The Washington times., 1906-03-11
~ ~
~ HARpLD MACGRATH W.
- AUzH0p or " ZNA on ZHEBCN
ANO UWSI9WT LR0lW'@

my side might be Jones wife. or
Browns, or Smiths, or even Green's;
but so long as I was not certain, it
mattercd not in what direction my
whimsical fancy took me-, Ut is true
that ordinarily Jones and Brown and
Smith and Green do not receive III
vitations to attend masquerades at
fashionable hunt clubs; but somehow
they seem TO worry along without
these eqUivocal honors and prosper.
Stin. there are persons in the swim
named JoInes and Smythe and Browne
and Greene. Pardon this parenthesis!)
As 1 recOllected the manner in which
had self-invited the pleasure OF my
company to this carnival at the Blank
shire Hunt Club. I smiled behind my
mask. Nerves! l ought to have been
a professor OF clinics instead OF an
automobile agent. But the whole af-
fair appealed to me so strongly 7
could not resist il. / was drawn into
the taHgle by the very fascination of
the scheme. ] was an interloper. but
nobody knew it. The ten OF hearts
III my pocket did not match the backs
Of those cards regularly issued. But
what OF that? Everyone was ignorant
OF the fact. ] was safe inside: and
al that was romantic III my system
was aroused. There are always some
guests who cannot avail themselves
OF their invitations. and upon THIS
vague chance I had staked my play
Besides. I was determined TO disap-
pear before the hour OF unmasking. [
wasn't going 10 take any unnecessary
risks ! was, then, fairly secure un-
Ger my Capuchln's robe
out OF my mind slipped the previous
adventures of the evening. I forgot,
temporarily, the beautiful unknown az
Mouquins- I forgot the sardonic-
Tipped stranger 1 had met in Friard's
] forgot everything save the little
ticket that had accidentally slipped into
my package. and which announced
that some. one had rented a blue
domino
And here was 4 Blue Domino at my
side, Just simply dying TO have me
talk 10 her,
= am madly IN love with YOU" I be
gan. Il have followed you often; 7
have seen you In your box at the
opera; I have seen you whirl up Fifth
avenue IN your fine barouche; and here
at last I meet you I clasped my
hands passionately.
My beautiful barouchel Ny box a.
the opera the girl mimicked What
"a cheerful Ananias YOU are"'
Thou art the most enchanting
creature in all the universe. Thou art
even as a turquoise; a patch Of radiant
summer sky. eyes Of sapphire. lips
Archaic. very archaic" she inter-
ruDted.
"Disillusioned in ten seconds cried
dismally. How could you?"
She laughed.
Have you no romance Can you
rot see the fitness of things? II you
have not a box at the opera, you ought
at least to make believe YOU have.
History walks about Us, and YOU call
the old style archaic! That hurtsi''
Methinks. Sir Monk
There, That's more like it. By
my halidom. that's the style
odds bodkins. you don't tell metz
from behind the mask 1t was rare
music.
II could fall in love with YOU
There once was a Frenchmau Who
said that as nothing is impossible let
US believe in the absurd. I might be
old enough to be your grandmother"-
lightly.
Perish the thought"
Perish 1t. indeed
The mask is the thing, I cried en-
Enthusiastically. You can make love to
another mems wife
Or. to your own. and nobody is the
wiser''-cynicaIly
we are getting on.
Yes. We arc getting on. both in
years and in folly What are YOU doing
in monks robe? Where is your
motley. gay foOI?"
I have laid II aside for the night
On such occasions as this. fools dress
as wise men, and wise men as fools;
everybody goes about in disguise"
How would you go about TO pick
cut the fools?'-curiously
Beginning with myself"
Thy name Is also Candor"
Look at yonder Cavalier. He wab-
bles like q ship in distress. in the
wilG effort to keep mis- feet untqnglcd
from his rapler I'll wager he's Il
wealthy plumber on weekdays. Oh
serve Anne Of Austria. What arms!
I'll lay odds that her great grand
mother took in washing. There =
Romeo, now. with a pair OF legs like
an old apple tree. The freedom Of
criticism is mine tonight Did you
ever see such ridiculous ideas OF cos
tune? For my part, the robe and the
domino for me. All lines are de-
stroyed: nothing Is recognizable. Ny.
my! There's Harlequin. too. walking
on pareutheses."
The Blue Domino laughed again.
You talk as il you had no friends
heTe''--shrewdly-
But which is my friend and which
is the man to whom ] owe money!
What, Is your tailor here then?''
Heaven forbid! Strange, isn't IT,
when a fellow starts in to pay up his
bills. that the tailor and the under
taker have to wait till the last"
The subject is outside my under
standing"
But you have dressmakers."
I seldom pay dressmakeTs.'
'Ah! Then you belong to the most
exclusive set"'
"Or perhaps I make my own
dresses"
''Sh Not so loud. Supposing some
one should overhear yeu?"
1t was a slip Of the tongue. And
yet. you should be lenient to ALL
kind heart! All, / wonder wha
all those interrogation points mean
the black domino there?"