Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1909-10-14
Of
the Mask
BY HAROLD MAC GRATH
Copyright. 1908. by the Bobb..
Merrill Co.
Continued from page 81

i must see your face. | shall never
be at. peace If do not
Certainly you will never know any
peace II you do. Be careful"
His free hand stole toward the
strlngs or her mask. She moved not
His face was very close to hers now
II only she would struggle. He re-
leased her wrist.
NO; haven't the courage. If take
mat mask from your face it will be
the end. And | do not want this ever
to end. II you will not let me see your
face Of your own free will. so be it. I
shall see it some day. mark me. Fate
does not cross two paths in this man.
ner without purpose" He stepped
back slowly. you do not understand
the lure Of that mask"
Perhaps l do. am beginning to
admire your self control Mr.. Hillard.
But l am tired now. and l must ask
you to CO."
"Once more. will you let me see
your faceY'
mo. If, as you say, fate intends for
US to meet again you will see it. But
l have my doubts. So it is my will to
pass out of your life as completely as
though l had never entered it-from
one fog into another No. am not
happy woman. l am not happy in my
friendships. Listen to me-" and her
voice grew low and sweet Let me
appeal to your imagination. This light
adventure shall be a souvenir for your
old age. One night romance stepped
into your fife and out Of it. Think!
There will always be the same charm,
the same mystery. the same enchant-
ment. l shall always be Cinderella
or the sleeping beauty or what your
fancy wills. Do you understand me?
Nothing" she proceeded. nothing
pleasant mystery-in other days, in
other times. Well. on my side shall
recall this night pleasantly Without
knowing it you have given me a new
foothold in life. did not believe that
there lived single man who could
keep to the letter OF his bargain.
Good night. And do not lean out Of
any more windows" she added lightly.
you are right" he said reluctantly.
something to dream over in my old
age. And certainly l shall dream Of
it-a flash OF sunlight in the window"
Then slowly he reached down to-
ward her wineglass. She understood
his purpose and essayed to stop him.
'Do not deny me this little thing"
he said.
She let her hand fall. He took the
glass. held it against the light to see
where her lips had touched it. Care
fully he poured out the wine from the
opposite side and kissed the rim.
Il shall keep this glass. l must have
some visible object to make sure that
this hasn't been a dream"
"You may kiss my hand. Mr.. Hilard."
He bent quickly and kissed not the
hand. but the wrist where the marks
of his fingers still remained family.
He squared himself and gaZed long
and steadfastly into her eyes. There
was a 1utter in her heart that she
was unable to define. On his part he
better. There vas limit to his self
control. He gained the street some
how. There he stopped and turned.
Did the curtain move? He wasn't
sure but he raised his hat. settled it
firmly on his head and walked rapidly
away.
There was little sleep for him that
nil nd In ha rnnrninp n fret
thing he did was to pick up the wine
glass. 1t was all true. And then his
good resolutions melted and vanished.
He must have one more word with her.
happen what might. So at 10 o'clock
he called cab and drove rapidly to
the Sanford place. Snow had fallen
during the night, and many of the
sible! He leaned from the cab and
rubbed his eyes Absolutely impossi-
BILE! For what did he see? Wooden
shutters over all the lower windows
and the iron gates closed before the
doors. And not footprint anywhere
This was extraordinary He jumped
from the cab, ran up the steps and
minute intervals. And no one an
swered. Then he heard call from
across the street A man stood in one
of the areaways.
Nobody homer he shouted. Gone
to Egypt"
"But there was some one here last
night" Hillard shouted back.
"Dreaming. That house has been
empty since November. l happen to
be the caretaker."
Hillard went back to his cab dazed.
No one there last night? Come, come;
there was a mistake somewhere. He
would soon find out whether or not he
had dined there the night before.
"A cable office" he cried to the
cabby. Hurry"
Once there he telephoned downtown
and secured Sandford's cable address.
Then he filled out blank, which cost
him $40 Late that night at the club
he received his reply. 1t was terse-