Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1912-04-24

- ~ doors. 5Ss2 gan
Then they examine
.,S..Sf the bolts. N
1t is needless: tam
pering with bolts Is
- rats work; and
/. i5I7155'@. Countess Manola has
Ii Il abjured all made COOP
Y Grafton.
Men are poor crea-
II. s@ lures she said, on
quitting the Abbey Of Clairvaux In the
lllustrous Valley. Men are clumsy.
noisy, big-mouthed. violent, impulsive.
without patience, without self.control.
II you want trouble, take man.
None will recognize her in Cairo,
Naples. Rome, Vienna. Botzen, St.
Moritz. Como, Lugano. Madrid, San-
siers. The severe elegant. intellsetu.
al great lady. well on toward middle
age, will promenade her melancholy
hauteur to only sympathetic and ad-s
! miring glances. b Il
American tourists, beware: death
stalks invisible beside her. mystery,
Z suspicion. loss OF Jewels. travellers
checks. bank notes and letters Of
credit NJ
L She can strike at a distance. After
she has left fashionable resort, rich
tourists who admired her may wake
( Of morning, safe In their rooms, and
flnd they are robbed. stripped. desti.
4 tute. K
Let them be happy that they wake
The goufne is out and loose again
upon the world. The jirmouichs are
Jailed and scattered; but the shadowy
Alocheuse, de coils, the glider In the
hallway has her choir of wicked vtr-
1 gin nymphs to stay behind and do her
4 will. while she moves on, with the
& new perfume in their hands. Il 3.5g
By day, they may be English old
maids, French blue stockings, plain
i dressed yet with an air OF ease. cold,
aloof. yet capable Of impulsive kind
nesses when touched BY friendship
for the rich and inexperienced. They
may be pathetic young widows, Rus
sian or Italian. seeking forgetfulness
round Casino gambling tables, at con-
/; eerts, teas. subscriptio balls and ho-
& tel dances, where the most modest
tourists Hash their diamonds. II an
observer, you might be struck BY
their eyes. the eyes OF nyctalops. OF
great or little animals that see by
night. the eyes Of mice. mice, mice!
The great old mother gouine loved
20 frequent the Villa des Fleurs att
\ Nice or the public rooms at Monte
Carlo, where fortunes are won In an
I evening, too late to be banked. She
moved from table to table. noting the
great winners, smiling - the roulette
ball whirled.
MA n. Then the Countess Manola mods an
aristocratic good night, pulls her
sables about her. steps into the auto
Limousine and speeds home to the rich
hotel. So the naughty English old
maids, severe French blue-stockings,
feverish Italian widows. with their
eyes OF nyctalops.
They lock their bedroom doors and
/ wait. The noises cease, the lights 90
out. They don their frou-trou dinner
gowns, however sober, cracking pail
lettes. tinkling jet, rustling batiste
4 and silk They dress again. you would
say for. deep mourning; black stock IL.
ings, black slippers. black gloves
black skirt and coat Of softest WOOL
and round their heads. covering their
faces. covering their mouths and
]. noses. q veil ;of black mousseline de
gscending below the neck and carefully
tied round the shoulders. t,t
4 lis IL the Countess Manola? 10 It
4 the Honorable Helena? Certainly mo-:
.3it Is the equine who turns out the
electric light Of her bedroom. A feeble
light struggles through the transom
! TO the ceiling like q phosphorescence.
Gliding past the long mirror OF the.
wardrobe, she glances At 1t and does
4 not see herself. Il
Satisfied. she turns up the light,
Naught jars in the costume. From
her trunk she takes what seems a.
curling iron Of dull bronzed steel.
only both pincers are convex; and
u then another with the pincers longer,
I similar; and a little instrument with
steel teeth, like comb, that push
back on slight pressure and spring
out again, marvel Of mobility and
\ changing forms; and then three slim
steel picks, as II for dentists. Each
slips into its compartment Glof vel
vet bag, not to unkle or rattle. Fin
ally, she takes phial Of liquid.
s She turns out the light again and
3 stands before the mirror. Al! Is dark
and silent. Five minutes pass. Ten
minutes. Ia 1t Countess Manola? Is
It the soft, sorrowing Marchesa? No,
certainly: for she begins to see her
= self. quite clearly, In the darkness.
in the mirror. It Is the nyctalop who
opens her room door with q ferocious
smile-the hotel mouse who glides
down the corridor.
She knows the plan OF the hotel.
1 She has picked out three rooms to try
rooms Of big winners. rooms Of os.
tentatious tourists sporting diamonds,
\ rooms of heavy. spenders. cashing
large notes; rooms Of modest. solid
tourists who have; shown travellers
checks. s 23. ISL sss.5s 3i II III.
She Is. before the victims room
Most travellers imagine 1t Q safeguard
Tells Why IF