Owingsville outlook., 1922-10-12
The tale of a carnival
joke that led to grim real'
ties.
CHAPTER 1.
Carnival.

budlNIltS III lllt NlllutNS tl lllt ness
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, n middle-aged bachelor who had
praCtiCed in OpelousaS for twenty
years, and who had come to the city
for the Mardi GrPs festivities. An
other man might have seemed lrrltated
by the wait, but Jachin Fell was quite
unruiIled.
He had much the air of a clerk. His
features were thin and unremHrkable; ;
his pale eyes constantly wore an ex-
preston OF wondering alOOfness, as
though he saw around him much that
he vHinly tried 10 understand. In his
entire manner was shy reticence. lie
was no clerk. however: this was evil
dent from his attire. lie was garbed
from head TO foot in soberly blending
shades OF gray whose richness was
notable only at close view. one fan
cied him very precise sort Of man, an
old maid OF the wrong sex.
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 TO the Maillards' to-
night7 However, we need not leave for
fifteen minutes yet, at least"
Doctor Ansley laid aside his cape,
stick and hat and dropped into one Of
the comfortable big chairs.
"You intend to mask for the Mall
lards'?" Ansley cast his eye over the
gray business attire of the little man.
81 never mask" Jachin Fell shook
his head. an get a domino and 60 as
/ am. Excuse me-I'n order a domino
now. Back in a moment"
Doctor Ansley followed the slight
figure Of the other man with specula-
tive eyes. Well as he knew Jachin
Fell, he invariably found the man a
source OF puzzled speculation.
During many years Jachin Fell had
been a member Of the most exclusive
New Orleans clubs. He was even re-
ceived in the inner circles Of Creole
society, which In itself was evidence SUI
preme as to his position. At this par
ticular club he was famed as a wizard
master of chess. He never entered a
tournament, yet he consistently defeat
ed the champions In private matches
defeated them with bewIldering ease,
shy and apologize ease, an ease
which left the beholders incredulOus
and aghast.
With all this, Jachin Fell was very
much of a mystery. even among HIS
closest friends. Very little was known
Of him; he was lawyer, and certainly
maintained offices in the MaisOn
Blanche building, bu. 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 a few who
could boast of having been a guest in
Jachin Fell's home. There was a moth
er, an invalid, of whom Fell sometimes
spoke and to whom he appeared to de-
vote himself. The family, an old one
In the city, promised to die out with
Jachin Fell.
Ansley puffed at his cigar md con-
sidered these things. Outside, in the
New Orleans streets, was rOcketing
the mad mirth of carnival. The week
preceding Mardl Gras was at its close.
Now, as ever, was Mardi Gras SYM
bolized by masques. In New Orleans
the masquerade was not the pale and
pitlful frolic of colder climes, where
the occasion is but one for display Of
! Jewels and costumes, and where actual
cOncealment 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-
cealment 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
latter's knee, its fiaring headlines
standing out blackly.
whats that about the Midnight
Masquer? He's not appeared againT'
"What?" Ansley glanced at him in
surprise. you've not heard? Good
heavens, mani He showed up last
night at the LapevrOuse dance. two
minutes before midnight, as usual. A
detective had been engaged, but was
afterward found locked in a closet,
bound with his own handouts. The
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 interesting
The loot was valued at about a hun.
dred thOusand?"
81 thought you said you'd not heard
OF it?" demanded Ansley.
Fell laughed softly and shyly. 81
didn't. l merely hazarded a guess"
"WIzardw The doctor laughed in
unison. "Yes, about that amount"
'The Masquer is pike-," observed
Fell. in his tOneless voice.
'Eh? A piker-when he can make q
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. haul?"
Don't dream that those figures rep
resent value. Doctor They don't! AL
thG loot the Masquer has taken since
he began work is worth little to him
Jewels are hard to sell. OF course, the
crook has obtained a bit Of money, but
not enough to he worth the risk"
"Yet he has got quite BIT" re
turned Ansley thoughtfully. "All thC
men have money. naturally: we dom