The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-09-23
The Lure of The
Mask.

Merribea again b. saW flir welded
ladg on 0bc saadiofd black cut VI
uornai curiosity he teispboncd TIE
siablrr aBd madr Inquiries The reply
was short No one al tbr stables knew
the lady. but she rode the horse on
proper authority.
That night be wrote;
shall sesy on writing tAi you cease to
rsp4y Let me 10 trank with you. | ana
bored H. are you, Tbs pleasure yoa do
rlys In Eeeplng cp this mystery engages
you Yog biJ me 70 md you accept
ths challenge You must understand al
once that " Is the mystery that Interests
mo II IL the unknown that attracts mo
| arr mentally painting you In all sorts
u radiant coloEA fog defy ne 20 md
you There Is nothlng 30 reliable as the
unexpected. nothing 40 desperately un.
certain a. q thing assured. | ~arn you
that shall lay AL manner % traps, way
lay your messengers bride them. ] shall
ind out where you live The rest win DO
simple.
She replied.
/ have no desire to alleviate your con
iexSed boredom. Your pefsistsnee would
b. pralsewoT.sy II well directed. Waters
wear away ssoDe, the wind crumbles the
marble but woman Is not moved IN
she wishes 10 be / never thought that
should dabbig Ia an intrigue OF this sort.
and | am surprised at tho amusement II
affords me | really owe you some graft
tude The few | have met who know you
tell me that you are a mice young man"
Every man has some portion Of self
love SO his next effort was pas.
sionate denial that be was nice"
When should he meet herr The post.
man brought him a letter which con
tanned one word Nimmer He sent
her four pages. a frank and witty de-
scription Of himself aud his friends.
On the day she received this letter
q cablegram came to her from the far
Mediterranean. Whatever II contained
had the effect 10 cause all restraint TO
disappear from the tone OF her letters.
They became charming. and more and
more Hlllard found himself loving a
voice. All his watching, all his traps,
came 10 no successful end. She was
too clever for him. He sought the mail
OF the great newspaper;
the clerk couldn't remember, there
were so many calling for mail. Let
tiers passed TO and fro daily now. but
always she declared that 1t was I'm
possible for them to meet. No, II was
out OF the question to dine with him In
a restaurant. II was equally out Of
the question to cook a dinner where
she lived. as she and her maid dined
at a small restaurant near by. Finally
be proposed to bring the dinner all
cooked from the club. Two days went
by without a sign; then the blue letter
zane.
surrender The most fatal thing in
ife is curiosity. II has the power TO lead
Us into all manner OF trouble. And have
my share of curiosity. Remember. you
never would have found me may dwell
N a garnet; may be hideous. perhaps
nothing remains to me but my voice.
And now the terms. And IL you do not
'ollow them confidently and blindly your
Inner will grow cold In the carriage,
Dinner viii be at 8, Feb. l. At a car
'iage will call for you. The messenger
viii blindfold you He win then proceed |
o the club and take the dinner and bring |
'ou here. BE warnedl II you SO much |
Is lift the corner OF the bandage. the ro-
nance will end then and there realize
hat ! am doing something very foolish |
md unwise; but. as you say. ! am wo- |
nan who has seen much of the world |
thus | have my worldly side. ! shall use |
as a buffer.
"BllndfoldedI" Hillard scrubbed his
hin AL these precautlons Who was
he? What was shei Since there was
10 escape blindfolded he would 60.
At half after 6 on the night OF the
ST - February, then, he began to
Iress II was some time since he had
aiken such particular care.
The signor seems In high spirits
onight," observed Giovanni as he laid
ut the linen.
Man, I'm happy and greatly ex-
tied DO you recollect the lady who
ang under my window? | am going
0 meet her tonight The mystery will
e mystery no longer"
"Ah" Giovanni stroked his lips
ut is not like the signor
, plunge blindly into adventures like
his"
THE very word, blindly. go blind
,ded AMIGO. What do you think OF
latY
"Blindfolded?" Giovanni was horri-
ed. 1T is a trap he ed "They
III assasslnate you! No: you shall
OF go. In Rome, at the earniyals, II
an old game, They will rob you"
Take the number Of the cab as l
4 In II anything should happen.
We the number 10 the police"
Giovanni, with sharp movement OF
Ie hands, expressed his resignation
the worst. He knew the futility Of !
'guing with his master But he fol
wed him down TO the hall and tied on
C bandage himself He was honest |
'out II. too. for Hlllard could see moth
&. Then the messenger boy took him |
the hand and led him to the car /
lge. As the two were climbing In
ovanni spoke rapidly In bis native I
ngue. I
There is no number on the car. .
ige!' /
Too late to bother now" 3
The carriage rolled of toward the $
ib. where the dinner. hot and smok-
z. was taken on.