Evening star., 1926-03-08

work. She said, quite vivaciously for
her:
Il thought I'd get myself up like a
goldfish so a little narrow gold mask
just across my eyes is the sort III
wear"
Great" CALCULATED Mr.. Abe again.
His eyes flashed, then dulled. He rose
behind his desk to show that the in
terview was over, in his manner of an
Oriental monarch, dismissing a sup
plant, and the usual tight. veiled
business look had come back to his
face.
See you and your agent here to-
morrow at five then. Goodbye.
Good afternoon" said Celia, and
went out, followed by Donovan, who
had been sitting stolidly near the door
during this interview.
From that on all went without a
hitch. The agent whom Celia selected,
gentle nnered man with dark blue
eyes that were so frank as TO seem
almost naif at times, extracted an ex-
rellent contract from Mr.. Abe, much
as skilled professional extracts
tooth. Celia could scarcely believe her
ears when she heard what her weekly
salary was to be. She gaZed down at
the contract which Mr.. Gaunt had
Il have also put in a clause, para
graph l." said he, ''to the effect that
the contract will be broken automati-
callv by the party of the second part
should your name become known"
She was featured on the posters
with which Mr.. Abe pa pered the town
iudiciouSly in certain prominent spots
as The Masked Mermaid, a Modern
Mystery from Classy Cliques." and in
maid, who would only swim at the
Siehurg for one month from the lst
of February, because of former en-
tGa agaments to swim before the Shah of
Persia, who had promised her the blue
diamond of Bagdad in return. and
next for the Millionaire Mahara iah of
.llndapore. whose payment for one
week was to he three lakhs of rupees
The Masked Mermaid wore ask
and would not disclose her name. be
cause should she do so thrones would
topple and dreaded war be precipi
tated."
Mr.. Farleigh Brxton. the publicity
agent of Mr.. Abe. had contributed the
Shah of Persia and the blue diamond
OF Bagdad, and Celia herself had in
vented the Mahara Jah OF Jundapore
and the "lakhs of rupees" The top
pling thrones and dreaded war were
the offerings of Mr.. Goldstein, as was
the Modern Mystery from CLASSY
CnQues. There was. OF course, much
more OF this sort of thing. iammed as
thick as possible into the span of the
week allowed before The Masked
'Mermaid's" appearance at the Sieburg.
While her costume was being
rushed night and day, gorgeous
Juste-an-corps Of tiny, gold scales
shading from crimson to straw color
with close fish ahead helmet to match.
Gala put her home affairs In order
She wrote with regret to break such
engagements as she had already made.
announcing that she intended to take
sudden trip to California by way Of
the Panama Canal, and would not re-
turn till a month or six weeks later
She even went SO far as to buy
steamer tickets for herself and maid
and have her luggage labeled for the
voyage
These tickets she gave to Donovan =
invalid sister and her husband. ON
the day she was supposed to sail. she
set off with Donovan In "A taxi. much
to the astonishment of the other serN-
snts, who wondered what motors We're
for II not to be used on such occasio
As soon as they had turned the cor
ner she changed the address and told
the taxi driver to so TO small family
hotel In FortY-seventh street. Don
oNan's hrother-in- law had already in.
tercepted the eXpressman on his way
to the docks. with an order from Celia
and her luggage soon followed her to
the hotel.
She continued Ia enjoy herself amaz-
II inRly. Her first appearance, culminat-
ing In her dive from very near the top
OF the Sieburg, was a wild success
People stood up and howled. She had
to repeat the dive three times There
were 81 curtain calls.
Her narrow sol Amask was most
effective. both % mS Any and as a
means OF ineNA.o. YHer hair. of
course, was B3dcE>by the tight fish-
helmet with its goggling, emerald
glass eyes. and she had quite changed
the look OF the lower half of her face
bv painting her lips into a thick curve
with some waterproof carmne. AS
her own lips We're delcately thin and
rather pale. her disguise. thus com
hleted. was perfect.
II r. true that there were those
aow and them. who said that the