The Lamar register., 1907-02-13
\ /&,S
Wv


drew out my wallet. l had ar.
rived in town too late to go to the
bank. and I was carrying an uncom.
fortably large sum in goid-bills. AS
opened the wallet to extract small
bill. saw the stranger eying me
quietly. Well, well. the dullest being
brightens at the sight of money and
It's representatives. / drew out a
small bill and handed 1t to the pro-
prietor. He took II, together with
the mask, and sided over to the cash
register. The bell gave forth a muf-
fed sound. not unlike that of fire.
bell In snowstorm AS he was
in the act OF wrapping up my pur-
chase. l observed the silent custom
er's approach. When he reached my
side. he stopped and picked up some
thing from the floor. With q bow.
he presented 1t to me.
II saw 1t drop from your pocket"
he said: and then when he saw what
It was. his jaw fell. and he sent me
a hot. penetrating glance.
THE ten OF hearts," he exclaimed.
In amAzement.
laughed easily.
1.-THE ten OF hearts," he repeated.
YES: four hearts on one side and
four on the other. and two in the
middle. which make ten In ALL
raillery In my tones. What the deuce
was the matter with everybody to-
night? Marvellous card. isn't it,"
Very strange!" he murmured. pull
ing at his lips.
And in what way Is 1t stranger"
asked. rather curious to learn the
cause OF his agitation.
There are several reasons" brief
ly.
All"
Il have seen n mans hand pinned
to that card; therefore it is grew.
some" G
Some card sharper"
He nodded. Then again. I lost a
small fortune because of that card
difiidently.
Poker"
Yes. Why will a man try to fill a
royal flush? The man next to me
drew the ten or hearts. the very card
l needed. The sight of 1t always un-
nerves me. I beg your pardon
oh. that's all right" said l. won
dering how many more lies he had up
his sleeve.
And there's still another reason. |
saw n man put six bullets into the
two central spots. and an hour later
the seventh bullet snuffed the candle
Of a friend of mine. l am from the
west"
Il can sympathize with YOU" re-
turned. After all that trouble. the
sight of the card must have given you
shock"
Then | slowed away the fatal card
and took up my bundle and change. /
have In my own time tried to fill royal
fiushes. and the disappointment still
fingers with bitter taste.
The element of chance is the most
fascinating thing there is the
stranger from the west volunteered.
so 1t is I recalled. suddenly re.
calling that | was soon to put my trust
In the hands OF that very tickle god.
dess.
He nodded and returned to his revol.
vers. while | went out of the shop.
hailed cab. and drove up town to
my apartments in Riverside. II was
eight O'Clock by my watch. I LEANED
back against the cushions. Illuminating.
There seemed to be something going
on that night; the ten of hearts was
acquiring mystifying. not to say sin.
lister aspect First 1t had alarmed the
girl In Mouquin's. and now this
stranger in the curio-shop. was con.
hdent that the latter had lied in re.
gard to his explanations. The card
had startled him. but his reasons were
altogether of transparent thinness. A
TN
uniucky at cards; there is a certain
81 pride in lying about the enormous
stakes you have won and the wonder.
tui draws you have made. | frowned.
II was not possible for me to figure
out what his interest in the card was
Ii he was a westerner. his buying a
pistol in pawnshop was at once dis
robed of its mystery: but the incon.
sistent elegance of his evening clothes
doubled my suspicious Bah, What
was the use of troubling myself with
mis- strangers affairs? He would never
cross my path again.
In reasonable time the cab drew I'm
in front of my apartments. l dressed.
donned my Capuchin's robe and took
a look at myself in the pier glass.
Then unwrapped the package and
put on the mask. The whole made a
capital outfit and was vastly pleased
with myself This was going to be
such an adventure as one reads about
in the ancient numbers of Black.
woods slipped the robe and mask
into my suitcase and lighted nv pine
During great moments like this. a
man gathers courage and confidence
from pipeful OF tobacco. dropped
into comfortable Morris. touched the
gas logs. and fell into pleasant
dream. 1t WAS not necessary for me
to start for the Twenty.third street
ferry till nine: so | had something
like three-quarters of an hour to idle
away. What beautiful hair
that girl had Ii was like sunshine
the silk of corn, the yield of the har-
vest. And the marvellous abundance
of it! 1t was true that she was an
artists model; II was equally true
that she had committed a mild impro-
priety in addressing me as she had:
but, for all could see, she was a girl
of delicate breeding doubtless one of