The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-12-12

W mt u"u snruW kfuy NotL CafW
less disguise. but all that was neces-
sary. The sentries through and about
the palace were not unaccustomed to
such shrouded figures slipping out
from Its gloom to light. and perhaps to
love.
Before she left, she looked about
the room. What assurance had she
that this very excursion was not q
trap. and that In her absence the vault
would not be looted sgain1 II con-
tained now something Infinitely val.
liable and Observation-Disclosures roll Of
aim. She glanced about, and seeing q
silver q Of roses. hurriedly emptied
the water out. wrapped the nlm In
oiled paper. and dropped u down
among the stems.
The Street Of the Wise Virgins was
not near the palace. Even BY walking
briskly she was In danger Of being
late. The wind kept her back. too.
Then, at last, the Street Of the Wise
Virgins and the iacre, standing ut the
curb. with . driver wrapped In rugs
against the cold Of the February night.
and his hat pulled down over his eyes.
The countess stopped beside him.
"You are expecting Q passengerf"
ayes. madame"
With her hand on the door, the
countess realised that the nacre was
already occupied. A. she peered into
its darkened interior. the shadow re-
solved Itself into a cloaked and masked
6gure. She shrank back.
ENTER. madame" said q Voice.
The figure appalled, her. II was not
suAhcient to know that behind the
terrifying mask which covered the en-
tire face and head. there was Q hu-
man figure, human pulses that beat.
human eyes that appraised her. She
hesitated.
Quickly" said the voice.
She got In, Ahnnkiag int Q corner
OF the carriaae. Her lips were dry,
the roaring Of terror vas In her ears.
TIE door closed.
Thea commenced Q drive OF which
afterward the esuntess dared not
think. TIE dgure aeither moved nor
spoke. lnside the carriage reigned the
most complete silence. Then the car.
rage stopped. and at last the shrouded
figure moNd and spoke.
Il regreA. countess. that my orders
are to blindfsid yeu.v
She submitted ungracefuliy. while
he bound a black cloth over her eyes.
He drew II very clsse and knotted II
behind. In the act his fingers touched
her face, and she felt them cold and
clnmmy. The contact sickened her.
your hand. madame"
She was led out Of the carriage. and
across soft earth, . devious course
again. 40 though they avoided small
obstacles. Once her fsot touched
something low aAd hard, like marble.
Again. in the darkness, they stumbled
over . mound. She knew where she
was. then-in Q graveyard But
whichf There were many about the
city.
An open sJace. the opening Of .
gate Or door that squeaked softly. q
dight Of steps that led downward. and
. breath Of musty. cold air. damp and
cellarlike.
At last, still In unbroken silence. she
knew that they had entered . large
space. Their footsteps nd longer
echoed and reechoed. Her guide
walked more slowly. and at last paus.
ed, releasing her hand. She felt again
the touch Of his clammy fingers as he
united the knots Of her bandages. He
took II OF.
At hro she could see little. When
her eyes grew accustomed. che made
out the scene slowly.
A great stone vault, its wills
broken into crypts which had con-
tained caskets Of the dead. But the
caskets had been removed, and were
piled In O corner, and In the inches
were rifles. In the center q a pine
table, curiously i%ncongruous, and on
II writing materials. q cheap clock,
and q pile Of documents. There were
two candles only. and these were stuck
In skulls-old brown skulls q Infinite.
" removed from all semblance to the
human that they were not even hor.
rible. II wal a. II they had been used.
not TO inspire terror. but because they
were at hand and convenient for the
purpose. In the shadow, ranged In Q
semicircls. were nine figures. all mo-
tionless. all masked. and cloaked In
black. They sat, another i%ncongruity.
on plain wooden chairs. But In spite
Of that they were figures Of dread.
The q who had brought her made
the tenth.
Had she not known the past record
Of the men before her. the rather opera
boufe setting with which they rose
to surround themselves might have
aroused her scorn. But olga Loschek
knew too much. She guessed shrewd-
ly that, with the class Of men with
whom they dealt, II was not enough
that their name spelled terror. They
must visualize Il. They had taken
their rue from that very church. In
deed, beneath which they hid. The
church, with Its shrines and images,
appealed to the eye. They, too. ap-
pealed to the eye. Their masks. the
carefully constructed and upheld
mystery Of their identity. the trappinks
OF death about them-it was skllifully