Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-09
DAILY SHORT STORY
Masked.
rOrigdnal.I

Ing such effeminate' affairseas railway
carriages, Larned used his legs.
Tramplng in Germany, he stopped one
evening at hotel in a summer resort
where preparations were making for
masked ball. He, asked the landlord
for a costume and wasj given one-a
Faust-which he was informed had
been engaged several days before, but
relinquished during the afternoon.
Larned put it on and went down into
the ballroom.
Among the women waSta Marguerite,
a trim, graceful figure with an i'm
mense plat of blond hair, who on see
ing Faust at once manifested an inter
est in him. Larned was not long in adj
vancing and asking for n dance.
"Ach," said the lady as soon as he
opened his mouth to speak, you are
some one else!'
Larned begged for an explanation,
but the girl only laughed and put him
off with(the remark:I"I am welB enough
satisfied. Don't pryiinto other peoples
affairs"
Duringlthe evening a Philip II. was
eying theiFaust and Marguerite couple
with as mach apparent chagrin as they
seemed to be mutually pleased. At
last Just as Faust was leadingj Mar
guerite to dance the king oftSpain
marched up to him and said:
Herr, twill relieve you of the lady"
mo one will relieve me-" replied
Faust, "of any lady whom 1 have
asked to dance'unlesS she wishesit."
"But l am"-.he checked himself.
81 don't careIif you're the grand duke
or the kaiser. The lady must decide
between u.s.
at would have been impossible" said
the girl, 'forl Marguerite to prefer any
one to Faust, even king. However,
I'll dance the next with your majesty
If you so command"
The man turned on his heel and
walked away.
''Now, what have you done?' said
Marguerite. He will challenge you,
and you will have to fight him.
ooh, that's in my line" replied Faust.
''If I had to meet him in a disquisition
on a philosophical problem 1 would
offer a humble apology. Unfortunate
ly 1 was given the lowest order Offac-
complishments."
When the dance was over a man
tapped Larned on the shoulder. They
retired, and it was arranged that u
duel with rapiers should take place at
once. The parties passed separately
from the hotel so as not to attract at
tention, and the seconds led the way to
a barn near at hand. Lanterns were
procured and the principals placed in
position. To Larneds surprise'his OPP
ponent chose to fight masked.
They were about evenly matched in
skill, but the German is neverequal In
expedient to the American. Larned
sidled around till he put his enemy in q
position where one of the lanterns
shone directly in his eyes, then put
several inches of steel in the fleshy
part of his right side. 1t was not a
dangerous wound, but just how serious
no one knew. The mask was removed,
the clothing torn open and the wound
examined.
Your serene transparency ex-
claimed the doctor. II thought you
were the other man."
Il intended to be, but changed my
mind
stepped into a mistake through your
intended costume, but rejoice to have
winged you so slightly"
His serene transparency was removed
by carriage to his own bed. Larned
went back to the hotel. In the hall
stood Marguerite unmasked, and very
high bred, pretty German fraulein she
was. She appeared relieved at seeing
one of the combatants return unhurt
and anxiously inquired for the other.
Larned assured her that he had got off
with a flesh wound.
at was my fault" she said. HE is
my betrothed. We agreed to come
here as Faust and Marguerite. He
changed his character and instructed
the landlord to rent his Faust costume
to see how 1 would act with another"
'Tt seems to me, fraulein," said Lar
ned, that he found out not only how
you would act, but how the another
would act"
''He is jealous"
"He will prize you all the more for
seeing you priced by the another"
She looked at him with her eyes of
northern blue, and he read q story.
I1cTc IS WnuL he Eed0 COnuCLScu III I1ldl
one look:
81 am noble; you are not 1 must
marry within my circle, my husband
being chosen for me. Tonight have
met the man could love, but between
him and me is an impossible barrier.
We have met without Introduction; we
part with q passing acquaintance. If
we meet again it will be as strangers
"Fraulein," said Larned softly, "hav-
ing met you is the episode of my life.
1 regret having come for moment be-
tween you and your betrothed and had
l known he were such would have re-
signed you at once. 1 assure you that
these few moments of happiness will
not cause me to forget that we are
merely masked acquaintance"
She put out her hand and gave his
pressure, accompanied by a look, that
he remembers TO this day Then she