The Glenwood post., 1907-03-09
tCopyri-ht, 1906, by Bobbs-Merrill Col
CHAPTER discontinued.

to me-"
You may be a lamp-shade for all l
care. What do you know about the
| ten of hearts?"
Beware of it,"-hollowly. From
under his toga he produced ten of
| hearts!
My knees wabbled. and there was
sense of looseness about my collar
| The fellow knew l was an impostor
| Why didn't he denounce me?
rs the back of your card anything
| like this one?"-ronically 81 dare
| say it isn't But have your good time
| grave monk; doubtless you are willing
| that the fiddlers shall be paid" And
| wrapping his toga about him majesti
| cally, he stalked away, leaving me
| staring dumfoundedly after his reced
| ing form.
Discovered!
The deuce, Had been attired like
| yon Romeo, | certainly should have
| taken to my heels; but a fellow can
| not run in a Capuchin's gown, and re-
tain any dignity | would much rather
| be arrested than laughed at. | stood
| irresolute. What was to be done?
| How much did he know? Did he know
| who l was? And what was his object
| in letting me run my course? ! was
| all at sea. Hang the grisly
| old Roman, | shut my teeth, | would
| see the comedy to its end, no matter
| what befell. If worst came to worst
| there was always Teddy Hamilton to
] fall back on.
81. ! o.,
| room, rumbliug imprecations against
the gods for having given me the idea
of attending this masquerade, when it
would have been cheaper and far more
| comfortable to go to the theater.
But as soon as entered the smok-
ing room, l laughed. 1t was a droll
scene. Here we were, all of us, trying
savagely to smoke cigar or cigarette
through the fiabby aperture desg-
mated in a mask as the mouth. 1t was
a hopeless job; for myself, l gave it
up in disgust.
Nobody dared talk naturally for fear
of being identified When man did
open his mouth it was only to commit
| some banal idiocy, for which, during
office hours, he would have been hailed
to the nearest insane asylum and
labeled incurable. Added to this was
heat matching Saharas and the op-
| pressive odor of weltering paint.
By Jove! Only one man knew that
the back of my card was unlike the
others; the man who had picked it up
in old Friard's curio-shop, the man
who had come to Blankshire with me,
| I know Ha had hnap thnrn hlIv
ing a costume like myself. He had
seen me on the train, and had guessed
the secret. ! elbowed my way out of
the smoking room. 1t wouldn't do me
a bit of harm to ask a few polite ques-
tionS of Mr.. Caesar of the sardonic
laugh.
But l had lost the golden oppor
tunity. Caesar had gone to join the
shades of other noble Romans; in
vain l searched high and low for him
once / ran into Hamilton. His face
was pale and disturbed and anxious.
What's the trouble, Hamilton" !
asked, with forced gaety.
He favored me with a penetrating
glance.
The very devil is the trouble" he
| STO"leu. StNeTdl Ol lne lduleS nave
begun to miss valuable jewels. Anne
of Austria has lost her necklace and
Queen Elizabeth is without a priceless
comb; altogether, about ten thousand
dollars
Robbery" I looked at him aghast
J That's the word. Curse the luck,
| There is always something of this sort
happening to spoil the fun. But who
ever has the jewels will not get away
with them"
What are you going to do?"
Il have already sent for the village
police. Now l shall lock all the doors
and make every man and woman pro-
duce cards for Identification, ,"-ab-
ruptly leaving me.
| Thunderbolts out of heavens. My
knees and collar bothered me again;
the first attack was trifling compared
to this second seizure. How the devil
/ was l to get out?
Are you searching for me?" in
| quired a soft voice at my elbow.
| l turned instantly. The Blue Dom
ino had come back to me.
Il have been searching for you
| everywhere" l said gallantly.
| "Oh! but that is a black one. Never
! mind; the fib was well meant"
l led her over to a secluded nook,
! within few feet of the door which
gave entrance to the GLIB cellars.
This door / had been bearing in mind
for some time. 1t is well to know
your topography. The door was at
the left of the band platform. There
| was a twin door on the other side.
I I'VE sat down.