| Show IL 4 A tt ka CN c i tiff ETC dramatized AND PRODUCED JM IN PICTURES by THE COMPANY COn pAlSy THIRD EPISODE the masked ball christopher drew up scarlet runner ner before the tha door of the new athenaeum restaurant and beckoned a tall porter in dark green and gold lace to take a note which he held up but as the liveried giant would have obeyed another motor drew up in front of it contained two ladles ladies and as one was getting out the porters services were due christopher resigned himself to walt wait until good goodbyes byes were said and as he waited he was conscious that two men who were talking in the doorway discussed him or his car one of the men major norburn he be knew slightly as a crony of his bis rich uncles the other who was young exceedingly well dressed and so eo good looking as to be almost picturesque had pale olive features which seemed vaguely familiar to christopher just then the lady who was leaving the motor in front of ills his contrived to disengage herself from her importunate hostess and christopher saw her face I 1 this one was beautiful b but ut it was not fiot only her beauty which christopher ij her found arresting nor was it in the very least the fact that she was i perfectly dressed though he knew ibe difference between a woman who yas fag well dressed and one who was I 1 I 1 nol AS he talked on from the tall tail of his eye he watched the Ir progress ogress of the lady she had been met in the doorway by the picturesque young man and they were speaking together now with a kind of suppressed eagerness well ta ta next time I 1 write old jamey ill tell him his nephews looking prosperous said the major and sidled off without a backward glance As he be did so before christopher could guide scarlet runner away the picturesque young man had loft left the girl standing in the door and hurried forward 1 I beg your pardon but may I 1 speak to you he explained christopher paused what I 1 want Is to ask if you will lunch with us the stranger rushed on lunch with you echoed christopher astonished you mistake me for someone else P no no said the other major norburn has told me everything you like adventures you are invited to arrange one that caught christopher as it was meant to very well im with you said he and ana perhaps he thought of the lady hoping to be with her as well now I 1 will introduce yuu you to miss dauvray then ill introduce myself my name is Ponso riby fitzgerald fitzgerald I 1 the young mans handsome faco face and figure appeared upon its own background now lie he had written a queer novel which made a sensation on the strength of its queerness and out of the novel lie ho had woven a play which owed its success to the same quality were in a dilemma miss bliss dauvray and I 1 fitzgerald went on and we vie want you to help us out of it they went in to luncheon and now for business miss dauvray and I 1 have an import important arit job on for the last he had caught tier her cheating day of march or rather it will be the hie first of april by the file time its found out wherein will lie the joke and were going to propose that you shall be the co lu in our partnership im to be a Ble piL partner Kinert asked christopher wishing himself elsewhere though ills his i lifted interest et was entangled on the contrary youre to be very verk wide awake but Ill tell you all about it of course youve heard of the j jvan iyan bolted ball next week j we have a scheme for the night of the ball which will bo be the sensation of the century if we can only carry it out fitzgerald went on it falls on the last of march as I 1 said so that at midnight we shall have the first of april or all fools day you know but that gives you no hint of our brilliant idea though it did give us our inspiration wo we had reason to believe up to last night that the plan was in the best working order but the schemes of mice and meal in eal one of our best mice suddenly failed us influenza or something obvious the wheels go round without him literally because hes n R motorist I 1 was upset but I 1 reflected when in doubt always consult consul t an american girl so I 1 called miss bliss dauvray into consultation no chaperon I 1 said and having the courage of her convictions she consented to a I 1 lunch u rich at the ultra respectable athenaeum while I 1 waited for her I 1 saw you and your car what a beauty 11 1 1 I said to myself now if only we had a motor like that to do our trick 11 1 just then came along major norburn in six words he told me your cars history your audacity and originality captivated my imagination on oil the instant I 1 felt you were the man for us if we could secure you and I 1 lost no time in trying to secure you did ia I 1 but I 1 must hear the scheme before pledging myself replied christopher unfortunately just what you tou cant do you see its to be a great joke we trust you of course bue one knows ones man instantly in some cases but still well we were re pledged not to let out the secret to anyone unless he Is first enlisted as one of us this much I 1 can say though we want you to take us miss dauvray myself and several friends to st konans mount for the ball in your ripping motorcar motor car we dont mean to stay late lit in fact we can promise that be back in town before most odthe of the guests have stopped dancing now what do you say when in addition to short hours be in for a splendid adventure just the sort of thing to appeal to you its rather odd said christopher but my errand here this morning was to leave a note for lord barrowdale Arro wdale making an appointment for a talk about motoring a party of his friends to st rolans for the ball miss dauvray looked up suddenly and was nobly beautiful with the ivory curve of her cheeks stained a deep rose color still she did not speak Is lord barrowdale Arro wdale lunching here inquired fitzgerald glancing about at half past two I 1 believe so said the friend who asked me by lord Arrow dales request to leave a note for him here its not yet half balf past one but even if he were here I 1 know it for ive never seen mm him 11 well then as youre strangers to each 0 ther other and you and I 1 have known each other man and boy tor for at least half an hour I 1 do think you might give me the preference over arrow dale you arent pledged to him in any way yet no christopher admitted when you keep that appointment you tell him you are engaged but could recommend him some ordinary chauffeur with a fine car which would suit his bis purpose just as well what if I 1 recommended such euch la fi chauffeur and such a car to you ali ah but an ordinary chauffeur suit our purpose at all we must have a gentleman mr race in that case he said 1 I am at your orders its settled youre one of us I 1 exclaimed fitzgerald tes kes said christopher then you shall hear the whole thing well as youve heard beard all about the ball you know that milly van bouten or her aunt who poses as hostess has offered t the he blue diamond as a prize for the greatest sensation of the evening meaning tho the handsomest costume not exactly that for it can even be won by a party indeed I 1 think it will be won by my party what she means Is to give the diamond to the person or group of persons whose appearance and manner of entrance creates the greatest sensation why ashes having it masked it can be so BO much more sensational rouse so ao much more fun and speculation than even the best fancy dress dance k 1 I should have thought strather it rather risky to let masked guests into such a house bouse and among such jewels as anre sure to be worn said christopher of curse course that danger was dl discussed returned fitzgerald and it was v a s arranged for the general safety that a society detective sort ot of person should see the face of nf af least ope one member of each party as that party entered also everyone must show ills his card of invitation naturally everybody wants to get that diamond which milly van bouten bought at christies christias Chri sties on purpose to offer la in this way got the dla diamond at a bargain and the day after she was offered three thred times what she paid by the american millionaire jim schopp saunders who fancies himself to be an offshoot of the real scrapes Sc ropes she sell it what was twelve thousand pounds to milly but its something to us and it if we get the prize as we shall our idea Is to sell to saunders and divide among one our assistants the biggest portion for ourselves as Is only fair since were the originators of the idea therell be five in it including yourself now and two men who are friends of mine whatever happens youre sure of adventure and whatever you like to charge for your car and your services if we get the diab diamond your share will be five hundred pounds how does that strike you As most generous too generous for me to accept said christopher well force you to accept but never mind that part now 1 I told you that a friend with a motor had failed us A motor Is necessary because when weve made our sensation we must be able to da dash awn Y as up to date highwaymen should but oh perhaps perli aps I 1 forgot to mention that were to be highwaymen and lie he laughed out boyishly you did forget that part ch christopher ils laughed too and miss dauvray he could not resist bringing her in Is she to be a highway woman ashes to be an abbess fitzgerald answered tor for the girl without giving her time to speak were all to be monks at first we four men fat them the right moment were to throw oft off our cowls but ashes to remain an abbess ashes to be out of it then except that thae ashes coming away with us ua lest they should tense tease the secret from her and eventually ashes to reffo restore M all the stolen jewels to their owners the stolen jewels lewel sIll 1 echoed christopher christopher bewildered 1 I dont wonder youre growing woolly I 1 never could explain anything lucidly except on paper J 1 I can do it till all right there thare in fact im it a nailer at it but therein lies iles the sen 4 x W AX C 14 hands up or I 1 firel he shouted bation our hope of winning the prize everybody will have racked his and her brains for eccentric and magnificent costumes people will be walking about crusted with jewels we cant rival the millionaires on their own ground but we can make our own effect which we warrant will beat theirs and get off the best of jokes on them at the same time we shall walk in as miss party she will be responsible for the four of us she will lift her veil and show her face to the man at the door chos taking stock of features shed pretty well known find and besides ashes an old school friend of milly van bottens Bo and could have been included in the house party it if she chosen to help ud us instead As I 1 said shell be an abbess dressed in the dark blue and white of the sister house which used to exist within a atones throw of st konans monastery in the good old days before henry VIII was king well be in the st ronan garb of course which will ot at once excite interest as theres a terrible ghost story still extant at st konans which concerns four ru monks aks who were found walled up in the oldest part of the house when a room was addea and who haunt the place to this day usually accompanied compa compan nied led for some reason by the figure of an abbess from tp t sifter house who weeps and and wrings her hands miss bliss dauvray shivered faintly and sald said the words over again in her low vibrant voice as if they had impressed her fancy grimly weeps and sobs and wrings her hands but fitzgerald hurried on and did not seem to hear the murmured repetition Tl then ien when weve made our effect said he gaily we suddenly throw oft off our monkish robes and appear as aa masked top booted belted highwaymen from the wild west of america we shall be bristling with bowle knives ond and big revolvers not really loaded of course and while two of us you perhaps and one other guard the exits the other two will hold up the crowd and make em land over their valuables in the most realistic manner just jus about midnight expect us to shuffle therm them up like numbers in a hat and offer them round again or something odthe of the sort but this la Is where the real surprise cornea comes in we wont do anything so tame Wh atwill you do well make mak makeeff eoff off with the whole boodle as fast its as we e can lit in your mo tor car all this will happen just before supper theres to be a grand sit down supper and unmasking people will be in the most awful quandary then after midnight will appear a great dish a pie pid with a wonderful erful cover irwill it will be set down by a servant hell be in our pay not miss bliss van bottens Bo by the bye on the principal table with a request for miss van bouten herself to cut it she will do so and in that pie will be all the stolen jewels with our visit ing cards on top and a sort of round robin dated all fools day and claiming the prize for ourselves everyone will vote us the prize or be voted without a sense of humor now theres an adventure for you its a regular boy and ana girl adventure nothing grownup grown up about it said christopher surprised and amused at the childishness of the great game the charm retorted fitzgerald find and christopher admitted that perhaps he was right 0 in any event he was committed to the affair now and he was so eager to find out whether the beautiful miss dauvray were bored with it all or vexed with him for being in it that lie he would not have backed out even it if he could when they had finished luncheon and it was only a quarter past two he volunteered to scribble another note to await lord Arrow dales coming in it he be said that since writing the first he had been obliged to change his plans but he would recommend n good chauffeur with a good car and thereupon he added name and address this little matter was finished in five minutes and then the avei ever lm im and restless fitzgerald hurled burled led him oft off to the garage for a good ook look at scarlet runner miss daiv ray ny having bidden them both farewell front croni the window of a lian hansom soni cab thus all three were away before lord barrowdale Arro wdale appeared upon the scene scene when the great night came christopher could have laughed at himself for the boyish excitement which gaii ran through his veins he arrived early at the rendezvous but not early enough to be the first on the scene there was a garden with rather a high wall and as scarlet leti runner round the cornor corner of the quiet street the gate opened and fitzgerald looked out from under a dim hanging light stopping the car christopher saw that there were two other men with him film both already wearing motor goggles which disguised them enough even for an appearance at the masked boll ball weve all been dining here said fitzgerald and are so BO impatient to be off weve been ready for the last ten i minutes mrs dauvray our filen friends ds grandmother cant bear the smell of smoke so BO weve had a cigarette apiece in the garden expecting you rii ill call miss dauvray oh here she comes now she must have heard the car the opening door threw out a stream of light and the cloaked figure of a tall girl appeared attended b by a maid fitzgerald would have hi ive helped her into the of the car but somehow she slipped past him and christopher bad an odd yet strong conviction that eliat she wished him to put her in without an instants stanis in hesitation lie ho held out his arm its as a support 1 tor her hand and she laid her fingers lightly upon it at the same time with her other hand hidden hidde under a loose cloak she thrust something as far as slid she could up the young mans mans 1 sleeve it was a thing that felt large and singularly cold but surprised as he was at the girls act christopher kept his countenance perfectly fitzgerald suspecting nothing introduced mr rawdon mr mclellan and suggested to his two friends |
