Show seffa TORY HE fla A R r AND MAS S by HAROLD macgrath author Autho of the man on the boi etc with drawings by harrison fisher copyright ina bab by bbs co CHAPTER 1 11 I continued next turning from the window I 1 fell to examining my fellow gers in the hope of seeing some one I 1 knew conversation on trains makes short journeys I 1 sat up stiffly in my seat diagonally across the aisle sat the very chapel had met in the curio shop he was quietly reading a popular magazine and oc oe caslo casio nally a smile lightened his sar donic mouth funny that I 1 should run across him twice in the same evening men who are contemplating suicide never smile in that fashion he was smoking a small well colored meerschaum pipe with evident relish somehow when a man clenches his teeth upon the mouthpiece of a re spectacle spec table pipe it seems impossible to associate that man with crime but the tact fact that I 1 had seen him selecting a pistol in a pawnshop rather neutral iced the good opinion I 1 was willing to form I 1 have already expressed my views upon the subject the sight of him rather worried me though I 1 could not reason why whither was he bound had he finally taken one of ariard s pistols 9 for a moment I 1 was on the point of speaking to him if only to hear him tell more lies about the ten of hearts but I 1 wisely put aside the temptation besides it might be possible that he would not be glad to see me I 1 always avoid the chance acquaintance unless of course the said chance acquaintance is met under favorable circumstances like the girl in mouquin s for in stance after all it was only an in aident and but tor for his picking up that card I 1 never should have kemem bared him behind him sat a fellow with a countenance as red and round and complacent as an english butler butlers s red hair and small twinkling eyes once he leaned over and spoke to my chance acquaintance who without turning his head thrust a match over his shoulder the man with the face of a butler lighted the most villainous pipe I 1 ever beheld I 1 wondered it if they knew each other but closely as I 1 watched r saw no sign from either I 1 turned my collar up and snuggled down there was no need of his seeing me then my thought reverted to the ten of hearts again my ten of hearts the wrinkle of a chill ran up and down my spine my ten of hearts hastily I 1 took out the card and ex the back of it it was an un commonly handsome back represent ing diana the moon and the midnight sky A horrible supposition came to me supposing they looked at the back as well as at the face of the card and again supposing I 1 was miles away from the requisite color and designs I 1 was staggered here was a pretty fix I 1 had never even dreamed of such a contingency hang it I 1 now wished I 1 had stuck 0 my original plan and gone to the theater decidedly I 1 was in for it there was no backing down at this late hour unless I 1 took the return train for jer sey city and I 1 possessed too much stubbornness to surrender to any such weakness either I 1 should pass the door committee or I 1 t of one thing I 1 tas ras certain blankshine Blank shire shirel bawled bowled the train trainman maii then the train slowed down and finally came to a stop no turning back tor for me now I 1 picked up by suit case and got out on the platform I 1 saw the curio shop fel low again tramping on ahead the smell from his villainous pipe assailing my nostrils was the man who had asked for a match the former stood undecided for a moment and during this space of time he caught sight of me he lie became erect gave me a sud den sardonic laugh and swiftly dis appeared into the darkness AH all this was uncommonly disquieting in vain I 1 stared into the blackness that had swallowed him what could he be doing here at I 1 didn dian t like his laugh at all there was at once a menace and a challenge in it any baggage sir sira asked one of the station hands no but I 1 ed him to direct me to a hotel he d d so i made my way i down the street the wind had veered around and was coming in from the sea pure and cold the storm clouds were broken and scudding like dark ships and at times there were flashes of radiant moonshine the fashionable hotel was full so I 1 plodded through the drifts to the unfashionable hotel here I 1 found ac commod atlon I 1 dressed sometimes laughing sometimes whistling some times lines standing motionless in doubt bah ball it was only a lark urk I 1 thought of the girl in mouquin s how much better it would have been to spend the evening with her exchanging badinage and looking into dapah others eyes MM M f I 1 covered my face with the gray mask and descended to the t the trolley ran within two miles ot of the hunt club the car was crowded with masqueraders and for the first time since I 1 started out I 1 felt comfort able everybody laughed and talked though nobody knew who his neighbor was I 1 sat in a corner tand mo tl ti onless as a sphinx once a pair of blue slippers attracted my eye and again the flash of a lovely arm at the end of the trolley line was a carryall which was to convey us to the club we got into the conveyance noisily and good humo the exclamations of the women were amusing good gracious isn t it fun lovely and all that it must have been a novelty tor for some of these to act naturally for once nothing lasts so long as the natural instinct for play and we always find ourselves coming back to it standing some hundred yards back from the road was the famous holly wood inn run by the genial Mon arity sometimes the members of the hunt club put up there for the night when there was to be a run the following morning it was open all the year round we made the club at exactly 10 30 fortune went with me doubtless it was the crowd going in that saved me from close scrutiny my spirits rose as I 1 espied teddy hamilton at the door he ile was on the committee and was in plain evening clothes it was good to see a familiar face I 1 dered toward him and passed out my ten dollars hetio hello teddy my son I 1 cried out jovially hello grinning teddy thought my jesuit now and to my intense relief she dashed away I 1 carefully observed the jesuit and made up my mind to keep an eyel upon him if he really possessed the ten of hearts the man who kept tally on the cardboard was doing some tall thinking about this time I 1 gilded away into the gorgeous ball room what a vision greeted my eye the decorations were in red and yellow and it seemed as though perpetual au all sumnal sunset lay over everything at the far end of the room was a small stage hidden behind palms palm sand and giant ferns the band was just striking up A summer night in mu nich and a mond wonderful erful kaleidoscope revolved around me I 1 saw Caval cavaliers lers and roundheads puritans and beel musketeers tools fools cowboys indians kings and princes queens and empresses fairies and quaker maids white and black and red and green dominoes tom fool fools s night indeed presently I 1 saw the noble doge of venice coming my way from his portly carriage I 1 reasoned that it if he in the gold book of venice he stood very well up in the gold book of new york he fie stopped at my side and struck an attitude pax cum said I 1 bowing be at the inquisition chamber di erectly the clock strikes the midnight hour he said mysteriously I 1 shall be there to deliver the su preme interrogation I 1 replied it is well he drifted away like a stately ship delightful foolery I 1 saw the jes uit and moved toward him disciple of loyola hast thou the ten of hearts 1 my hearts number ber nine tor for I 1 have lost one to the gay columbine 0 k leaa 1 40 i I 1 I 1 A 1 f the car was crowded with masqueraders it was some one he knew well so it was t hat hats a j our card he cried as I 1 pressed by him the ten of hearts the ten of hearts repeated teddy to a man who was keeping tally on a big cardboard this sight did not reassure me it if they were keeping tally of all the cards presented at the door they would soon find out that there were too many tens ot of hearts too many by one I 1 well at any rate I 1 had tor for the time being es detection now tor for the fun it would be sport royal troyal ahil while le it last ed what a tale to give out at the club ot of a sunday night I 1 chuckled on the way to the ball room I 1 had dis with going up to the dressing room my robe was mas a genuine one heavy and u warm arm so I 1 had no overcoat to check grave monk your blessing turning I 1 beheld an exquisite col ubbine pax cum I 1 replied sol emaly pax what does that meana mean it means do not believe all you see in the newspapers columbine laughed gaily I 1 did not know that yo i were a latin scholar and besides you gave me to understand you were coming as a jes uit billy billy here haq one who thought she knew me I 1 hastened to disillusion her my dear coluci me inc you do not know me not the least bit my name is not billy it is dicky oh you cannot fool me she re turned I 1 heal headd d vou call out to teddy hamilton that your card was the ten ot of hearts and yo i wrote me saying that would be our card I 1 complications already and 1 I hadn t put my foot inside i the ball room I 1 am sorry I 1 said but you have made a mistake to yo ir jesuit I 1 told you his card would be the nine not the ten i I 1 will wager hush this Is a charity dance no one makes wagers at such affairs but why my good goodness there theres s I 1 breathe thou art not he whom I 1 seek we separated I 1 was mor tally glad that columbine had made a mistake the women always seek the monk at a masquerade they want absolu tion for the follies they are about to commit A demure I 1 touched my sleeve in passing I 1 tell me grave monk why did you seek the monastery 9 my M wife fell in love with me gloomily then rhen you have a skeleton in the clothes clot lies pi essa ess 9 do I 1 look like a man who owned such a thing as a clothes pi ess much less so fashionable a thing as a fam ily fly skeleton 9 then what do you here I 1 am mingling with fools as a pen ance once A fool caught me by the sleeve and battered me gaily over the head with a bladder marry come up why am I 1 a fool i it is the fashion was my answer this was like to gain me the deputa tion of belg a wit I 1 must walk carp car fully or these thoughtless ones would mould begin to suspect there was an impostor among them aha there vias mas mine ancient friend julius hall caesar he ile stopped shall I 1 beware of the ides of march I 1 asked jovially nay my good cassius lather be waie wale of the ten of hearts said caesar u in hollow tones and was gone to be cont aued |