Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-04-03

| SOulluS III lOlu LuC oCab pun eAAU NOlQ
The storm clouds were broken and
| scllding like dark ships, and at
times there were flashes of radiant
moonshine.
The fashionable hotel was full So
l plodded through the drifts to the
questionable hotel Here | found ac-
commodation. | dressed, sometimes
laughing, sometimes whistling, some
times standing motionless in doubt.
Bah! 1t was only a lark. ~ thought
of the girl in Mouquins; how much
better it would have been to spend the
evening with her, exchanging badinage,
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 corner, silent and mo-
tionless as 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 carryall
which was to convey us to the club
We got into the conveyance, noisily and
spontaneously. The exclamations Of
the women were amusing.
Good gracious!"
Isn't it fun"
Lovely" And all that. 1t 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 find ourselves coming
back to it,
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 run the following
morning. 1t was open all the year
round.
We made the club at exactly 1890.
Fortune went with me, doubtless it
was the crowd going in that saved me
from close scrutiny. My spirits rose
as l espied Teddy Hamilton at the
door He was ON the committee, and
was in plain evening clothes. 1t was
good to see familiar face. shpul-
dered toward him and passed out my
ten dollars.
Hello, Teddy, my SON." I cried out
jovially.
"Hello!"- grinning. Teddy thought
it was some one he knew; well, so it
was. Whats your card?" he cried, as
l pressed by him.
THE ten of hearts,
"The ten Of hearts, repeated Teddy
to a man who was keeping tally onea
big cardboard.
This sight did not reassure me. Il
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-
capped detection; now for the run:
It would be sport-royal while 1t last
ed. What tale to give out at the
club Of a Sunday night! chuckled on
the way to the ball room. had dis-
Densed with going up to the dresslhs-
room. My robe was a genuine one
heavy and warm; SO had no oyercoat
to check.
Grave monk, your blessing!"
Turning, beheld an exquisite Col
umbine.
pax vObiscum!" replied, sol
emily. !.
1T means, do not believe all you
see in the newspapers"
Columbine laughed gaily. 4 did
not know that you were Latin
scholar; and, besides, you gave me to
understand you were coming aa 2 Jes-
uit, Billy"
Billy? Here was one who thouEAt
she knew me. fastened to disillusion
her.
any dear CoIumbine, you do not
know me, mot 1.-THE least bit. Ny name
il not Billy, 1t II Dicky.''
ION, you cannot fool me" she r.
turned. Il heard You call out 70 Teddy
HAMILTON that your card was the ten
OF hearts; and you wrote me, saying
that would be your card"
Complications already, and =
hadn's put my foot inside the bail
roomI
II am sorry" said, but you have
made mistake. Your Jesuit probably
told YOu his card would be the nine,
mot the ten"
n viii wager
Hush! This II q charity dance; n0
one makes wagers ct such afIairs.S
But Why, my goodnessl there's
NV Jesuit ncw!" And to my intense
relief she dashed away.
carefully observed the Jesuit, and
made up my mind to keep an eve
upon him. II he really possessed the
ten Of hearts, the man who kept tally
Oh the cardboard was doing some tail
thinking about this time gilded
away. into the gorgeous ball room
10 Be continued.