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Show r - v , j Mardi Gras Mystery H. BEDFORD-JONES Copyright by DOUBLEDAY, PAGE AND COMPANY argument, say that the check is for a hundred dollars. Then, by heaven, I will argue something with you !" "You are Ben Chacherre, eh? Does anyone here know you?" Chacherre exploded in a vloient oath. "Dolt that you are, do I lt;ive to be known when the check is indorsed in-dorsed under my signature? Who taught you business, monkey?" "True," answered the teller sulkily. "Yet the amount " "Oh, bah !" Chacherre snapped his fingers. "Go and telephone Jachin Fell, you old woman! Go and tell him you do not know his signature well, who are you looking at? Am I a telephone, then? You are not hired to look but to act ! Get about It." The enraged and scandalized teller beckoned a confrere. Jachin Fell was telephoned. Presumably his response was reassuring, for Chacherre was presently banded a thousand dollars in small bills, as he requested. He insisted upon counting over the money at the window with Insolent assiduity, flung a final compliment at the teller, and swaggered across the lobby. He was still standing by the entrance when Henry Gramont left the private office of the president and passed him by - without a look. Toward noon Gramont arrived afoot at his pension. Behind the garage, in the alley, he discovered Hammond busily at work cleaning and polishing the engine of the car. "Hello!" he exclaimed, cheerily. "What luck?" "Pretty good, cap'n." Hammond glanced up, then paused. A stranger was strolling toward them along the alleyway, a jaunty individual in-dividual who was gayly whistling and who seemed entirely carefree and happy. He appeared to have no interest in-terest whatever in them, and Hammond Ham-mond concluded that he was innocuous. innocu-ous. "They got them prints fine, cap'n. What's more, they think they've located locat-ed the fellow that made 'em." "Ah, good work !" exclaimed Gramont. Gra-mont. "Some criminal?" Hammond frowned. The stranger had come to a halt a few feet distant, flung them a jerky, careless nod, and was beginning to roll a cigarette. He surveyed the car with a knowing and appreciative eye. Hammond turned bis hack on the man disdainfully. "Yep a sneak thief they'd pinched a couple of years back ; didn't know where he was, but the prints seemed to fit him. They'll come up and look things over sometime today, then go after him and land him." Gramont gave the stranger a glance, but the other was still surveying the car with evident admiration. If he heard their words be gave them no attention. "Who was the man, then?" asked Gramont. "A guy with a queer name Ben Chacherre." Hammond pronounced it as he deemed correct as the name was spelled. "Only they didn't call hiin that. Here I wrote it down." He fished in his pocket and produced pro-duced a paper. Giamont glanced at it and laughed. "Oh. Chacherre 1" He gave the name the Creole pronunciation. "Yep, Sasherry. I expect they'll come any time now said two bulls would drop In.' . "All right." Gramont nodded nnd turned away, with another glance at the stranger. "I'll not want the car today nor tniiljrht that I know of. I'm not going to the Proteus hull. So your time's your own unitil tomorrow; make the most of It !" He disappeared, and Hammond returned re-turned to his work. Then he straightened straight-ened up, for the jaunty stranger was bearing down upon him with evident intent to speak. "Some car you got there, brother!" Ben Chacherre, who had overheard most of the foregoing conversation, lighted his cigarette and grinned familiarly. fa-miliarly. "Some car, eh? All she needs is some good tires, a new coat of paint, a good steel chassis, and a new engine " "Huh?" snorted Hammond. "Say, you 'bo, who sold you chips in this game? Move along!" Hen grinned anew and rested him-' self against a near-by telephone pole. . "Free country, ain't it?" he inquired in-quired lazily. "Or have you invested your winnings and bought this here alley?" Hammond reddened with anger am! took a slop forward. The next words of Chnrhorre, however, jerked him sharply into self-contrjd. "Seen anything of an aviator's helmet hel-met around here?" "lluhv" The chauffeur glared at his tormentor, yet with a smlden sick foelinu inside his bosom. "Who you kiddin' now?" "Nobody. I w:is asking a question, that's nil. I was llyln" alonu- here last niL'ht in my airplane, and I lost my helmet overboard. Thought maybe you'd seen it. So long, brother!" BEN CHACHERRE. SYNOPSIS. During the height of the New Orleans carnival season Jachin Fell, wealthy though some-' some-' what mysterious citizen, and Dr. Ansley, are discussing a series of robberies by an Individual known as the Midnight Masquer, who, invariably in-variably attired as an aviator, has long defied the police. Joseph Mall-lurd, Mall-lurd, wealthy banker. Is giving a ball that night, at which the Masquer Mas-quer has threatened to appear and rob the guests. Fell and Ansley, on their way to the affair, meet a girt dressed as Columbine, seemingly seeming-ly known to Fell, but masked, who accompanies them to the ball. Lucie Ledanois, recently the ward of her uncle, Joseph Malllard. is the Columbine. At the ball, Bob Malllard, son of the banker, again proposes to her and is refused. He offers to buy some of her property. A Franciscan monk interests her. He turns out to be Prince Gramont. In his library Joseph Malllard and a group of his friends are held up and robbed by the Midnight Masquer. Mas-quer. Lucie Ledanois. the last of an old family, is In straitened circumstances. cir-cumstances. Joseph Malllard's handling han-dling of her funds has been unfortunate. unfor-tunate. Fell Is an old friend of her parents and deeply Interested in the girl. Henry Gramont, really the Prince de Gramont, is enamored of Lucie. Lucie talks with Fell about her affairs and the Masked Masquer. Gramont's chauffeur, Hammond, sergeant in the A. E. F lives with him. Ie was the original Midnight Masquer, and Gramont had assumed the role. Where Hammond had been a robber rob-ber for financial gain, Gramont, cf course, is not. He arranges to return the "loot" to those whom he has robbed. Gramont and Hammond Ham-mond put the Jewels and money In individual packages to be returned re-turned the next day. CHAPTER V Continued. In the garage Hammond switched on the lights of the car. By the glow they disposed their burdens in the luggage lug-gage compartment of the tonneau, which held them neatly. The compartment com-partment closed and locked, they returned re-turned into the house and dismissed the affair as settled. Upon the following morning Gramont, Gra-mont, who usually breakfasted en pension pen-sion with his hostess, had barely seated seat-ed himself at the table when he perceived per-ceived the figure of Hammond at the rear entrance of the dining room. The chauffeur beckoned him hastily. "Come out here, .cap'n !" Hammond was breathing heavily, and seemed to be In some agitation. "Want to show you somethin'!" Gramont rose nnd followed Hammond Ham-mond out to the garage, much to his amazement. The chauffeur halted beside be-side the cur and extended him a key, pointing to the luggage compartment. "Here's the key you open her !" "What's the matter, man?" "The stuff's gone!" Gramont seized the key nnd opened the compartment. It proved empty Indeed. He stared up Into the face of Hammond, who was watching in dogged silence. "I knew you'd suspect me," broke out the chauffeur, but Gramont Interrupted Inter-rupted him curtly. "Don't be a fool ; nothing of the sort. Was the garage locked?" "Yes, and the compartment, too! I came out to look over that cut tire, nnd thought I'd make sure the stuff whs safe " "We're up against it, that's all. Someone must have been watching us last night, eh?" "The guy that trailed you yesterday, yester-day, most like." agreed Hammond, tlourly. "You think they got us, cap'n? What can we do?" "Do?" Gramont shrugged his shoul- dors and laughed. "Nothing except to wait and see what happens next! Don't touch that compartment door. I want to examine It later." Hammond gazetl admiringly after blm as he crossed the garden. "If you ain't a cool hand, I'm a Dutchman !" he murmured, and followed his master. . CHAPTER VI. Chacherre. At ten o'clock that Monday morning morn-ing Gramont's car approached Canal street, and hailed a block distant. Gramont left the car, and turned to speak with Hammond. "I've made out at least two fingerprints finger-prints on the luggage compartment," he said, quietly. "Drive around to police headquarters ami enter a complaint com-plaint In my name to a robbery of the compartment; say that the thief got away with some valuable packages 1 had been about to mail. They have a process of transferring fingerprints such as these ; get it done. Perhaps they can identify the thief, for it must have been some clever picklock to get into the compartment without leaving a scratch. It was someone sent by that devil Jachin Fell, and I'll laud him if I can!" "Then Foil will land us If he's got :he stuff!" "Let him! How can he prove any-tning, any-tning, unless he had brought the police po-lice to open up that, compartment ? Get lo."g with you !" lianuuoud grinned, saluted, and drove away. Slowly lirnmont edged his way through IC6 eddy ing crowds to Canal street, and presently gained the imposing impos-ing portals of the Exeter National bank. Entering the building, he sent his card to the private office of the president ; a moment Inter he was ushered In, and was closeted with Joseph Jo-seph Malllard. The interior of the Exeter National reflected the stern personality that ruled it. The bank was dark, old-fashioned, old-fashioned, conservative, guarded with much effrontery of iron grills and bars against t lie evil doer. The window men greeted their customers cus-tomers with infrequent smiles, with caution and reserve1 so great that It was positively chilly. Suspicion seemed in the air. The bank's reputation reputa-tion for guarding the sanctity of wealth seemed to rest heavily upon each pair of bowed shoulders. The btisiness customers of this bank found their affairs handled coldly, efficiently, ef-ficiently, with an inhuman precision that was admirable. It was good for business, and they liked it. There were no mistakes. People who were accustomed to dealing with bankers of cordial smile and courteous word, people who liked to walk into a bank and to be met with a personal greeting, did not come here, nor were they wanted here. Chance customers who entered the sacred portals were duly cowed and put In their proper place. Most of them were, that is. Occasionally some intrepid soul appeared who seemed impervious to the gloomy chill, who seemed even to resent It. One of these persons was now standing stand-ing in the lobby and staring around with a cool Impudence which drew unfavorable un-favorable glances from the clerks. He was a decently dressed fellow, obviously no customer of this sacrosanct sacro-sanct place, obviously a stranger to Its Interior. Beneath a rakishly cocked soft hat beamed a countenance that bore a look of self-assured impertinent imper-tinent deviltry. After one look at that countenance the assistant cashier crooked a hasty finger at the floor guard, who nodded and walked to the intruder with a polite query. "Can I help you, sir?" The intruder turned, favored the guard with a cool stare, then broke into a laugh and a flood of Creole dialect. dia-lect. "Why, if it isn't old Lacrolx from Carcncro! And look at the brass but- .My M "Go to the Devil, Then," Snapped Chacherre, and Turned Away. tons (liable! You must own this place, hein? the cat's tall grows in time, 1 see ! You remember me?" "Hen Chacherre !" exclaimed the guard, losing his dignity fur an instant. in-stant. "Why you vaurien. you !" "So yon turn up your sanctified nose at Pen Chaeherre, do you?" .exclaimed that person Jauntily. "A vaurien, am I? Old peacock! Lead me to the man who cashes chocks. lackey, brass buttons but-tons that you are! Come, obey me, or I'll have you thrown Into the street !" "You you wish to casli a check? Hut you are not known hero" "Hah, insolent one! Monkey in the calabash that you are! Do you not know me?" "Heaven preserve me! I will not answer for your accursed cheeks." "Go to the devil, then," snapped Chacherre, and turned away. His roving eyes had already found the correct window by means of the oli.er persons seeking it. nnd now he stepped lino the small queue that had formed. When it came Itis turn, he slid his check across the marble slab, tucked his thumbs into the armholes of his vest, and impudently stared into the questioning, coldly repellent eyes of the teller. "Well?"' he exclaimed, as the teller examined the check. "Do you wish to cat It. that you sniff so hard?" The teller gave him a glance. "This is for a thousand dollars " "Can I not read?" said Chacherre. with an Impudent gesture. "Am 1 an ignorant 'Ca.iun? Have I not eyes in my bead? If you wish to start an |