Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-21

Tom by this time had got into his clothes and
was Jamming the Satanic grandeur into a dress
suit case. "Il change at my office" he said to
himself "and meet them at the dressingroom
door at ten, just as the note arranged"
Then, listening for a possible footstep, honest
Tom Seaton stole down his own stairs with the
air of detected felon got into his top coat, and
quietly let himself out.
Ought how he hated IL all, but dear little Kit
ty must have a lesson-Cod bless herl She would
be in good hands, and he'd make it all right
with her afterwards; and then he thought Of
the tickets actually bought and paid for, which
secured passage for four on the Etruria one week
from date. Kitty had been teasing for months
to 60; it would be joyful surprise. "And when
we get back" Tom whispered grimly to himself.
wondering why his eyes seemed sort OF misty
81 guess NTaude Burle.Weston will have to look
out for another friend.'
And now to return to Kitty.
She drove to the Sorosis Club and dismissed
the carriage. Then, having slipped on her doni-
no in Of the dressingrooms and concealed
this with her long wrap, she stepped into the
cab that she had ordered and drove off to the
ball, all bssfully unconscious that just ten
minutes after her departure from home a mes
senger-boy had delivered there hastily scrib-
bled note from Maude Weston, beginning:
dearest Kitty: The game is upl Weston has
found out and behaved like perfect pig. So
can't go, and my heart is broken / am send
ing Jnls III Time 10 SUOp you
Your agonized,
"IAUDE B. W."
And alas! alas! for ''the best laid plans O.
mice and men," this same daintly perfumed
note was now reposng on Kittys own little
desk, there to await her return
She felt horribly frightened when she got out
at Madison Square Garden, and still more so
when she didn't find Maude, in domino exactly
like her own, awaiting her. After twenty min
utes had passed she grew desperate, and secure
in the shelter of her heavy mask, she went to
the door to reconnotrc There was no sign of
Maude, but with gasp of relief she recognized
Mephistopheles in black and red for though there
might easily have been dozens in like costume
there was no mistal1ng Graham Chetwood's ire
mendous height and broad shoulders.
He came towards her at once and extended
his arm.
''NIr. Chetwood?" she said, as she took it some
what timidy, and he reassured her at once by
whispering:
"Yes it's all right Awfully glad you've got
here. but you won't mind if / whisper, will you,
for I've caught jolly bad cold-voice all gone,
don't you know down to my boots or some way,
and I can hardly make myself heard at all in
this Babel"
''Maude never came,'' Kitty went on, almost
tearfully, now that she had at last found an
anchor, "and I was getting so horribly fright
ened"
ooh, she's here all right" Mephistopheles re-
turned calmly. "1'm sure I saw her-rig just
like yours, don't you know-and in any case she
told me yesterday that if got separated,
which is awfully likely in place like this, we
were to leave at twelve sharp for Arthur's
rooms where we're all to have supper. So don't
let's bother too much about them You and l
can be perfectly happy together" bending so
low that Kitty shranl from the hot breath on
her cheek, resenting angrily the changed tone
and the almost affectionate squeeze he gave to
the little hand on his arm.
1t was a horrible evening, for though the
tunes were pretty and many of them excruciat-
ingly funny, Kitty just couldn't enjoy herself.
She kept thinking miserably of Tom at home;
thev saw no sign of Maude and her brother, and
last. but not least, Mr.. Chetwood seemed so hid
eously unlike himself.
In spite of the admiration Maude Weston had
ALWAYS limited at, he had never once, during all
of Kittvs association with him, overstepped in
any way the bounds of ordinary conventionality.
But tonight horrible change seemed to have
come over him. He kept murmuring things that
no man but Tom had ever dared to say to her
while Kitty. feeling him to be her only protector
in that awful place, dared not keep him too
much at distance especially she realized
miserably that by placing herself in false po'
sition she had brought it all upon herself.
The relief she experienced was past express