing jewels T no more had I 1 v proceed I 1 have the courage to trust to your guidance 1 I would that it might be al f ways with a burst of sentiment that was not wholly feigned f let us go on impatiently I 1 r shall not only catch my death of cold but I 1 shall be horribly comero compro j rf my dear young lady on the word of a gentleman I 1 will do the best I 1 t can lo 10 get you out of this cellar if I 1 have jested a little it was only in the effort to give you courage tor I 1 haven t tho slightest idea how we are going to get out of this dismal hole we went on we coulden couldn t see half a dozen feet in front of us the gloom beyond the dozen feet was stygian and menacing and tho great grim v shadows that crept behind us as we s proceeded once the girl stumbled and fell against me what s the matter I 1 asked start led 1 I stepped on something that that dovd plaintively feasibly it was a potato there s A a bin of them over there where the deuce are we it you swear I 1 shall certainly scream she warned but I 1 can swear in the most elegant and approved fashion I 1 am not inclined to have you demonstrate your talents aha here Is the coal bin per haps the window may be open it so we are saved will you hold the can die tor a 9 have you ever witnessed a cat tooting it across the snow it you have me imitating her cau I 1 took one step then another t and then that mountain ot coal turned into a roaring treadmill in a moment I 1 was burled to tho knees and nearly suffocated I 1 became angry I 1 would reach that window dushl hush the noise tho noise whispered the girl waving the candle frantically f s but I 1 was determined again I 1 tried time I 1 slipped and fell on my hands aa I 1 strove to get up the cord on my gown became tangled about my feet the girl choked whether with coal dust or with laugh tor I 1 could not say as she still had on her cambric mask forgive me she said and then t knew it was not the coal dust cwm ill forgive you but I 1 will not promise to forget merciful heavens ou must not try that again think of the noise was I 1 making any noise rubbing the perspiration from my tore head 1 I had taken off my mask noised abo trump of judgment day will be feeble compared to it surely some one has heard you why not lay that board on top of the coap A good idea I 1 made use of it at once the window was un latched but there was a heavy wire screen nailed to the sills outside there was no getting out that way the gods were evidently busy else where nothing doing I 1 murmured a bit discouraged and even it there was ou really could not expect me to risk my neck and dignity by climbing through a window like that let us give up the idea 0 windows and seek the cellar doors those that give to the grounds I 1 declare I 1 shall leave by no other exit it was very kind of you to let me make an ass of myself like that why you tell me beforehand perhaps it a the angle of vision again I 1 can see that we shall never agree seriously I 1 thought that it sou got out that way you might find the other exit tor me I 1 am sorry it my laughter annoyed you nol at all not at all but wouldn t it be wise to save a little laughter to make merry with when we get out I 1 stepped out of the bin and re said there were three tens of hearts that that only one was out of order where did you get your card that I 1 shall tell you later but are you really an impostor I 1 should not be in this cellar else you are very mystifying for the present I 1 prefer to remain so we tossed aside the apple cores rose and went on it was the longest celler I 1 ever saw there seemed absolutely sol no end to it the wine cellar was walled apart from the main eel lar and had the semblance of a huge with a door opening into it As we passed it the vague perfume of the grape drifted out to us let s have a bottle I 1 began mr cornstalk dy absent treatment I 1 hastened to add you will make a capital comrade if we ever get out of this cellar trust me tor that I 1 replied gaily be careful there s a pile of empty bottles yearning to be filled with tomato catsup give me your hand but the moment the little digits closed over mine a thrill seized me and I 1 quickly bent my head and kissed the hand it was wrong but I 1 could not help it she never spoke nor withdrew her hand and my fear that she might really be offended vanished we are nearly out of it I 1 said ex I 1 see the cellar on ahead if only those doors are open heaven Is merciful to ane fool and we are a pair sho replied sighing gratefully it seems strange that nobody should be in the cellar on a night like this hark they are playing again up stairs in the ball room i and wondering a whole lot where calmly munching the apples cleved her of the candle and we went on you did look funny she said please don t I 1 begged soon we came to a bin of cabbages I 1 peered in philosophically 1 I might find a better bead in there than mine I 1 suggested now you are trying to be barcas sarcas tic said the girl we went on walt a moment she cried here s a bin of nice apples apples well my word she was a cool one I 1 picked up one polished it on my sleeve and gave it to her im hungry she said apol oget lacally and plucky too I 1 supplemented admiringly most women would be in a weeping state by this time perhaps I 1 am waiting till it la all over you had better take off your mask in fact I 1 felt positive that the sight ot her exquisite face would act like a tonic upon my nerves I 1 am doing very well with it on I 1 can at least keep my face clean she raised the curtain and took a liberal bite of the apple so nonchalantly that I 1 was forced to smile heres a box said I 1 lets sit down while we eat we are safe enough if any one had beard the racket in the coal bin the cellar would have been full of police by this time anit there we sat calmly munching the apples tor all the world as it the iron hand of the law gasn wasn t within a thousand miles of us it was all very amusing are are you the man they are hunting for she asked abruptly 1 I never stole anything more herrl ble than green apples and ripe ones with a nod toward the apple bin me I 1 feel very guilty in asking you such a question you haven t told me your name haven t I 1 my name is richard cornstalk my friends call me dicky dicky she murmured it s a nice name 4 won t you have another apple I 1 asked impulsively my appetite Is appeased thank 1 you an idea came fc me hamilton that third ten of hearts has gone but listen how are we to get back to the trolley we certainly can not walk the distance in thesa clothes oh that carryall will come to our rescue we are weary and are leav ing early don t you know that part Is simple the complicated thing Is to shake the dust ot this cellar what a big furnace she ex claimed as wo came into view ot the huge heating apparatus and there s more coal A man stepped out from behind the furnace and confronted us A red bandana covered the lower part of his face and his hat was pulled down over his eyes dut I 1 recognized him instantly it was the fellow with tho villainous pipe something glittered ominously at the end of his outstretched arm it you make any noise sir have to plug you sir be said in polite but muffled tones the candle slipped from my fingers and the three of us stood in darkness CHAPTER V there was a clicking sound and the glare of a dark lantern struck my blinking eyes pick up the candle sir said tho tranquil voice from behind the light I 1 obeyed readily enough fate was downright cruel to us not a dozen feet away was liberty and now we were back at the beginning again with tha end nowhere in sight shall I 1 light tt sir I 1 asked not to be outdone in tho matter of formal politeness yes sir doubtless you will need it I 1 struck a match and touched the candlestick Burglar 9 said I 1 for all my apparent coolness my heartbeats were away up in the eighties 1 the girl snuggled close to my side I 1 could feel her heart beating even faster than mine burglar I 1 repeated indeed no sir reproachfully mine Is a political job A political job thunderstruck yes sir I 1 am an inspector of eel lars grimly I 1 coulden couldn t got around to this here cellar earlier in the day sir and a fellows work must be done to bo continued f K hi t ii ir |
