The Washington times., 1906-03-04

her uuc1e-fraquently dined at Mou-
Quin's: I determined to haunt the place
and learn. II would be easy enough 10
address her the next time We met. Be
sides. she would be curious 70 know all
about the ten of hearts and the desDer-
ate adventure upon which I told her I
was about TO embark. Many a flns
friendship has grown out Of smaller
things.
Next. turning from the window. I
fen TO examining my fellow passengers,
in the hope OF seeing some one I knew
Conversation on trains makes shOEJ
journeys I sat w stiffly il my
seat DiagonalIy across the aisle SAT
the very chap I had met in the curiO
shop. He was quietly reading a pop
ular magazine. and occasionally a smile
Hghtened his sardOniC mouth. Eun1y
that I should run across him twice in
the same evening" Men wh0 are cofi-
templating suicide never smile IT that
fashion. He was smoking q small.
welI-colored meersChaUm pipe with evi-
dent relish. Somehow. when a man
cIenches his teeth upon the mouths
piece Of a Tespe,-,l.',le pipe. it seems
impossible to associate that man with
crime. But the act that I had seen
him selecting d pistol in a pawnshop
rather neutr Iliz q Jne good opinion
was willing 20 z,rm I have already
ox:.rCssed nv views upon tie subject.
The sight of inI tather worried me,
though / could not reason why. Whith-
er was he bOun1? Had he finally taken
one Of F'riard's EIstols2 For d mo-
ment I was on tPa point Of speaking
20 him. If Only % near him tell more
lies about t.se tel of hearts. but /
wisely put aside the temptation Be
sides II might be possible that he
would not be glad to see me. I al
ways avoid the chance acquaintance.
unless. of course. he said chance aC-
duaintance is met under favorable cir
cumstanCes-like the girl in Mouquin's,
for instance! After ALL it was only
an incident: and. but for his picking
up that card. 1 never should have re-
membered him.
Behind him sat a fellow with a coun-
tenance as red and round and com
DIacent as an English butler s-red
hair and small tw'nkling eyes. once
he leaned over and spoke to my chance
acquaintance. who. without turning his
head. thrust u match over his should
er. The man with the face Of a blI-
Ter lighted the most villainous pipe ]
ever beheld- I wondered If they knew
each other But, closely as l watched.
I saw no sign from either. l turned
my collar up and snuggled down. There
was no need of his seeing me.
Then my thoughts reverted 10 lie
ten of hearts again. Ny ten of hearts.
The wrinkle of chill ran up and down
nv SDinei Ny ten of hearts,
Hastily I IRQk ont the card and
amined the back of it. IL was an un-
commonly handsome back. represent
ing Diana. the moon. and the midnight
sky 4 horrible suppOsition came 10
me: supposing they looked at The tsCk
us well as at the face of the ,ards And
again. supposing l was miles aWay
from the requisite color ana design
I was staggered. Here WAS pretty
fix [ had never even dreamed of
such q contingency Hang it, l now
wished / had stuck to my original plan.
AMI gone TO the theater- Decide-tV !
was in for IL; there was no backing
the II turn train for Jersey CITY; and
/ possessed too much stubborness to
sun ender to any such Nedkness- EIsh-
er ] should pass the door oE-committee.
or 7 shouldn't; of one thing I was
"Blanksh,repp bawled the .ramman:
then the train slowed down and finally
came to a stop
picked up my suit case and got out. On
the platform l saw the curio SHOP feI-
Low again. Tramping on an tie
smell from his villainous pipe assailnS
nv nostriIs, was the man who had
asked for q match. The former stood
undecided Ior a moment and during
this stlace of time he caught sight Of
me. He became erect. gave me sud
den sardonic laugh. and swiftly dis
appeared into the dark. All this was
uncommonly disquieting; in vain
stared into the blackness that had
swallowed him. What could he be
doing here at BlanKshire2 I didn't like
his laugh at all: there was at once a
menace and a challenge in it,
ITO be continued next Sunday.)