The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-01
CHAPTER I.


your entrance to the Castle of Adven-
ture. One does not have TO scale its
heetling parapets or assault its sca~ps
and f-owning basIions; neither is one
obliged to force with ciamor and blar-
ing trurpe;s and glittering gorgets
the drawbridge and portcull!s Rather
the pathway lies through one Of those
many little doors. obscure. yet easily
accessible. latchless and boltless. TO
which the average person gives no
particular attention, and yet which in
variabiy lead to the very heart OF this
Castle Delectable The whimsical
chatelaine Of this enchanted keep is
shy goddess. Circumspection has no
part in her affairs, nor caution, nor
practicality; nor does her eve linger
upon the dullard and the blunderer
Imagination solves the secret riddle,
and wit is the guide that leads the
seeker through the winding, bewilder-
ing labyrinths.
And there is something in being
idle. too
IL | had not gone Idly into Mou-
quins cellar for dinner that night.
should have missed the most engaging
adventure that ever fell to my lot. 1t
is second nature for me to be guided
by impulse rather than by reason:
reason is always so sQuare-toed and
impulse is always so alluring You
will find that nearly all the great
captains were and are creatures OF
impulse; nothing brilliant is ever
achieved by calculation All this is
NOT to say that l am a great captain;
it is offered only to inform you that
am often impulsive,
Times, four days old; and II I
hadn't fallen upon il TO pass the
twsnty-odd minutes between my order
and the service of IL. | shouldn't have
made the acquaintance OF the police
in that pretty ittle suburb over in
New Jersey; nor should | have met
the enchanting Blue Domino; nor
would fate have written Kismet. The
clairvoyant never has any fun in this
cycle; he has no surprises.
! had been away from New York
for several weeks, and mad returned
only that afternoon. Thus. the spirit
of unrest acquired b. travel was still
upon me- Il was nearly holiday week,
and those congenial friends | might
have called upon. TO while away the
evening, were either busily occupied
with shopping or were out of town;
and I determined not TO 60 to the club
and be bored by some Indifferent bill
lard player I would dine quietly.
listen to some light music, and then
20 to the theater. ! was searching
the theatrical amusemsnts, when the
society column indiferently attacked
my eye. | do not know why il is, but
have a wholesome contempt for the
so-called society columns of the daily
newspaper In New York Mayhap, il
is because do not belong
read this paragraph with a shrug,
and that one with q smirk. I was in
no manner surprised at the announce
ment that Miss High-Culture was 60
ing to wed the Duke of Impecune: l
had always been certain this girl
would do some such fool thing. That
Mrs Hyphen-Bonds was giving a fare
well dinner al the Waldorf, prior TO
her departure to Europe interested
my curiosity not in the least degree
1t would be all the same to me if she
never came back. None of the wishy-
washy tittle-tattle interested me. in
fact. There was only one little six.
line paragraph that really caught ME.
On Friday night tthat is to say. the
right of my adventures in Blantshire),
the Hunt Club was 10 give a charity
masquerade dance This grasped my
adventurous spirit by the throat and
refused TO let go.
The atmosphere surrounding the
paragraph was spirituous with en-
chantment There was a genuine
novelty about this dance. Two packs
of playing cards had been sent out as
tickets; one pack TO the ladies' and
one TO the gentlemen. Charming idea,
wasn't it, These cards were to be
shown az the door, together with ten
dollars. but were to be retained by
timel. at which moment everybody
was to unmask and take his partner,
who held the corresponding card, in TO
supper. Its newness strongly appealed
to me. | found myself reading the
paragraph over and over.
By Jove. what an inspiration.
knew the Blankshire Hunt Club.
with its colonial architecture, its great
ball room. its quaint flreplaces. its
stables and sheds and the fame of its
chef 1t was one OF those great coun-
try clubs that keep open house the
year round 1t stood back from the
sea about four miles and was within
FIVE miles OF the village There was
fine course inland. a cross-country
going of not less than twenty miles,
links In the winter it was cozy: in
the summer II was ideal
was intimately acquainted with the |
clubs NJ. F. H.. Teddy Hamilton. We
had done the Paris-Berlin run in my !
racing car the summer before. If ri
hadn't known him so well, might !
still have been in durance vile, next !
door to jail or securely inside. ] had |
frequently dined with him at the club !
during the summer, and he had offered |
TO put me up; but as / knew no ono
intimately but himself. explained the !
futility OF such action. Besides, my /
horse wasn't a hunter; and | was rid. |
ing him less and less. 1t is no pleas |
ure to go parking" along the brfdIe- /