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Show I The Mardi Gras Mystery H. BEDFORD-JONES Cpyiljkl Ij OOUBLEDAY, PAGE AND COMPANY Wm CHAPTER VII Continued. K'Vcry well. Do not plnn to vtcar Sny Jewels, Lucie. I hnve n set to gnd you for the occnslon no, not o jnft, merely a lonn for the snke of Comus. They aro wry nlco pearls; a jfttle old fashioned, because tliey were Mounted for the Princess do Lambnlle, JKit you will find Hint they fit In ex. ellently with your gown. I'll brine ein with me when I cnll for you" "And I'll tender fitting thanks then. Bnu thing more: Henry Grnmont Is yolug to see you after luncheon, I jlblnk on business. And I want you jfi be nice to him, Uncle Jachln." H"Most assuredly," snld the other, Rfryly. "I should like to be nssoclated hi business with that young num. The firm would prosper." Smiling, she hung up the receiver. Ten minutes Inter, when CJrnniont End Miss Lcdanols entered the wait-gSig wait-gSig car, Ilatnuiond saw the boxes that QAcy carried. lie stood beside the men door, paralyzed, his eyes fas-ned fas-ned on the boxes, his mouth agnpe. B"To the post ofllce, sergeant," said Mfrnmont, then affected to observe his Nupefnctlon. "Why, whnt's the mat- TlIninnioiHl met his twinkling eyes, IHiw the laughter of Lucie, und swul-Mowed swul-Mowed hard. IB "I er nothing nt all, cap'n," ho an-jKwered, an-jKwered, hoarsely. "A little chokln' Hpcll, that's nil. Post olllce? Yes, I CHAPTER VIII. B Comus. From the time they left the I.edn-Bnols I.edn-Bnols house with Lucie, Grnmont had no opportunity of seeing his chauffeur In private until, inter In the afternoon, he left the Mnlson Dlnuche building. I He had enjoyed a thoroughly sntlsfuc-8 sntlsfuc-8 tory Interview with Jachln Fell. The car was waiting for him In ltoyul fcjtrect, not far from the Montclcone, JSind Grnmont npproached It to find uHIammond in deep worry over the out- come of the Interview with Fell. J "Well, cap'n I" ho exclaimed, nnx-Blously, nnx-Blously, as Gramont drew up. "You're smllln', so I guess It uln't n pinch I" "Don't worry. The stuff Is returned, and the matter Is now closed. We can forget all about the Midnight Masquer. J Now, there's another and more Impor- tant thing that I wnnt to speak with you about, a matter of business " M "Hold on, cap'n I" interrupted Hum- mom, quietly, his eye on a spot bell be-ll hind Gramont. "One of your friends B is headed over this wny, and If I know anything about It, he's got blood 'Win his eye." (A Gramont turned, to see Bob Mall-Ward Mall-Ward approaching. The latter ad- dressed him without any response to I his greeting. n "Have you a moment to spare, Grail Gra-il montr H "All afternoon," answered Grnmont, R cheerfully. He affected not to observe ) Malllard's air of heavy business, nor H the frowning suspicion that lurked half-veiled In tho other's glowering j features. H The two were standing n bit apart Hand Hammond wns fussing with one of Hthe headlights, but Grnmont suspected Jthat the chauffeur was listening avid-Biy. avid-Biy. "I've Just come from a talk with IBdad. How did It happen that you sold IBjhlm that stock of yours In tho com-Bjjpany?'' com-Bjjpany?'' Bb Grnmont smiled a little. "I hap-flwened hap-flwened to need tho money. Why?" BK "But why the devil didn't you hang BFen to that stock? Or If you needed Rnoney, why didn't you come to me?" Bfexplodcd the other, angrily. BM "Heavens I" drawled Gramont, who jflFQs quite willing to exuspcrato young jBftialllurd to the limit. "You seem frightfully concerned about It 1 Wliut's Bttlic big Idea, anyway? I offered the BffttocU to your father at n discount. He Bmnllzed that It wus a good buy, and Sfteok It. What's wrong with that?" ;WjMNothIiig wrong, If you put It that (JHway," snapped Malllurd, angrily. "Hut SMjt's a confounded sly wny of doing Sattiings " iBjp"Now, Just wait right there!" Grn-WpSont's Grn-WpSont's ensy sndle vanished. "I don't MpHke that kind of talk, Muillnrd. I'm WBotC In the monilng to sturt work on jgMthjat report I was engaged to make. BtWhen tho report comes In, my reslg-BjSStlon reslg-BjSStlon comes with It." BK'AH right. Let It come here and BSow, Uicn." Malllard's tone was ugly. ?.'If you're so blamed anxious to get BJpat of the company, get out I" y jXhanks. I'll be glad to be re- SJSf' ' "10 J0''-" Gramont turned 1 Sdjaddressed his chauffeur. "Ham-end, "Ham-end, you'll kindly remember this By-grsatlon, In case your future tes-jinny tes-jinny Is needed" Confound you, what d'you mean (king that way?" broke out Mnlllurd. JjSjjpHi suppose I'll deny firing you?" JHgn't care to have you offer any flections on my actions, Malllurd," HOramnut, evenly. "My course In IrmattPr Is perfectly open and ubove anlAyhlch Is more than you enn say iybur doings." "Wlmt?" Malllanl clenched his jkiaKd took Q forward step, anger prkjngl his face. "What the dovll fro'ujjmean V Exactly what I say and perhaps I iri'proYe It. Remember tho oil con- 1 ecru to which you persuaded your precious father to sell some of Miss Lcdanols' Uayou land? Itemember the real estate company to which you persuaded per-suaded him to sell her St. Landry parish par-ish property? You had Interests In both concerns; I don't imagine you'd care to have your share In those transactions trans-actions exposed. Further, I entirely understand your Indlgnntlon over my getting rid of this stock before the crash, and It lit becomes you to assume any such attitude." Muillnrd glared at htm for a long moment, n red tide of rage flooding and ebbing from his heavy countenance. counte-nance. Then, mastering himself, he turned away without further speech. Leaving Hammond to take tho car home, Gramont headed for Canal street to mingle with the carnival crowd and revel In his new-found senso of freedom. Now that he was his own mnster, he fctt like n new man. With n boyish abandon he tramped the streets merrily, exchanging exchang-ing Jests nnd confetti, shoves and bladder-blows, laughs and kisses. Madness Mad-ness und reckless gnyety were In the very nlr, nnd Grnmont drank deep of these youthful tonics. When nt last he wandered home to his pension, lie wns footsore, weary, disarranged and tousled and very happy. The wine of human comradeship -Is n good wine. Tliut evening the Comus ball, the most exclusive revel of the most exclusive ex-clusive urtstocrncy of the southland, crowded the edifice la which It was held to capacity. Here evening dress wns prescribed for nil the guests. The Krewe of Comus alone wero masked and costumed, In grotesque and mag-nlllcent mag-nlllcent costumes which had been In the making for months. The Krewe Is to the South what the Uohemlnn club Is to the western coast, with the added enhancement of mystery. Despite the revels of the Krewe, however despite the glittering Jewels, the barbaric costumes, the music, the excitement nn Indefinable air of regret, re-gret, almost of sadness, pervaded the entire gathering. This feeling wns something to be sensed, rather tlmn "What tha Devil D'You Mean?" observed d finitely. Some said, afterward, after-ward, that It was a premonition of the terrible event that was to happen this night. Wrong! It wns because, for the first time In ninny generations, the Comus ball wns held In one of tho newer public, buildings Instend of In Its uccustomed place. Everyone was speaking of It. Even Mnlllard the bunker, that cold man of dollars, spoke uneasily of It when Grnmont encountered encoun-tered him In the smoking room. "It doesn't seem like Comus," snld Mnlllard, with u vexed frown. "And to think that wo had Just finished redecorating re-decorating the opera house when It was burned down! Comus will never be the snme again." "I didn't know you could feel such emotion for u ruined building, Mnlllurd," Mnll-lurd," said Gramont, lightly. The banker shrugged u trifle. "Kmotlon? No. Ilcgretl None of us, who bus been brought up In the traditions of the city, but regarded the French Opera house us the center of nil our Rtorled life. You can't understand un-derstand It, Gramont; no outsider can. Ily the wny, you huven't seen Uob? He's In costume, but he might have spoken to you" Gramont answered In the ncgutlve, with a slight surprise at the question. It was not long before he came to comprehend more fully Just what the loss of the old French Opera house meant to the assembly. He heard comparisons com-parisons mode on every hnnd, regretful regret-ful allusions, sighs for the days that were no more. This present building, to be sure, was one of the city's finest, up to date In every wuy, with an abundance of room unci yet everyone said that Comus Co-mus would never be the same. About tho operu house had clung the romance or many generations. About It, too, had clung the affections of the people with a fierceness beyond renson. More famous buildings had been allowed to go to ruin, like the Hotel Royale, but the opera house had been kept In re- BSSgLiLfil'iJIL'l''luJ'll'-M-i' 'lJuji pair for Mardl Grns. It was Itself n landmnrk. Nothing else would ever be like It. From his seat In tho Lavcrgne box Grnmont contented himself during the early evening with the common role of nil the "blnckcoata" that of looking look-ing on Idly. More thnn once ho snw Lucie Ledanols called out, among others oth-ers of the fair sex, as a dancing partner part-ner for some member of tho Krewe. None of the mnlo guests, however, wns allowed to participate in the festivity until Ilex nnd his queen should arrive ar-rive nt midnight; thus, Gramont snw almost nothing of Lucie during the evening, ' While In senrch of smoking companions, compan-ions, Grnmont encountered many of his acquaintances, and nmong them Doctor Ansley und Jnchln Fell. Tho three strolled off together Into one of the unused passages lending to other parts of the building. They opened n window nnd Btood watching the crowd that surged in the street below, constantly con-stantly Incrcuslug as tho hour grew luter, for the procession of Ilex would be well worth seeing nnd nobody meant to miss anything upon this night of nights. Suddenly, nt the sound of nn np-prouchlng np-prouchlng footstep, tho three men turned. The electric lights were going In ull of the hnllwuys, nnd they perceived per-ceived that the Individual approaching them was n member of the Krewe of Comus. He wus nlso, It became evident, evi-dent, giving a share of his alleglanco to Bacchus, for his feet were obviously unstendy. He wns clad In a particolored parti-colored costume, which was crowned by nn exaggerated head of Mcphlsto. "Wondcrln' who 1 am, uren't you!" ho hlccuped. "Well, don't wonder; 'sail between ol friends tonight. Tell you what, in' friends como with mo nnd I'll-find you n ll'l drink, eh? Ileal old Boone plnchneek got It from some boys In Louisville, been savin' It up for tonight." He wagged his head at them, nnd pursued bis subject in a half-maudlin burst of confidential ussurnnco. "Hnvln' u little party In one of tho rooms' ho continued. "All of us friends lots more fun than dancln'! And snyl I'm going pull something grcnt, positively great; you don't want to miss It, gentlemen 1 You come along with me nnd I'll fix It for you. Come on, Grnmont, that's a good fellow fel-low I You'u I had a dls'grccmcnt todaydon't to-daydon't matter tonight, nothln' mntters tonight, nothln' at all. Mardl Grns only comes once a year, eh? Como along, now." Jnchln Fell very civilly refused the Invitation, as did the others. Grnmont, who now recognized their nccoster, was less civil In his refusal. Mcphlsto regarded them with vinous regret. "No 'Joymcnt In you, any more? Better Bet-ter come along. Tell you, I've got the biggest Joke of tho senson ready to pull off something rich I Gramont, como ont" "Thanks, no," responded Gramont curtly. The masquer gave up the struggle and moved on down the empty hall way. "I wonder who that was, now?" mused Doctor Ansley, frowning. "Kvl. dently someone who knew us ; at least, he recognized you, Grumont." "So It seemed," put It Jnchln Fell. Ills tone, like his eyes, hnd a somber fire. "A party of them drinking, eh? That will make trouble. Tho Krewe won't like It. Who wns he, Grnmont? Sounded like" "Young Mnlllnrd." At Grnmont's response a whistle broke from Doctor Ansley. Jnchln Fell nodded assent. "You took the words out of my mouth. So Bob Is drinking ngttlii, eh 7 Hello, Grnmont where to?" Grnmont tossed his cigar through the open window. "I think I'll make my adleux, Fell. I Intend to be up early In the morning und get off to work " "What?" protested Ansley In astonishment. aston-ishment. "You must stay until Hex conies, nt least ! Why, thut's tho event of the carnival! The evening hasn't, stnrtcd yet." "I'm growing old and sober, doctor,' nnd Grumont chuckled. "Wlmt's more, I wns drifting with the crowds nil oft-ernoon, oft-ernoon, und I've Just begun to realize that I'm dead tired, ltex or no Ilex, I'm afraid I'd best say goodnight, gentlemen." Returning to the auditorium, Gramont Gra-mont sought out his hosts and mnde his farewells, although not without encountering some opposition. At length he nvas free, he had obtained his hat and coat, and as he passed out of the building he ngnln met Fell tM Ansley, who were finishing their cigars ci-gars at the entrance. He bade them a I final ndleu and plunged Into the crowd, j It lacked half an hour of midnight. For u little, Fell und Doctor Ansley ' stood talking, then tossed nwny their I cigars and turned Into the building. ' They halted In the foyer nefor the ' nppcurance of two men Joseph Mull- ' lard, looking extremely ngluted. and ' behind him old Judge Forester, who wore u distinctly worried expression (TO BB CONTINUED.) i I |