The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-08-15
CHAPTER !. ~.

= = ~
" s,r.a..->-. Carnival. e..
joachim Fell pushed aside the glass
curtains between the voluminous 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 DR.. Cyril Ans
lev. a middle-aged bachelor who had
practiced in, Opelousas for twenty
years, and who had come to the city
for the Mardl Gras festivities. An
other man might have seemed irritated
by the wait, but Pachin Fell was quite
nnruffled.. r
He had much the air Of clerk. Bis
features were thip and unremarkable,;
his pale eyes constantly wore an ex-
preston Of wondering aloofness, as
though he saw around him much that
he vainly tried ii understand. In his
entire manner was shy reticence. He
was no clerk, however; this was evil
dent from his attire. He, 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 ,ofs the wrong sex.
= Doctor Ansley, an Inverness flung
over his evening clothes. entered the
lounge. room. and Fell turned to him
with q dry, toneless chuckle.
you're the limit! Did you forget
we were going to the Maillards' to-
night 3, However, we need not leave for
fifteen minutes, vet. at least" 3...
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.
IT never mask" .Jachin Fell shook
his head. "I'll get a domino and 90 as
I am. Excuse me-I'll order domino
now. Back in a moment"
Doctor AnsIey' followed the slight
figure Of the other man with specula-
tive eyes. Well as he knew joachim
Fell, he Invariably found the man a
source tof puzzled speculation.
During many years joachim Fell had
been 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 su.
preme as to his position. At this par
ticular club he was famed as wizard
master of chess. He never entered a
tournament, yet he consistently defeat
ed the champions in private matches
defeated them with bewildering ease,
q shy. and apologetic ease. an ease
which left the beholders incredulous
and aghast.
With all this, joachim Fell was very
much Of mystery. even among his
closest friends. Very little was known
of.him; he was lawyer, and certainly
maintained offices In the Maison
Blanche building, but he never ap-
>pcared in the courts and no case Of his
pleading was known.
Ansley knew him as we'll as did most
men, and Ansley knew of few who
could boast: of having been a guest In
joachim 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
joachim Fell
:. Ansley puffed at his cigar and con-
sidered these things. Outside, in the
New Orleans streets, was rocketing
the mad mirth OK carnival. The week
preceding Mardi iGras was at its close.
Now, as ever, was Mardi Gras SYM
bolized by Mosques. In New Orleans
the masquerade was not the pale and
pitiful 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 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 joachim Fell returned and light.
ed his cigar he sank into one Of the
luxurious chairs beside Ansley and in
dlcated q newspaper lying across the
-latter's knee, its flaring headlines
standing out blackly. ~ - .'tl
(. "What's that about the Midnight
Masquer? He's not appeared again?"
"What?".; Ansley glanced at him in
surprise. you've not heard2 Il Good;
heavens, man He showed up last
night at the Lapeyrouse dance. two
minutes BEFORE midnight, as usual! "A
detective Haa b}fn engaged, but was
afterward found locked in 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.n rE~.- -
Fell pointed his cigar at the ceiling,
! and sighed. "Ah, most interesting!
The loot was valued at about hun
dred thousandy @..
~ 80 60, *: = -: :. -, -. =.