The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-08-31
CHAPTER w.
Callers.

The house in which Lucie LcdanOis
lived had been her mothers; the fur
niture and other things in it had been
her mothers; the two negro servants,
who spoke only the Creole French pa
tolls, had been her mothers. 1t was a
small house, but very beautiful inside.
The exterior betrayed Il lack of paint
or the money with which to have
painting done.
The Ledanois family, although dis
family connected with others such as
the Maillards, had sent forth its final
bud Of fruition In the girl Lucie. Her
mother had died while she was yet an
infant, and through the years she had
companioned her father, an invalid
during the latter days. He had lever
been a man to count dollars or costs,
and to a large extent he had outworn
himself and the family fortunes In a
vain search for health.
With LucIe he had been in Europe
at the outbreak OF war, and had come
home to America only to die shortly
afterward. Once deprived os his fine
recklessness, the girl had found her
affairs in a bad tangle. Under the
guardianship of Maillard the tangle
had been somewhat resolved and sim
plified, but even Maillard would ap-
pear to have made mistakes, and of
late Lucie had against her will sus,
pected something amiss in the matter
of these mistakes.
1t was natural, then, that she should
take joachim Fell into her confidence.
Maillard had been her guardian, but
It was to Fell that she had always
come with her girlish cares and
troubles, during even the lifetime of
her father.
AT precisely three O'clock of the
Sunday afternoon joachim Fell rang
the doorbell and Lucie herself admit
ted him.
"Tell me quickly, Uncle joachim !"
eagerly exclaimed the girl. did you
actually see the Midnight Masquer
last night? l dids't know until after
ward that he had really been down
stairs and had robbed
81 saw him, my dear" and the little
gray man smiled. There was more
warmth to his smile than usual just
now. Perhaps ii vas a reflection from
the eager vitality which SO shone In
the eyes of Lucie. 81 saw him, yes"
A restful face was hers-nOt beau
tiful at first glance; IA little too strong
o.. Lnn,,t, ,,n ,,,ny1 1n- nl,n lDn.
gray eyes were level and quiet and
wide apart, and on most occasions
were quite inscrutable. They were
now filed with a quick eagerness as
they rested upon Jachin Fell. Lucie
called him uncle. but not ms she called
Joseph Maillard uncle; here was no
relationship, no formal affectation Of
relationship, but a purely abiding
trust and friendship.
joachim Fell had done more for Lucie
than she herself knew or would know /;
without her knowledge he had quietly
taken care Of her finances to an APP
preciable extent. Between them lay
an affection that was very real. Lucie,
better than most, knew the extraordi-
nary capabilities Of this little gray
man; yet not even Lucie guessed a
tenth of the character that lay be-
meath his surface. To her he was
never reserved or secretive. Nonethe-
less, she touched sometimes an i'm
penetrable wall hat seemed ever
present within him.
"YOu saw him?" repeated the girl,
quickly. what was he like? Do you
know who he is?'
Certainly I know" replied Fell,
still smiling at her.
"Oh! Then who is he?"
SOFTLY, softly, young lady! I know
him, but even to you I dare not
breathe his name until I obtain some
direct evidence. Let us call him Mr..
X. after the approved methods of ro-
nance, and ! shall expound what I
know.
"The bandit did not enter the house
during the evening, nor did he leave,
nor was he found In the house after
ward" he went on, tonelessly. $50,
Incredible as 1t may appear, he was
n Of the guests. This Mr.. X. came
TO the dance wearing the aviator's cos
tune, or most of II, underneath his
masquerade costume. When he was