The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-05

being found out! That is Why your re marks have been such inconspicuous d. gressions from brilliant silenee-l Know
 Come, stick it out, You must play the game, now you're in"
 'Well-but l won't talk. Talking Is dan eerous-for a Trappst."
 "rhe Trappst trapped" she mocked, adjusting her mask, and leading the Way into the large room. where fairy Tn req at the piano was rattling off some musl2 with lit in it that was reminiscent or | the dancing school he had gone to as 2 boy. In listening to 1t he forgot that he | lad intended to seize the first opportunity 1 to escape The court lady tCsseu him, as l it were, to a dainty little shepherdess and l before he knew it he found himself walk 1 ing through the lanciers. The excitement l of discovering that he really hadn't for | gotten how it went agreeably put othec l reflections out of his mind for the mo- ment When the shepherdess responded 1 to his nervous clutch with a tender little pressure, he suddenly began to realize l that there was something a be said after l all in favor of reasonable amount or l social relaxation. What had that girl l confound a sharp worlan!-said about 1 frivolity being an effective antdote for 1 Grffinism2
 Meantime Richards had been again in l terrupted in his task. A young man who seemed perfectly acu ed with the ge- l cGraphy of the house slipped into the l Kitchen without tappius.
 Are you in charge out here?'' he asked i furriedly. T want to leave my hat an1
 tag here, then. They're dancing, aren' taty? You needn't say anything to anJ l che. I know my way
 He enveloped himself in long black i domino which he extracted from his bag, i and then walked coolly into the larger room and mingled with the maskers His l interest seemed to be specific rather than l general for he made his way through the
 rooms, peering into faces with the licensel l privilege of a domino, but apparently un-
 satisfied in his search until he espied the
 court lady and the monk tete-a-tete under
 the Japanese lanterns. He took up his l station at a commanding point of view | and his attitude unequivocaliy suggeste1 l that there rested upon his hidden face a l Jealous scowl. Here Nell found him.
 Good evening, MT. Van Voorhis," she
 said teasngly.
 l He bowed. "How did you lInow?"
 How did you know that was Betty2'
 "There is no mistaking her methods O!
 enthrallment when you have once been q
 victim. Who is the monk?" "Oh, that. 7ward You can't be jeal- 1 ous of him. Won. 'au come with me and | have some punch?"
 Van Voorhis bowed and offered his arm
 'T didn't think that Edward was so
 tall" he said with backward glance. 1 Nell laughed with amused tolerance for
 a lovers iealousies. "Oh. there's no mis- l take about it's being Edward. l helped dress him up.'
 1 The cavalier in crimson velvet, who had been standing near enough to catch the
 last words, swept her a profound bow as l she brushed past, and then chortled to i himself with glee.
 I've taken Nellie in completely" he | said to himself. What larks! Who's 1 that domino with her? Seems to me he's 1 an eXtra.'
 Beg pardon, sir" said Richards, at his
 elbow Telegram. Boy just brought il ! over from the station"
 Edward withdrew to a quiet corner oi
 the porch and tore the envelope open , Telegrams have a reputation as dlsturbers 1 of the peace, and this was not one te ! spoil the record. Edward read
 twill run down to spend the night with
 you. Will arrive on the 9 o'clock train
 Henry Griffin
 "Tonightv' he gasped. his brain para.
 lyzed for. the moment. Why he mpstn't | come Not tonight. Heavensi Got
 blank there. Richards?'
 "Yes, sir
 Edward wrote hastily. Don't come til
 Monday" Then he hesitated, looking
 wildly about for a euphonious excuse. T can't say there's scarlet fever in the ! house. It wouldn't be strictly true.
 could say Mrs. Fletcher is in the house f but then he would never come. Will ar { rive Come to think of it, he can't ar i rive tonight There's no train out after
 this. He must mean tomorrow night l He examined the message more collected- i ly, and then turned sharply to Richards
 "When did this come?'
 Just now, sir
 Tt has been delayed, then. That lazy
 station agent waited for some one to hap | pen along. But the o'clock train has 1 gone by, and no one came" i "Yes. sir" Richards corrected him def
 erentially 1.-The last gentleman came 1 then, sir
 "He came, and you didn't tell me- What have you done with him? Good
 heavens, man, where have you put him ~ ! "He went in, sir Hes dancing now.
 Calvert stared as though Richards had suddenly betrayed signs of insanity.
 'Dancingi You're dreaming. You're 1 thinking of MT. Van Voorhis. "No, sir He came first, MT. Van Voor-
 his did and he put on that gown that Mrs. Calyert left for him-the one you
 took off sir
 "Yes, yes"
 And then this other strange gent came,
 and he brought a gown of his own-that
 black one dancing over wonder, sir
 Edward freed himself from his cloak and mask and walked nervously up and | down the deserted porch.
 q .et me think, let me think Hes that I extra. in the domino. Hes been talking
 to Nell Heaven knows what she has been saving. He has been drawing her
 o,lt-cross- her in that sardonic
 way of his that forces witness into i lies he never dreamed off His indig-
 nation at this thought calmed him, and ] after moments reflection he said more | collectedly: Stop inside, will you, and
 ask MT. Van Voorhis to come out here
 a moment. I'd like to speak to him. 1 Richards went. Edward stood silent, | looking out to where the moonlight sift- | ed through the trees and made silVery 1 arabesoues on the clover-covered lawn,
 but he saw nothing of what lis gaze ln- l cluded. He was only conscious Of the | fact that the one man in the world whom | he would have wished to satisfy even to 1 the noint of unreason, had gone beyond l inc nont of unreason in his hostility l The faint hope of reconciliation which 1 he had not been able to renounce in spite 1 of unkind speech and unkinder silence l snapped suddenly, and he felt himself
 free-very chillily alone, but free lie gave A quick laugh and turned With the l Savety of the defeated to greet the monk | whom Richard at that moment brought | out.
 .eHarry. Judge Griffin is here. He's that | hIa ck domino I didn't know until mo- ment ago You know the judge was not | nleased about my marriage. He Is apt to | fake bitter and unreasonable prejudices. | The monk had at first made hesitat- | ing effort to free himself from his mask