The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-18
THE SCARLET
PERIL
By STUART B. STONE

When I arrived at the Charity rink
the great hail resounded with the roll
Of half a thousand skates, and the
babble and laughter of the masked
skaters doubled the noise. was late
i knew that-so I hurried into the
baggy. blue trousers and scarlet fez
of a Turkish man-of-the-world and
waddled on the floor.
The scene was brilliant QUE
monarchs, mermaids. muses. and
monks. There were all the gods Of
Greece and Egypt and every name in
| the annals of nations. Neptune revs!ed
with Mother Goose, and Cleopatra
with Paul Revere. Here ere Jack
| and Jill pulling Confucius About, and
there was Napoleon BonaIarte 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 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 a scrimmage. AS sprawled
atop Of a fat colonel Of hussars, a
voice whispered in my ear: Beware
the Woman in Red!"
looked up very quickly, and q
Spanish flower girl held pretty
white forefinger in 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 mean?"
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. Gas you value your
life," he said, watch the Woman in
Red!"
! "a plague on your scarlet lady"
complained; where is she. anyhow
, Eacchus had gone with Margaret o.
Navarro, but l found the Woman il
. Red. She was tall, well-formed, and {
, bright, blood-red from the hood Of he
long gown to the dainty French shoe
on her feet. She was graceful
thing, too, and just now she was exc
cutting a series Of maneuvers on tn
. rollers, turning, reversing, leaping-
. and all as lithesome as nature itseli
|. Quite a crowd looked on, but
r seemed to me that one Of them al
preached very near.
skated easily toward Her My.
= terious Redness, and a little Cupi
. laid hands on me. Don't go nearer,
, he said, ut will be your DEATH"
o broke away angrily, but WOO
\ nymph and an Amazon repeated tn
warning before Ifhad made a doze
Il t,ides.
II Then I halted in corner ar
II Pontius PLATE stood there, every lin
O. quivering with fright. knew Pontil
d he was Jim Leary Of the Nation
X theater staff-and I went for hir
n "How now-the noble plate trembl,
ID lis not Judea quiet and tranquil as
<. country graveyard"
r. "Shut up. Eddie Carroll" said IL
n. Roman governor. "That intern
"A Woman in Red over there wants
h. slip a stiletto between my fourth al
m fifth ribs"
!, "You?" said. mo, my son, you
wrong: 1t isn't you. The Red Dea
a Ii after me this round"
~ II mean what say" said Jimmy.
!. $50 do l." said I.
Look" cried Jimmy. "What in Il
20 world"
~ I looked and rubbed my eyes, for
~ thought that I might dream Inste,
- Of the Woman in Red, there were nc
y. Women in Red-12 of them, and all
Va a strange, weird sameness. They HI
formed line and were marchir
7o mute and somber, down the center
the great hall A hundred skate
scurried from in front of them, ia
ing over each other in terror "O-
ze, ers have been warned" l said
Oh Jimmy. but he was too scared
TX reply
ne Then the Women in Red halted, l
It'll masked, shuffied off their robes a
llk stood evealed-revealed as the Choir
'es Of the Ruffy Ruf1les opera compar
en- And they began to kick and carol t
yly famous Hawaiian Maid" Choir
on while a small boy displayed a bi
el- ner, "The seasons biggest hit"
ap- "Only another press agent schem
ut l said, and groaned. But James Lea
lis Pontius PLATE, by my side, show
up plainly his relief.
"By George" he said, st was n
to row escape. I believe you we