The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-04-09
CHAPTER ii.-cont,nued.

'ADpFL journeys sat VI
stifiy In my seat. Diagonally acros
the aisle sat the very chap had me
In the curio-shop! He was quietl
reading popular magazine, and oC
casionally a smile llghtened his sal
donlc mouth. Funny that | SHOULD
run across him twice In the SAM
evening" Men who are contemplating
suicide never smile In that fashion
He was smoking a small, well-coloret
meerschaum pipe with evident relish
Somehow, when a MAJ clenches hi
teeth upon the mouthp!ece OF II re
| spectacle pipe, IL seems impossible tt
associate that man with crime. But
the fact that had seen him selecting
a pistol In pawnshop rather neutral
| ICED the good opinion | was willing to
form. | have already expressed my
| Views upon the subject. The sight OF
! him rather worried me though |
| could not reason why. Whittier was
he bound? Had he finally taken one
of Friards pistols? For moment |
was on the point of speaking to him,
IL only to hear him tell more lies
about the ten OF hearts, but | wisely
put aside the temptation. Besides
1t might be possible that he would
not be glad to see me / always avoid
the chance acquaintance, unless, of
course. the said chance acquaintance
IL met under favorable circumstances
like the girl in Mouquins, for in.
Qtunrnf Affair all II tn
cident, and, but for his picking up
that card. | never should have remem
bered him.
Behind him sat a fellow with
countenance as red and round and
complacent as an English butler's.--
red hair and small twinkling eyes
Once he leaned over and spoke to my
chance acquaintance. who, without
turning his head. thrust match over
his shoulder. The man with the face
of a butler lighted the most villainous
pipe | ever beheld. | wondered If
they knew each other But, closely
as | watched, | saw no sign from
either. turned my collar up and
snuggled down. There was no need
Of his seeing me-
Then my thought reverted to the |
Ten of hearts again. My ten of hearts, |
rhe wrinkle of a chill ran up and |
Down my spine! My ten of hearts!
Hastily | took out the card and ex- !
lmined the back of It, Ii was an I'M
commonly handsome back. represent. |
ng Diana. the moon. and the midnight
ky. A horrible supposition came to
ne: supposing they looked at the
Jack as well as at the face of the
ard? And again. supposing | was
niles away from the requisite color
nd design? | was staggered. Here
vas pretty fix, | had never even
reamed of such a contingency. Hang
/! | now wished | had stuck to my
riginal plan. and gone to the theater.
Decidedly | was in for 1t; there was
O backing down at this late hour,
Mess took the return train for Jer-
ey City; and | possessed too much
to surrender to any
uch weakness. Either | should pass
ne door committee, or shouldn't; of
ne thing | was certain.
"Blankshiret" bawled the trainman;
len the train slowed down and finally ,
anne To stop. ,
No turning back for me now. I
cked up by suit case and got out On |
lie platform | saw the curio-shop fel. I
W again. Tramping on ahead. the
nell from his villainous pipe assailing [
y nostrils. was the man who had
'ked for n match. The former stood
ldecided for a moment. and during :,
is space of time he caught sight of
g. He became erect. gave me sud. :,
N sardonic laugh, and swiftly dis.
peared into the darkness. All this
rs uncommonly disquieting; In vain
stared into the blackness that had
allowed him. What could he be
Ing here at Blankshiree didn't
o his laugh at all; there was at
ce menace and q challenge In II.
Any baggage. sir?" asked one of
, station hands.
No But | asked him to direct me >
a hotel. He did SO.
made my way down the street. :.
e wind had veered around and was :,
ming In from the sea, pure and cold. u
e storm clouds were broken and
adding like dark ships. and at ,
les there were flashes of radiant !
'onshine.
rhc fashionable hotel was full So
plodded through the drifts TO the :,
fashionable hotel. Here | found &C. !"
| dressed. sometimes y
Ighing, sometimes whistling. some.
les standing motioniess In doubt u
h II was only lark, e.. thought u
the girl in Mouquin's. how much II
ter 1t would have been to spend the
ming with her, exchanging badinage.
l looking into each others eyes,
haw' covered my face with s
gray mask and descended to the (
Get
The trolley ran within two miles Of
Hunt club. The car was crowded
N masqueraders, and for the first
10 since | started out felt comfort
e Every body laughed and talked
ugh nobody knew who his neighbor
; l sat In corner. silent and mo-
Mess as sphinx. Once pair OF I
[" slippers attracted my eve. and
lin the Hash of a lovely arm. Al the
OF the trolley line was a carrval A,
len was to convey US 10 the club. :
got into the conveyance. uoisily and
The ordinations of Va
women We're amusing. re