Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-02-17
THE SCARLET
PERIL,
By STUART B. STONE

Ill0 great HAIL T9SOunQeQ WIN Llo rOll
of half 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 a Turkish an-of-the-wcrld 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
Chinese mandarin in front slid on
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 scri1nmage. AS sprawled
atop of fat colonel Of hussars, a
voice whispered in my ear: Beware
the Woman in Red!"
I looked up very quickly, and a
Spanish flower girl held pretty
white forefingersin front of lips red as
cherries. 81 mean you, Mr.. Turco,"
she said, and skated away on the
arm of Christopher Columbus.
What the deuce does she meant"
I 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. CAS- 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, welcomed, 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.
I skated easily toward Her Mys-
ferrous Redness, and a little Cupid
laid hands on me. Don't go nearer, .
he said, cit will be your death" 1
broke away angrily, but wood
nymph and an Amazon repeated the
warning before had made dozen
strides
Then | halted in a corner and
Pontius PLATE stood there, every limb
quivering with fright. knew Pontius
he was Jim Leary Of the National
theater staff-and went for him.
How now-the noble PLATE trembles
lis not Judea quiet and tranquil as a
country graveyard"
Shut up, Eddie Carroll" said the
Roman governor. THAT infernIe
Woman in Red over there wants to
slip a stiletto between my fourth and
fifth ribs
"You?" said mo. my son, you're
wrong; it isn't you. The Red Death
is after me this round
II mean what say" said Jimmy.
$50 do l." said l.
Look" cried Jimmy. "What in the
world"
| looked and rubbed my eyes, for /
thought that | might dream. Instead
of the Woman in Red, there were now
Women in Red-12 of them. and all of
strange, weird sameness. They had
formed line and were marching
pute 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" | said to
| Jimmy, but he was too scared To
reply.
Then the Women in Red halted un.
masked, shufled off their robes and
stood revealed-revealed as the chorus
of the Ruffy Ruffies opera company,
And they began to kick and carol the
| famous Hawaiian Maid" chorus
while small boy displayed a ban.
ner, "The seasons biggest hit"
only another press agent scheme
said, and groaned. But James Leary
Pontius PLATE, by my side, showed
plainly his relief
by George" he said, at was mar.
row escape. ! believe you were
Scholarships Long Pull.
Science delves and scholarship digs
| few days ago Charles Gross. head