The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07
THE SCARLET
PERIL
BY STUART B. STONE


the great hall resounded with the rol
Of half a thousand skates, and the
babble and laughter of the masked
skaters doubled the noise. I was late
Il knew that-so hurried into the
baggy, blue trousers and scarlet fez
of Turkish man-of.the-world and
waddled on the floor.
The scene was brilliant one
monarchs, mermaids, muses. and
monks. There were all the gods Of
Greece and Egypt and every name in
the annals of nations. Neptune reveled
with Mother Goose, and Cleopatra
with Paul Revere. Here were Jack
and jill pulling Confucius about, and
there was Napoleon Bonaparte ogling
the Queen of Spades.
We circled round and round the
mammoth hall, and the pace grew
mad. madden, and yet madden. Then
a Chinese mandarin in front slid or
one foot, then on another, on both, On
none at all-and finally on his pig
tailed head, and the bunch of us went
down in a scrimmage. AS l sprawled
atop of a fat colonel Of hussars, a
voice whispered m my ear: Beware
the Woman in Red!"
looked up very quickly. and a
Spanish flower girl held pretty
white forefnger in front Of lips red as
cherries. Il mean you. Mr.. Turco,
she said, and skated away on the
arm Of Christopher Columbus.
what the deuce does she mean p
thought, and, picking myself up
limped over to lean against an iron
post. Then ribald. old Bacchus
reached around the post and touched
me on the arm. "As you value your
life," he said, watch the Woman in
Red"
"A plague on your scarlet lady"
complained; where is she, anyhow ~
Bacchus had gone with Margaret OF
Navarro, but found the Woman in
Red. She was tall. well-formed, and a
bright, blood-red from the hood of her
long gown to the dainty French shoes
on her feet. She was graceful
thing, too, and just now she was exc
cutting a series of maneuvers on the
rollers, turning, reversing, leaping-
and all as lithesome as nature itself
Quite crowd looked on, but it
seemed to me that one of them ap-
preached very near.
skated easily toward Her Mys-
terious Redness, and a little Cupid
laid hands on me. Don't go nearer"
he said, at will be your DEATH" l
broke away angrily, but wood
nymph and an Amazon repeated the
warning before had made a dozen
strides.
Then halted in a corner and
Pontius Plate stood there, every limb
quivering with fright. I knew Pontius
he was Jim Leary of the National
theater staff-and I went for him.
How now-the noble PLATE trembles
is not Judea quiet and tranquil as a
country graveyard"
Shut up, Eddie Carroll" said the
Roman governor. "That inferna-
Woman in Red over there wants to
slip stiletto between my fourth and
fifth ribs"
your" said. mo, my son, you're
wrong; 1t isn't you. The Red Death
is after me this round"
II mean what say" said Jimmy.
$50 do l." said I.
Look" cried Jimmy. What in the
world"
I looked and rubbed my eyes. for 7
thought that might dream. Instead
of the Woman in Red, there were now
Women in Red-12 of them, and all of
q strange, weird sameness. They had
formed a line and were marching.
mute and somber, down the center of
the great hall. A hundred skaters
scurried from in front Of them, fall.
Ing over each other in terror. 10Th.
ers have been warned" I said to
Jimmy, but he was too scared to
reply.
Then the Women in Red halted. I'm.
masked, shuffied off their robes and
stood revealed-revealed as the chorus
Of the Ruffy Ruffles opera COMPANY.
And they began to kick and carol the
famous Hawaiian Maid" chorus.
while a small boy displayed ban.
ner, "The seasons biggest hit"
"Only another press agent scheme"
said, and groaned. But James Learv
Pontius PLATE, by my side, showed
plainly his relief
by George" he said, at was mar
row escape. I believe you were
Scholarships Long Pull.
Science delves and scholarship digs