The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-09-16
TWENTY-SlxTH EPISODE
THE MASQUERADE BALL.

THE MASQUERADE BALL.
SO confident was Elaine that Ken.
nedy was still alive that she would
not admit to herself what to the rest
OF Us seemed obvious.
She even refused to accept Aunt Jo.
%sephine's hints and decided 20 give a
masquerade ball which she had
planned as the last event OF the sea.
son before she closed the Dodge town
house and opened her country house
on tho shore OF Connecticut.
II was shortly after the strange APP.
pearance Of the fussy old gentleman
that | dropped In one afternoon TO
find Elaine addressing invitations.
while Aunt Josephine helped her. AS
We chaited. | picked up one OF the
pile and mechanically contemplated
the address:
M. Del Mar, Hotel La Costa. New
York City"
II don't like that fellow" I re-
marked. shaking my head obviously.
"Oh. you're Jealous. Walter"
laughed Elaine, taking the envelope
away from me and piling 1t again with
the others.
Thus IL vas that in the mornings
mail, Del Mar, along with the rest OF
us, received n Leatly engraved little
invitation:
Miss Elaine Dodge
Requests
the Pleasure Of Your Presence
at the
Masquerade Ball
70 Be
Given at Her Residence on Friday
Evening, June list.
Good" he exclaimed. reaching for
telephone. I'll go
In n restaurant In the white light
district two of those who had been en-.
gagged In the preliminary plot to steal
Kennedy's wireless torpedo model, the
young woman s"tenographer who had
betrayed her trust and the man 20
whom she had passed the model out
OF the window in Washington, were
seated at n table.
So secret had been the relations OF
did not know the other, and the
strangest methods OF communication
had been adopted.
The man removed a cover from a
dish. Underneath, perhaps without
even the walters knowledge. was Il
note.
Here are the orders at last" he
whispered to the girl, unfolding and
reading the note. Look. The model
OF the torpedo is somewhere In her
house. Go tonight TO the ball as "A
masquerader and search for it"
"oh, splendid" exclaimed the girl.
I'm crazy for a little society after
this grind. Pay the check and let's
get out and choose our costumes
The man paid the check and they
left hurriedly. Half an hour later
they were at a costumer's shop choos.
ing thar DISCUSSES, both careful to get
the fullest masks that would not ex.
cite suspicion.
II wa the night II the masque.
Pade.
During tho afternoon Elaine had
been thinking more than ever of Ken.
nedy. II all seemed unreal TO her.
More than once she stopped TO look
at his photograph. Several times she
checked herself on the point of tears.
No." she said TO herself with a
sort OF grim determination. "No-he
is alive. He will come back to me
he will"
And yet she had a feeling OF ter
rife loneliness which even her most
powerful efforts 'ould not throw or.
She was determined to go through
with the ball, nov that she had start.
ed II. but she was really glad when
it came time 10 dress, for even that
took her mind from her brooding.
AS Marie finished helping her put
on a very effective and conspicuous
costume. Aunt Josephine entered her
dressing room.
Are you ready, my DEAR" she
asked, adjusting the mask which she
carried so tnat nc one would recognize
her as Martha Washington.
In just a minute. auntie." answered
Elaine. trying hard to put out of her
mind how Craig would have liked her
dress.
Somewhat carrier. In my own apart.
ment ! had been ~arraying myself as
Boum-Boum and modestly admiring
the imitation ! made Of q circus clown