White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-21
CHAPTER /.
Carnival.

carnival.
Jachln Fell pushed aside the glass
curtains between the yoluminous over
draperies In the windows Of the Chess
and Checkers club, and gazed out upon
the riotous streets of New Orleans.
Half an hour he had been waiting here
In the lounge room for DIR. Cyril Ans
ley, a mjddle-aged bachelor who had
practiced In Opelousas for twenty
years, and who had come TO the city
for the Mardi Gras festivities. An
other man might have seemed irritated
by the wait, but Jachin Fell was quite
unrufied.
He had much the air OF a clerk. His
features were thin and uncomfortable;
his pale eyes constantly wore an ex-
preston of wondering aloofness, as
though he saw around him much that
he vainly tried to understand. In his
entire amer was a shy ~reticence. lie
was no clerk, however; this was evil
dent from his attire. lie was CARRIED
from head TO foot in soberly blending
hades OF gray whose richness was
notable only at close view. One fan-
cled him a very precise sort of a an
old maid Of the wrong sex.
Doctor Ansley, an Inverness flung
over his evening clothes, entered the
lounge room, and Fell turned TO him
with a dry, toneless chuckle.
you're the limit Did you forget
We were going 10 the Maillards to-
night2 However, we need not leave for
fifteen minutes yet, at least"
Doctor Ansley laid aside his cape,
stick and hat and dropped into n Of
the comfortable big chairs.
"You intend to mask for the Mali
lards'7' Ansley cast his eye over the
gray business attire OF the little man.
81 never mask" joachim Fell shook
his head. "IIl get n domino and 90 as
/ am. Excuse NELL order n domino
now. Back in a moment
Doctor Ansley followed the slight
figure of the other man with specula-
tive eyes. Well as he knew joachim
Fell. he invariably found the mai a
source OF puzzled speculation.
During many years Jachin Fell had
been "A member OF the most exclusive
New Orleans clubs. lie WAS even re-
eeiycd In the inner circles Of Creole
society. which In Itself was evidence SUI
preme as to his position. At this par
tlcular club he was famed as n wizard
master OF chess. lie never entered a
tournament, yet he consistently defeat
ed the champions In private matches
defeated them with a b~ewildering ease,
n shy and apologize ease, an ease
which left the beholders lncredulous
and aghast.
With all this, joachim Fell was very
much OF n mystery. even among his
closest friends. Very little was known
OF him he was a lawyer, and certainly
maintained offices in he Maison
Blanche building. but he never ap-
peared In the courts and no case OF his
pleading was known.
Ansley knew him as well as did most
men. and Ansley knew of Il few who
could boast OF having been a guest In
Jaehin Fell's home. There was a moth
or, an invalid, OF whom Fell sometimes
spoke and 10 whom he appeared 10 de-
vote himself. The family, an old one
In the city, promised 10 die out with
Jachin Fell.
Ansley pufed AT his cigar and con-
sidered these things. Outside, in the
New Orleans streets. was rockefing
the mad mirth of carnival. The week
preceding Mardl Gras was at its close.
Now. MS ever, was Mardi Gras SYM
bollzed by Mosques. In New Orleans
the masquerade was not the pale and
pItIful frolie of colder climes, where
the occasion is but one for display Of
Jewels and costumes, and whore actual
coneealment Of identity is a farce.
Here In New Orleans were jewels and
costumes in a profusion of splendor;
but here was preserved the underlying
idea of the masque itself-that In con-
ccalment Of identity lay the life OF the
thing!
When Jachin Fell returned and light
ed his cigar he sank into one of the
luxurious chairs beside Ansley and In
dicated a newspaper lying across the
Iatter's knee. Its flaring headlines
standing out biackly.
whats that about the Midnight
Masquerf He's not appeared againf"
"Whati" Ansley glanced at him in
surprise. you've not heard? Good
heavens, man! He showed up last
night at the Lapeyrouse dance. two
minutes before midnight, as usual! A
detective had been engaged, but was
afterward found locked in a closet,
hnupd with hfa own ban1puffQ Tho
Masquer wore his usual costume-and
went through the party famously,
stripping everyone In sight. Then he
backed through the doors and van.
ished."
Fell pointed his cigar at the ceiling,
and sighed. "Ah, most Interestingly
The loot was valued at about q hum
bred thousandf"