Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-11-15

times there were flashes of radiant
moonshine
The fashionable hotel was full. So
I plodded through the drifts to the
Questionable hotel Here | found ac-
commodation. l dressed, sometimes
laughing, sometimes whistling, some
times standing mo1ionless In doubt.
Bah! 1t was only a lark. thought
of the girl in Mouquin's; how much
better 1t would have been to spend the
evening with her, exchanging badlnage,
and looking into each others eyes
Pshaw! | covered my face with
the gray mask and descended to the
street.
The trolley ran within two miles OF
the Hunt club. The car was crowded
with masqueraders, and for the first
time since started out | felt comfort.
able Everybody laughed and talked.
though nobody knew who his neighbor
was. | sat in a corner silent and mo-
tionless as a sphinx. Once a pair OF
blue slippers attracted my eye, and
again the fash Of a lovely arm. At the
end of the trolley line was a carryall
which was to convey us to the club.
We got into the conveyance, noislly and
spontaneously. The ordinations of
the women were amusing.
Good gracious!"
Isn't 1t fun!"
Lovely" And all that. It must
have been a novelty for some OF these
to act naturally for once. Nothing lasts
so long as the natural instinct for play;
and we always fin1 ourselves coming
back to 1t.
Standing some hundred yards back
from the road was the famous Holly
wood inn, run by the genial Moriarity.
Sometimes the members OF the Hunt
club put up there for the night when
there was to be q run the following
morning. It was open all the year
round.
We made the club at exactly 1920.
Fortune went with me, doubtless II
was the crowd going in that saved me
from close scrutiny. My spirits rose
as | espied Teddy Hamilton at the
door. He was on the committee, and
was in plain evening clothes. 1t was
good to see a familiar face. | shout
dered toward him and passed out my
ten dollars.
Hello, Teddy, my SOM" I cried out
jovially.
"Hellon-grinning Teddy thought
1t was some one he knew; well so it
was. What's your card?" he cried, as
| pressed by him.
The ten of hearts"
The ten of hearts" repeated Teddy
to a man who was keeping tally on a
big cardboard.
This sight did not reassure me. III
they were keeping tally of all the cards
presented at the door, they would soon
find out that there were too many tens
of hearts. too many by one! Well, at
any rate, had for the time being es-
caped detection; now for the run:
1t would be spoIt-royal while 1t last
ed, What a tale to give out at the
club of d Sunday night! chuckled on,
the way to the ball room. | had dis
pensed with going up to the dressing
room. My robe was a genuine one,
heavy and warm; so had no oVercoat
to check.
Grave monk, your blessing!"
Turning, beheld an exquisite Col
umbine.
PAX vobiscum!" replied, sol
EMMY.
PAX What does that mean
1T means, do not believe all you
see in the newspapers
Columbine laughed gaily. Il did
not know that you were Latin
scholar; and, besides, you gave me to
understand you we're coming as Jes-
nit. Billy"
Billy? Here was one who thought
she knew me. / FASTENED to disillusion
her
my dear Columbine, you do not
know me, not the least bit. My name
is not Billy, it is Dicky."
"Oh, you cannot fool me-" she re-
turned. Il heard you call out to Teddy
Hamilton that your card was the ten
of hearts; and you wrote me, saying
that would be your card
Complications already, and
hadn't put my foot inside the ball
room!
II am sorry" said, "but you have
made a mistake. Your Jesuit probably
told you his card would be the nine,
not the ten"
IL will wager"
Hush This is q charity dance; no
one makes wagers at such affairs"
But Why. my goodness! there's |
my Jesuit now!" And to my intense
relief she dashed away.
carefully observed the Jesuit. and
made up my mind to keep an eye
upon him. II he really possessed the
ten of hearts, the man who kept tally
on the cardboard was doing some tall
thinking about this time. gilded
away, into the gorgeous ball room.
What a vision greeted my eye! The