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Show The Mardi Gras Mystery By H. BEDFORD-JONES Copyright tr DOUVLEDAY, PAGE AND COMPANY drop the priDce stuff altogether If these French people around here would let him." A page brought the domino. Fell, discarding the mask, threw the domino about his shoulders, and the two men left the club In company. They sought their destination afoot the home of the banker Joseph Mall-lard. Mall-lard. The streets were riotous, filled with an eddying, laughing crowd of masquers and merrymakers of all ages and sexes; confetti twirled through the air, horns were deafening, and laughing voices rose into sharp screams of unrestrained delight. At last gaining St. Charles avenue, with the Maillard residence a half-dozen half-dozen blocks distant, the two companions compan-ions found themselves well away from the main carnival throngs. As they walked along they were suddenly sud-denly aware of a lithe figure approach-ing approach-ing from the rear; with a running leap and an exclamation of delight the fig-tire fig-tire forced itself in between them, grasping an arm of either man, and a bantering voice broke in upon their train of talk. "Forfeit !" It cried. "Forfeit where are your masks, sober gentlemen? This grave physician may be pardoned, but not a domino who refuses to mask ! And for forfeit you shall be my escort and take me whither you are going." Laughing, the two fell Into step, glancing at the gay figure between them. A Columbine, she was both cloaked and masked. Encircling her hair was a magnificent scarf shot with metal designs of solid gold u most unusual thing. Also, from her words It was evident that she had recognized them. "Willingly, fair Columbine," responded respond-ed Fell in his dry and unlmpassioned tone of voice. "We shall be most happy Indeed to protect and take you with us " "So fnr as the door, at least," interrupted inter-rupted Ansley, with evident caution. But Fell drily laughed aside this wary limitation. "Nay, good physician, farther!" went on Fell. "Our Columbine has an excellent excel-lent passport, I assure you. This gauzy scarf about her raven tresses was woven for the good Queen Hortense, and I would venture a random guess that, clasped about her slender throat, lies the queen's collar of star sapphires sap-phires " "Oh !" From the Columbine broke a cry of warning and swift dismay. "Don't you dare speak my name, sir1 don't you dare !" Fell assented with a chuckle, and subsided. Ansley regarded his two companions with sidelong curiosity. lie could not recognize Columbine, and he could not tell whether Fell was Speaking of the scarf and jewels In Jest or earnest. Such historic things were not uncommon uncom-mon In New Orleans, yet Ansley never heard of these particular treasures. However, It seemed that Fell krtew their companion, and accepted her as a fellow guest at the Maillard house. "What are you doing out on the streets alone?" demanded Fell, suddenly. sud-denly. "Haven't you any friends or relatives to take care of you?" Columbine's laughter poaled out, and she pressed Fell's arm confidingly. "Have I not some little rights in the world, monsieur?" she said in French. "I have been mingling with the dear crowds and enjoying them, before 1 go to be buried in the dull splendors of the rich man's house. Tell me, do you think that the Mkmlght Masquer will make an appearance tonight?" "I have every reason to believe that he will," said Jachin Fell, gravely. Columbine put one hand to her throat, and shivered a trifle. "You you really think so? You are not trying to frighten me?" Her voice was no longer gay. "But the Jewels If they are taken by the Masquer" ' "In that case," said Fell, "let the blame be mine entirely. If they are lost, little Columbine, others will he lost with them, fear not 1 I think that this party would be a rich haul for the Masquer, ell? Take the rich man and his friends they could bear plucking, that crowd! Rogues all." "Confound you, Fell !" exclaimed Ansley, uneasily. "If the bandit does 6how up there would be the very devil to pay !" The tale ot a carnival joke that led to grim realities. reali-ties. CHAPTER I. Carnival. Jachin Fell pushed aside the glass curtains between the voluminous over-draperies over-draperies In the windows of the Chess and Checkers club, and gazed out upon the riotous streets of New Orleans. Half an hour he had been waiting here In the lounge room for Dr. Cyril Ansley, Ans-ley, a middle-aged bachelor who had practiced in Opelousas for twenty years, and who had come to the city for the Mardi Gras festivities. Another An-other man might have seemed Irritated by the wait, but Jachin Fell was quite unruffled. He had much the air of a clerk. Ills features were thin and unremarkable; his pale eyes constantly wore an expression ex-pression of wondering aloofness, as though he saw around him much that he vainly tried to understand. In his entire manner was a shy reticence. He was no clerk, however; this was evident evi-dent from his attire. He was garbed from, head to foot in soberly blending shades of gray whose richness was notable only at close view. One fancied fan-cied him a very precise sort of man, an old maid of the wrong sex. Doctor Ansley, an Inverness flung over his evening clothes, entered the lounge room, and Fell turned to him with a dry, toneless chuckle. "You're the limit 1 Did you forget we were going to the Malllards' tonight? to-night? However, we need not leave for fifteen minutes yet, at least." ' Doctor Ansley laid aside his cape, stick and hat and dropped Into one of the comfortable big chairs. "You intend to mask for the Mall-lards'?" Mall-lards'?" Ansley cast his eye over the gray business attire of the little man. "I never mask." Jachin Fell shook his head. "I'll set a domino and go as I am. Excuse me I'll order a domino now. Back in a moment." Doctor Ansley followed the slight figure of the other man witli speculative specula-tive eyes. Well as he knew Jachin 'Fell, he invariably found the man a source of puz.Kled speculation. During many years Jachin Fell had been a member of the most exclusive New Orleans clubs. He was even received re-ceived In the Inner circles of Creole society, which In Itself was evidence supreme su-preme as to his position. At this particular par-ticular club he was famed as a wizard muster of chess. He never entered n tournament, yet he consistently defeated defeat-ed the champions in private matches-defeated matches-defeated them with a bewildering ease, II shy and apologetic ease, an ease which left the beholders Incredulous and aghast. With all this, Jachin Fell was very much of a mystery, even among his closest friends. Very little was known of him ; he was a lawyer, and certainly maintained offices in the Malson Blanche building, but be never appeared ap-peared In the courts and no case of bis pleading was known. Ansley knew him as well as did most men, anil Ansley knew of a few who could boast of having been a guest hi 1 Jachin Fell's home. There was a moth er, an Invalid, of whom Fell sometimes spoke and to whom he appeared to de- , vote himself. The family, an old one in the city, promised to die out with Jachin Fell. Ansley puffed at his cigar and considered con-sidered these things. Outside, In the New Orleans streets, was rocketing the mad mirth of carnival. The week ' preceding Mardi Gras was at its close. Now, as ever, was Mardi Gras symbolized sym-bolized by masques. In New Orleans 'i the masquerade was not the pale and pitiful frolic of colder clinics, where the occasion Is but one for display ol i Jewels and costumes, and where actual concealment of Identity Is a farce Here In New Orleans were Jewels and costumes in a profusion of splendor; I' but here was preserved the underlying Idea of the masque Itself that in con cealment of Identity lay the life of the I thing! When Jachin Fell returned and light ed his cl(ar he sank Into one of th luxurious chairs beside Ansley and In-dlcated In-dlcated a newspaper lying across th i latter's knee, Its fluring headline! standing out blackly. I "What's that about the Mldnlghl 1 Masquer? He's not appeared again?' j "What?" Ansley glanced at him lr surprise. "You've not heard? C.ooc I heavens, man! He showed up lasl night t the Lapeyronse dance. tw minutes before midnight, as usual! A detective had been engaged, but wai afterward found locked In a closet bound with his own handcuffs. Tin Masquer wore his usual costume am went through the party famously stripplng everyone in sight. Then hi backed through the doors and van lshed." Fell pointed his cigar at the ceiling and sighed. "Ah. most Interesting The loot was valued at about a bun dred thousand?" "I thought you said you'd not hean of It?" demanded Ansley, v Fell laughed softly and shyly. " didn't. I merely hazarded a guess." "Wizard !" The doctor laughed in unison. "Yes, about that amount." "The Masquer Is a piker," observed Fell, In his toneless voice. "Eh? A piker when he can make a hundred-thousand-dollar haul?" "Don't dream that those figures represent rep-resent value. Doctor. They don't! All the loot the Masquer has taken since he began work Is worth little to him. Jewels are hard to sell. Of course, the crook has obtained a bit of money, but not enough to be worth the risk." "Yet he has got quite a bit," returned re-turned Ansley thoughtfully. "All the men have money, naturally; we don't want to find ourselves bare at some gay carnival moment ! I'd warrant you've a hundred or so In your pocket right now !" "Not I," rejoined Fell calmly. "One ten-dollar bill. Also I left my watch at home. And I'm not dressed; I don't care to lose my pearl studs." "Eh?" Ansley frowned. "What do you mean?" Jachin took a folded paper from his pocket and handed It to the physician. "I met Maillard at the bank this morning. He called me into his office and handed me this he had Just received re-ceived it in the mail." Doctor Ansley opened the folded paper; pa-per; an exclamation broke from him "Eh? A Piker When He Can Make a Hundred Thousand Dollar Haul?" as be read the note, which was addressed ad-dressed to their host of the evening. "Joseph Maillard, President, , "Exeter National Bank, City. "I thank you for the masque that you are giving tonight. I shall be present. pres-ent. Please see that Mrs. M. wears ber diamonds I need them. "THE MIDNIGHT MASQUER." Ansley glanced up. "What's this Seme hoax? Some carnival jest?" 1 "Maillard pretended to think so." Fell shrugged his shoulders as he re-pocketed re-pocketed the note. "But he was nerv-' nerv-' ous. He'll have a brace of detectives ' inside the house tonight, and others outside." ; Ever since the first ball of the year ' by the Twelfth Night club this Mid- night Masquer, as he was termed, had 1 held New Orleans gripped In terror, fascination and vivid interest. During the past month he arpeared at least i once a week, now at some private ball, I now at some restaurant banquet, but always In the same garb: the helmet, huge goggles and mask, and leathern clothes of a service aviator. On the.se 1 occasions the throbbing roar of an air-I air-I plane motor had been reported, so that 1 It was popular gossip that he landed ' on the roof of his designated victims I and made his getaway In the same . manner by airplane. No machine I had ever been seen, and the theory ; was believed by some, hooted at by ; others. Doctor Ansley glanced at his watch, ! ami deposited his cigar In an ash tray. "We'd best be moving. Fell. You'll want a domino?" ( "I ordered one. It'll be here In a minute." "Do you seriously think that note Is i genuine?" Fell shrugged lightly. "Wlio knows? t I'm not worried. Maillard can afford 1 to be robbed." i "You're a calm one!" Ansley 1 chuckled. "Oh, I believe the prince is t to be there tonight. You've met him, ) I suppose?" v "No. Heard something about him, s though. An American, Isn't he? They . say he's become quite popular in ? town." 1 Ansley nodded. "Quite a fine chap. , His mother was an American site 3 married the prince de Graniont ; an in - ternationnl affair of the past generation. genera-tion. Pe Graniont led her a dog's life. I hear, until he was killed in a duel. ! She lived in Paris with the hoy. sent - him to school here at homo, and ho was at Yale when the v;ir broke out. i He was technically a French subject, so he went back to serve his time. I "Still, he's an American now. Calls himself Henry Gramont, and would Some thrill await you in the next Installment. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Pope's Good-by to Cardinal Gibbons. I cannot help recalling an Instance where a lady, a guest at the White House at luncheon, asked the late Cardinal Car-dinal Gibbons whether he really believed be-lieved that the pope was Infallible in all he said. The cardinal smiled and answered: "1 can only respond to that, inadame, by s:iyin' that when the pope bade me good-by the lust lime he said. 'Addio, Can'.inale Jib-hones Jib-hones !' "Maurice Francis Egan In the Uevlew of Reviews. Circular Slide Rule. A circular sli'le rule that can be carried In a coat pocket is the invention inven-tion of a San Francisco man. n mag-I mag-I nlfying glass aiding In reading It. |