New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-01
THE MASK.s
RY RICHARD MARSH.


shown In the manufacture of Il mask. Our
faces in ore sense are nothing but masks. Why
should not the imitation re as good as the realty
Why, Cor instance, should not this face OF nine,
as you sec il, be nothing but mask-d something
which j can take of and on?'
She laid her two hands softly AGAINST her
cheeks There was q ring OF laughter IN hcr
'.Such a mask would not only be. in the high
est sense. work OF art. hut II would also DE
thing of beauty-a JOY forever.
You think that / am beautiful"
| could not doubt it-with her velvet skin Just
tinted with the bloom of health. her little din,-
pied chin. her ripe red lips. her flashing t,e'h:
her great. inscrutablc dark eyes, her wealth oil
hair which cleaned in the sunlight. told Ner
$50 you think that am beautiful? How odd
how very odd IT,,
could not tell If she was IN Jest or earnest: iiet
lips were parted by smile: Bat 1t did not
seem TO Inc that 1t was laughter when was Ill
her eyes ,o c... ,;mo
such has been my ill-fortune"
She rose. She stood for moment looking
And you think there is nothing III my theory
about-a mask 2? :,
ION the contrary think there is great deal
in any theory yOu may advance.
4 waiter brought me carl upon a saver'
Gentleman wishes to see YOU, ST
/ glanced at the card On u was printen q;
the piece of pastcboard she passed behind me. -,
Perhaps shall see yon AGAIN when We VIII
rose and bowed. She went from the ycranGa
down the steps into the garden l turned to t'e
waiter WHO is that lady -
II don't know her name .r Sne cane a.. Il, JAY sa;.
He besitated Then lac added. Il am net sure
SIR, but think tie ladys name Is JayAcS-Nr'
sWhere is Mr. Davis? Show him into my
/ went to my room ard awaited him, Mr.
Davis proved TO be short spare man. win lroi
gray wfiskcrs and quiet; unassumnS manner
You had my telegram. Mr. DavisT
~ believe ' YOU are cot .unacquainted with my
Know j. well IL sir ;r case are so REGULAR
Mr. Davis that instcfl Of going to the Ioctt
police, thought it better to at once place myseis
In communication with headquarters MI. DaIls
howed II came down yesterday afternoon by
the express from Paddington. l was alone III a
first-class carria:c. At Swlndon young seh ont
man got in. lie seemed TO me to nc apou'
twenty-three or -four years OF axe, ana uuiils
fakably gentleman We had some c0hVefSa!'oat
together At BATH he offered me urlN PI h.,re
his flask 1t was getting evening thel. me-
tired / suppose l fell asleep. In my sleep l
dreamed"
Il ID dreamed that ! was being robbed" The ne
detective smiled As You suTmise Woke up o ~
find that my dream was real. But the curious par,
Of the matter is that an unable to tell you
where nv dream ended, and where my waheful-
ness began l dreamed that something was
hie ;dnnns ot saspinE thing Which, i'll its
eagerness, kept emitting short ,n6 cTs w sy
dreamed this. am not at ali sure d1 no' a;'9a,Y
scr, il taking place. The purs, WIS drawn from
my trousers pocket; something was taken out OF
H. distinctly heard the chlnN OF ll,o'et' , "mu
before Nv watch and chain were taken, the stu'iS
cut Of my shirt, the links from my wriS'-1a anu,
My pockcthook was treated as my p nS th nu book
rcturmed. Ms keys were taken. Ny dressing. bag
vas taken from the iack Gpeneii ana art ,ref
we're taken Of il, though could not sec WIZ. h
articles they were. The bag was replaced on the
rack, the keys in my rocket. -,
Didn't you sec the face of the person VINO dio
Tina. was the curious part Of it, ] tried TO,
but failed. i seemed to me 'hat the lace WIS
The thin was simple enough We shall have
to loox for your young gentleman friend:
Wait til have finished he thing say
tho thing because, in my dream, was strongly,
nav horribly under the impression tina; was az
tbe mercy Of some sort Of animal. some creature
of tho ape or MONKEY trIDe =,
"Therr certainly, You Dreamed -,
You think 50? .,tl wait a moment the
thing. whatever il was when it. robbed me- opened
INV shirt at the breast, and deliberately tearing
nv skin with what seemed TO me to be its taions,
Ia ~. month 10 the wound, and gathering my
hesh between its teeth, BIT me TO the bone Here
is snficcnt evidence to prove that then, ut least
o I.nbSt,oning my shirt showed Mr.. Davis the
open cicatricc. ;..,,so ,,,o. !, awake me. I
Tie pain was so intense tHat ~ "'>" "N'
Oprang TO my 1erI ST" 'io '"1Ao
Il saw il. 1t was crouching at the other end
sf the carriage The door was open saw IL
FOR an instant as it leaped into the night. $500
Al what rate DO yon suppose The Tram "''
travelling" ,.,., THO train
bad inst left Newton Abbot The creature mast
have been biting me when the train was actually
drawn up at the platform IT lsapeo Out Oh inc
carriage az the train was rcstartlns
nd Won saw the race:
II did 1t was the face o! . devil ..,.
Excuse me- Mr.. Fountain, put You're nor =, 'r rHo
ino on me tho plot OF your next n0Vel-Jast 10 sce
my wish were, my lad, but am not 1t was was
hneoiI was able 70 grasp was that it had pair
Of eyes which cleaned at me like burning Goals.
Where was the yonng gentleman?
"Precisey And snppose, you did DOT only
dream yon had been robbed - ,oo y,
al had been robbed of everytnng whlGn i, was ol
+ha sIivhteet value cxcept eighteen shlnngs-eN-
sct,y that sum had been left in my purse
a0 Now, perhaps you will give me the description
OF u. II. swear it was not he who robbed me-
The posejbity is that he WAS disguised 70
nv eye it seems unreasonable 10 snpp0sc Una. M
should have removed his disguise while ENGAGED
T., thc very act of robbing YOU Anyhow, you
aive mo his description, and / shouldn't ne sur
pprised il was able to lay my inser on MN On
''' described him-the well-knit young man. with
his merry eyes, his slight moustache, his graceful
II he WAS a thief, then am no Judge Of char
..,er There was something about him which,
to my eyes, marked him as emphatically gentle
mon." ,.,.,
The first thing shall have 10 do VIII Ne 70
telegraph all over the country list OF the s'olen
rronerty Then may possibly treat myself to
: little private think. Your story is rather a
crrioms one. Mr. Fountain. and then later in the
day I may want to say word or two to you again
II shall dnd YOU here ,~,,
esid that he would When lie had gone sat down
and wrote letter When had finished the letter
want along the corridor to gard the front door
l, .ha hotel As was going saw in front of me
" faure-the figure OF n man. He was stanI,nq
stiJI and his back was turned my WAY. I'M
T. ctr me ~ a