The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1907-03-06

CHAPTER lii.-continued.
What do you know about the ten
OF hearts," l began with directness.
81 am a shade; all things are known
to me"
You may be a lamp-shade. for all
care What do you know about the
ten of hearts?"
Beware of it.'-holIowly. From
under his toga he produced ten of
hearts,
sense of looseness about my collar.
The fellow knew l was an impostor.
Why didn't he denounce me?
is the back of your card anything
like this one?"-ironically. Il 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-
caIly, he stalked away. leaving me
staring dumfoundedly after his reced-
ing form.
Discovered!
The deuce! Had l been attired like
yon Romeo, l certainly should have
taken to my heels: but fellow can
not run in a Capuchin's gown. and re-
tain any dignity. would much rather
be arrested than laughed at. l stood
irresolute. What was to be done?
How much did he know? Did he know
who I was? And what was his object
In letting me run my course? l was
all at sea. Hang the grisly
old Roman! 1 shut my teeth! would
see the comedy to its end. no matter
what befell. II worst came to worst,
there was always Teddy Hamilton to
fall back on.
made OF toward the smoking
room. rumbling imprecations against
the gods for having given me the ioea
Of attending this masquerade. when 1t
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 drill
scene. Here we were. all of us. trying
savagely to smoke a cigar or cigarette
through the fiabby aperture desis-
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 a man did
open his mouth 1t was only to commit
some banal idiocy. for which. during
office hours. he would have been hailed
to the nearest insane asylum and
labeled incurabie. Added to this was
at matching Sahara's and the OPP
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 1t W
In old Friard's curio-shop. the man
who had come to Blankshire with me,
I knew now. He had been there buy
ing a costume like myself. He had
seen me on the train. and had guessed
the secret l elbowed my way out of
the smoking room. IL wouldn't do me
a bit of harm to ask a few polite ques-
tons Of Mr. Caesar of the sardonic
laugh
But I had lost the golden oppor-
tunity. Caesar had gone to join the
shades of other noble Romans: in
vain searched high and low for him.
Once I ran into Hamilton. His face
was pale and disturbed and anxious.
What's the trouble. Hamilton"
asked. with forced gaiety.
tie favored me with penetrating
glance.
The very devil is the trouble" he
growled- Several of the ladies have
begun to miss valuable jewels. Anne
of Austria has lost her necklace and
Queen Elizabeth is without priceless
comb: altogether. about ten thousand
dollars"
Robbery looked at him aghast.
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 / shall lock all the doors