| Show HEARTS AND MASKS by HAROLD macgrath Autho the man on the box etc with drawings by fisher by bob oo 00 1 CHAPTER it all depends upon the manner ot your entrance to the castle of adaven ture one does not have to scale its beetling parapets or assault its scalps scarps and frowning bastions neither Is one obliged to force with clamor and blar ine trumpets and glittering forgets the drawbridge and portcullis rather the pathway lies through one of those many little doors obscure yet easily accessible and to which the average person gives no particular attention and yet which in variably lead to the very heart of this castle delectable the whimsical chatelaine of this enchanted keep Is a shy goddess circumspection has no part in her affairs nor caution nor practicality nor does her eye linger upon the dullard and the blunderer imagination solves the secret riddle and wit is the guide that leads the beeker through the winding bewilder ing labyrinths and there Is something la being idle too it I 1 had not gone idly into quins cellar for dinner that night I 1 should have missed the most engaging adventure that ever tell to my lot it Is second nature for me to be guided by impulse rather than by reason reason Is always so square toed and impulse ts always so alluring you will find that nearly all the great captains were and are creatures of impulse Jm pulse nothing brilliant Is ever achieved by calculation all this 1 not to say that I 1 am a great captain it Is offered only to inform you that 3 am often impulsive A times four days old and it I 1 haan hadn t fallen upon it to pass the twenty odd minutes between my order and the service of it I 1 t have made the acquaintance of the police in that pretty little suburb over in new jersey nor should I 1 have met the enchanting blue domino nor would fate have written kismet the clairvoyant never has any tun in this cycle he has no surprises I 1 had been away from new york tor several weeks and had returned only that afternoon thus the spirit of unrest acquired by travel was still upon me it was nearly holiday week and those congenial friends I 1 might have called upon to while away the evening were either busily occupied with shopping or were out of town and I 1 determined not to go to the club and be bored by some indifferent all hard player I 1 would dine quietly listen to some light music and then go to the theater I 1 was searching the theatrical amusements when the society column indifferently attacked my eye I 1 do not know why it Is but I 1 have a wholesome contempt tor the so called society columns of the dally newspaper in new york mayhap it Is because I 1 do not belong I 1 read this paragraph with ft shrug and that one with a smirk I 1 was in no manner surprised at the announcement that miss high culture was go ing to wed the duke of Imy cune I 1 bad always been certain this girl would do some such tool thing that mrs hyphen bonds was giving a tare well dinner at the prior to her departure to europe interested my curiosity not in the least degree it would be all the same to me if she never came back none of the washy tittle tattle interested me in tact there was only one little six line paragraph that really caught me on friday night that la to eay the night of my adventures in blankshine Blank shire the hunt club was to give a charity masquerade dance this grasped my adventurous spirit by the throat and refused to let go the atmosphere surrounding aur the paragraph was spirituous with en chant ment there was a genuine novelty about this dance two packs 0 playing cards bad been sent out as tickets one pack to the ladles and one to the gentlemen charming idea it these cards were to be chown at the door together with ten dollars but were to be retained by the recipients till two supper ume at which moment everybody was to unmask and take his partner who held the corresponding card in to upper its newness strongly appealed to me I 1 found myself reading the paragraph over and over by jove what an inspiration I 1 knew the blankshine Blank shire hunt club with its colonial architecture its great ball room its quaint fireplaces tta eatables and sheds and the fame of its chef it was one of those great coun try clubs that keep open house the year round it stood back from the about four miles and was within five miles of the village there was a fine course inland a cross country going of not less than twenty miles a shooting box and excellent golf link in the winter it was cozy in the bummer it was ideal I 1 was intimately aca with the F teddy hamilton we had done the paris berlin run in my racing car the before it I 1 knon him ell I 1 might still have been in durance vile next door to jail 01 securely inside I 1 hid frequently dined with him at the club luring the and he had offered to put me up but as 1 knew no one intimately but himself him solf I 1 explained tho futility ot such action besides my horse gasn wasn t a hunter and I 1 was md ing him less and less it Is no pleas ure to go parking along the bridle paths of central park for myself I 1 want a hill country and something like forty miles straight away riding the tact that I 1 knew no one but teddy added zest to 10 lo inspiration which had seized me for I 1 doter mined to attend that happen what night it would be vastly more entertaining than a possibly dull theatrical performance it was I 1 called for a messenger and dis patched him to the nearest drug store for a pack of playing cards and while I 1 waited for his return I 1 casu ally glanced at the other diners at my table one of those long marble topped affairs by the wall there was an old man reading a paper and the handsomest girl I 1 had set eyes upon in a month of moons sometimes the word handsome seems an inferior ad she was beautiful and her half hidden eyes told me that she was anywhere but at what a head of hair fine as a spider web and the dazzling yellow of a wheat field in a sun shower the arregui larley of her features made them all the more interesting I 1 was an artist in an amateur way and I 1 mentally painted in that bead against a rubens background the return of the mes benger brought me bacic to earth tor I 1 confess that my imagination bad already leaped tar into the future and this girl across the way was nebulous ly connected with it I 1 took the pack of cards ripped oft the covering tossed aside the oker though really I 1 ought to have retained it and began shuffling the shiny pasteboards paste boards I 1 dare say that those around me sat up and took notice it was by no means a common sight to see a man gravely shuffling a pack of cards in a public restaurant nobody interfered doubtless because nobody knew exactly what to do in the face of such an act tor which no adequate laws had been provided A waiter stood solemnly at the end of the table scratching his chin thought fully wondering whether he should report this peculiarity of constitution and susceptibility occasioning certain peculiarities of effect from impress of extraneous influences vide web ster synonymous with and known as idiosyncrasy it was quite possible that I 1 was the first man to establish such a precedent in monsieur restaurant thus I 1 aroused only passive curiosity from the corner of my eye I 1 observed the old gentleman opposite lie was peering over the top of ills paper and I 1 could see by the glitter in his eye that he was a confirmed player of solitaire the girl however still appeared to be in a dreaming state I 1 have no doubt every one who saw me thought that anarchy was abroad again or that sherlock holmes had entered into bis third incarnation finally I 1 squared the pack took a long breath and cut I 1 turned up the card it was the ten spot of hearts I 1 considered this most propitious hearts being my long suit in every thing but love love having not yet crossed my path I 1 put the card in my wallet and was about to toss the rest of the pack under the table when a woman s voice stayed my hand dont throw them away tell my fortune first I 1 looked up not a little surprised it was the beautiful young girl who had spoken she was leaning on her elbows her chin propped in her palms and the light in her gray chatoyant eye vi wholly innocent cent and mis chleva i in monsieur eel lar people are rather bohemian not to say friendly for it la the boua voua of artists literary men and jour a clan that holds formality in contempt tell your fortune I 1 repeated pa rot like yea your r can tell that more ac curatelo cura tely than I 1 can I 1 replied with frank glance of admiration she drew her shoulders together and dropped them I 1 spoke to you sir because I 1 believed you wouldn t say anything so commonplace as that when one sees a man soberly shuffling a tack of cards la a place like this one naturally expects originality well perhaps you caught me kofl my guard humbly 1 I am original did you ever before witness this performance for mance in a public restaurant making the cards purr I 1 can not say I 1 have amused well no more have II 11 why then do you do it with renewed interest shall I 1 tell your fortune not now I 1 had much rather you would tell me the meaning of this play I 1 leaned toward her and whispered mysteriously the truth Is I 1 belon to a secret society and I 1 waa cutting the cards to see whether or not I 1 should blow up the tonight to night or the police station you tell anybody oh she started back from the table you do not look it she added suddenly 1 I know it appearances are so deceptive cep tive said I 1 badly then the old man laughed and the it wa the ten spot of hearts girl laughed and I 1 laughed and I 1 quite sure that the grave waiter did not crack the ghost of a smile in relief and what may I 1 ask was the fatal card inquired the old man folding his paper the ace of spades we always choose that gloomy card in secret societies there la something deadly and suggestive about it I 1 answered morbidly indeed yes ah it only you knew the terrible life we lead we who conspire every day brings forth some galling disappointment we push a king off into the dark and another rises am mediately in his place futility tuell ity everywhere it only there were some way of dynamiting habit and custom I 1 am a russian all my family are perishing la siberian mines dismally fudge said the girl tommy rot said the amiable old gentleman uncle his hair ie too ehor for an anarchist and bis collar too immaculate so the old gentleman was this charming creatures uncle we are obliged to disguise ourselves at times I 1 explained the police are always meddling it Is discouraging cou raging you have some purpose humorous or serious eald the girl shrewdly A man doea not bring a pack of cards I 1 bring them I 1 sent out tor them bring a pack of cards here simply to attract attention she continued tranquilly perhaps I 1 am a prestidigitator in a popular dime museum I 1 suggested willing to help her out and am doln a little advertising now that has a plausible sound she admitted folding her bands dundei her chin 11 II must be an interesting life presto change and all that oh I 1 find it rather monotonous in the winter but in the summer it Is fine then I 1 wander about the sum mer resorts and give exhibitions to be |
