The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-04-02

l drew out my wallet l had ar
rived In town too late to go to the
bank, and l was carrying an uncom-
fortably large sum in gold-bills. AS
| opened the wallet to extract small
bill. | saw the stranger eying me
quietly Well, well. the duliest being
brightens ut the sight of money and
its representatives. drew out
small bill and handed 1t to the pro
prietor He took il, together with
the mask, and sidled 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. | observed the silent custom
ers approach, When he reached my
side. he stopped. ana picked up some
thing from the aoor With q bow.
he presented 1t to me.
Il saw II drop from your pocket"
he said: and then when he saw what
1t was, his Jaw fell. and he sent ME
a hot, penetrating glance.
THE ten OF hearts," he exclaimed,
In amazement.
i lauEned easily.
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 Ill.,
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 II stranger"
asked rather curious to learn the
cause of his agitation.
There are several reasons, brief.
ly.
"Ah,"
Il have seen a mans hand pinned
to that card; therefore 1t is grew
some"
Some card sharper"
He nodded. Then again. lost q
small fortune because Of that card. -
diffidently.
Poker"
Yes. Why will a man try TO I'LL q
royal fiushr The man next to me
drew the ten or hearts. the very card
l
nerves me. beg your pardon
"Oh, that's all right" said |. won
dering how many more lies he had III
his sleeve.
And there's still another reason.
saw a man put six bullets into tn,
two central spots. and an hour late
the seventh bullet snuffed the candle
OF friend of mine, | am from thu
west"
Il can sympathize with you" re
turned. After all that trouble, tn,
sight OF the card must have given yol
shock"
Then | slowed away the fatal carr
and took up my bundle and change
have In my own time tried to oil roya
iiushes, and the disappointment still
fingers with a bitter taste.
The element of chance is the mos
fascinating thing there U.s." tn
stranger from the west volunteered
so II is" recalled, suddenly RI
calling that | was soon TO put my trus
In the hands Of that very fickle GOO
. dess.
He nodded and returned to his revo
vers. while | went out OF the shoI
hailed cab. and drove up town I
my apartments in Riverside. IL wa
eight o'clock by my watch. leane
back against the cushions, ruminatint
, There seemed To be something goin
, on that night; the ten OF hearts wa
! acquiring a mystifying. not TO say sir
lister aspect First II had alarmed III
girl In Mouquin's. and now thi
, stranger in the curioshop was cor
fident that the latter had lied In r,
, gard to his explanations. The car
had startled him, but his reasons wer
+, altogether OF transparent thinaess
man never likes TO confess that he
, unlucky at cards; there is certal
pride in lying about the enormou
!, stakes you have won and the wonde
Q full draws you have made. | frowne'
3 Ii was not possible for me 10 figur
$ out what his interest in the card wa
9 II he was westerner, his buying
Z pistol In pawnshop was at once Of
a robed OF its mystery; but the inco
4 sistent elegance of his evening cloths
4 doubled my suspicious. Bah, VIII
n was the use Of troubling myself wit
4 this strangers affairs? He would new,
Q cross my path again.
e In reasonable time the cab drew u
O in front OF my apartments. ! dresse
!. donned my Capuchin's robe and too
4 a look AZ myself In the pier glas
4 Then | unwrapped the package an
4 put on the mask. The whole made
v capital outfit and was vastly please
/. with myself. This was going TO
@ such an adventure az one reads aboi
d in the ancient numbers of Blac
q woods slipped the robe and mas
,. into my suitcase and lighted my pip
During great moments Ike this.
man gathers courage and coniiden'
from a pipeful of tobacco. / drops
n into comfortable Morris. touched a
gas logs. and fell into a plessa
b dream. II was not necessary for n
II 90 start for the Twenty third sire
s. ferry TN nine. so had somethit
Is like ,hree-quarters of an hour To ID
away What beautiful ha
n that girl had Il was Ike gunshin
IS the silk OF corn. the yield o. the ha
e vest And the marvellous abundan
n OF IL! II was true that she vas ;
artists model. II was equally m
that she had committed mild impI
priety In addressing me az she ha
D. but. for all could see she was a Il