The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-08-17

| Vii ahu 20 NAbNth W NAst%N - 49,
Krewe Of Comus on Mardl Gras night.
Upon this evening Of Fat Tuesday"
indeed, both Rex and Comus hold
forth. Rex is the popular ball. the
affair Of the people, and Is held In the
Athenaeum. From here, about mid
night, the king and queen proceed to
Comus ball.
Comus Is an assembly Of such rigid
excluslyeness that even the tickets to
the gallery are considered social
prizes. The personae of the Krewe,
on this particular year, as In all prevt-
Gus ones, would remain unknown I;
there is no unmasklng at Comus. This
Institution. a tremendous social power
and potentially a financial power also,
during decades Of the city's life. Is
held absolutely above any faint OF IA
vorltlsm or cOmmerclalism. Even the
families OF those concerned might not
always be certain whether their sons
and brothers belonged to the Krewe
OF Comus.
Henry Gramont did not attend the
ball OF Proteus on Monday night. In
stead. he sat In his own room. while
through the streets Of the French
quarter outside was raging ne carni-
val at its height. Before him were
MAJ and reports upon the gas and
oil nelds about Bayou Terrebonne--
fields where great domes OF natural
gas were already located and In use,
at,A oil kolearr In
quantity. Early on Wednesday morn
Ing Gramont Intended 10 set forth TO
his work. He had been engaged TO
make report to Bob MaIllard's COM
pany, and he would make It. Then he
would resign his advisory Job. and be
free. A smile curled his lips as he
thought OF young Malllard and the
company.
1.-THE young gentleman will be sadly
surprised to discover that I've gotten
out from under-and that his respect
ed father holds my stock" he reflect
ed. THAT was good deal; lost a
thousand to old Maillard In order to
have the balance of thirty thousandw
A knock at his door interrupted the
thread Of his thought. Gramont
opened. to find the concierge with a
note which had been left at the door
below by a masked Harlequin, who
had then disappeared without await
Ing any reply.
Gramont recognized the writing on
the envelope, and FASTENED to the note
Inaida HE Faoa chanUad hnuovar m.
he read Il:
"Please call promptly at eleven to-
morrow morning. wish to see you
upon u matter OF business.
"LUCIE LEDANOIS."
Gramont gazed long at this note, his
brows drawn down into a harsh line.
II was not like Lucle In Its tone,
he sensed something amiss,
something vaguely but mostly decided
ly out OF tune. "Eleven tomorrow
morning, eh7" he murmured. THAT'S
queer, too, for she's to be at the Pro-
teus ball tonight. Most girls would
not be conducting business affairs at
eleven in the morning. after being up
all night at Proteusi II must be
something important. Besides, she's
not in a class with anyone else. She's
a rare girl; no nonsense In her-full
Of a deep. strong sense OF things
He forced himself from thoughts OF
Lucie, forced himself from her per-
sonalIty. and returned to his reports
with an effort OF concentration.
When Gramont went TO bed that
night II was with startling aud auda-
clous scheme well defined In his bsain !;
a scheme whose first conception
seemed ludlcrous and impossible, yet
which, on second consideration. ap-
peared In very different light. II de-
served serious thought--and Gramont
had made his decision before he went
TO sleep.
The following day was Tuesday
Mardl Gras, Shrove Tuesday, the last
day before Lent began, and the final
eliminating day Of carnival. Henry
Gramont, however, was destined to
find little in Its beginning of much
personal pleasure.
Al eleven In the morning Hammond
drove him TO the LedanOls home,
where Gramont was admitted by one
Of the colored servants and shown into
the parlOr. A moment later Lucie her
self appeared At first glance her
smiling greeting removed the half
sensed apprehensiOns Of Gramont. Al
most Immediately 0fterward, however,
he noted a perceptible change IN her
manner. as she led him toward the
rear of the room, and gestused toward
a mahogany tit.top table which stood
IN corner.
Come over here please. | have
soliciting which | wish to show you"
She needed 10 say no more. Ora.
mont, following her. found himself
staring blankly down at the symbol Of
CONSERVATION which overwhelmed him.
For upon that table lay all those
boxes which he himself had packed
with the loot Of the Midnight Masquer
the identical boxes, apparently UNI
opened, which had been stolen from
his automobile by the supposed thief,
Chacherre