Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-03-06
Black Mask Nearly
Upset Johnny
Rx Y. z. KATES

(CopyriRhtl
THERE was quote group stand
i Ing near the electric switch when
1t all began to happen-Rita Mari ana
Johnny Montgomery, and their hostess,
Mrs. Stone Morris, and cluster OF
young girls, and butler at side.
Throughout the room the guests
were dancing to the radio music, OF
talking in groups, or pairing on In
coy corners.
Mrs. Stone-Morris had been telling
the history of the matchless string OF
pearls that encircled her lovely neck.
1t had been the proud possession OF
queens. Crime and bloodshed had FOL
lowed in its wake across the CONT
nents. Its price could build a small
empire.
"They are SO beautiful" exclaimed
Rita. "But If they were mine, ia be
afraid to wear them, with the history
they have. Aren't you afraid or
thieves?" #..-
Mrs. Stone Morris smiled calmly.
She was an unusual woman.
"Thieves," she repeated in amuse-
ment, and shrugged, as though at an
inconceivable likelihood.
Johnny Montgomery eyed the neck
lace contemplatlvely.
"Now, If they were mine," he said,
with the humorous candor that made
him so dear to Rita, II don't think I'd
wear them around my neck"
"Pm sure you wouldn't" put in his
hostess.
'Td sell them" he said, pearl by
pearl, and I'd buy us a castle OF am
her and roses, with a sky hung low
with moons, and brand new-a
brand new"
"Ukulele," assisted Rita.
Mrs. Stone Morris laughed, and was
about to speak, when suddenly the
lights went out. In the silence that
followed. broken only by the wall OF
waltz from the radio, there came
a sudden crash of glass and the sound
of suppressed tumult.
Some one struck a match, and Rita
cried out In terror as she saw Mrs.
Stone-Morris struggling with the figure
Of a man in evening clothes, a shad-
owy silhouette of man, with but one
outstanding feature-a black mask
that covered the upper half of his
face.
There was a sudden rush as num-
Der Of the men Joined in the fray.
Then as suddenly as they had gone
off, the lights were flashed on.
"l've got him" shouted several Of
the men at once, only to discover that
they had captured their own fellow
guests in the struggle for the intruder.
Rita turned to her hostess. Mira.
Stone Morris hands were at her
throat. The pearls were gone
There was rush to the telephone
The police were called. Johnny Mont
gomery and several other young mer
ran out to search the grounds. But
the pearls had vanished, and Mrs
Stone Morris, with the stolclsm of one
to whom life meant more than the
jewels she wore around her neck
helped the party resume Its gayety.
Rita and Johnny sought corner in
which to discuss the excitement Of
the theft
"Just think" said Rita. mo one
even knows what the thief looks like,
except that he wore black mask.
How can they hope to catch hlmf"
Johnny nodded thoughtfully, and
Rita, CHANGING to look down, was sud-
denly aware Of queer piece of black
silk that protruded from his pocket.
Her heart skipped beat Her senses
whirled.
There came to her ears the shrill
siren of a police car--the answer tO
the telephone call Of alarm. At any
moment the police would burst Into
the room. questioning. perhaps search.
Ing the guests.
Swiftly, stealthily, she removed the
black mask from Johnny's pocket. She
was about to crumple 1t In her palms
when Johnny's voice arrested her.
"Rlta," Johnny muttered, "where
did you get that2 We've got to hide
IL! The police"
But at that moment the police burst
into the room. Rita leaped TO her
feet In excitement. For, disheveled,
handcuffed to an officer, stood a sui.
len-eyed stranger In evening clothes,
from whose pocket another officer was
producing the precious necklace OF
pearls.
The police. in making thorough
Of I'm hos
the house, had discovered the thief
lying under the back veranda whittier
he had crawled to await the oppor-
tunlty for a safe getaway.
A confession followed, duplicating
the butler as the accomplish who
switched off the lights at an agreed
upon time, thus giving the thief the
opportunity TO rush in and make on
with the pearls. Finding the mask a
hlndrance In the unexpected struggle
that followed, the criminal had deity
removed 1t and had slipped II into the
pocket of his nearest assailant.
"Rita," asked Johnny with sudden
jealousy, "out Of whose pocket did
you get that maskT
"Yours, Johnny" she answered.
"Mine" he stami ered Good grief
And th0ught--and ] thought"
But Johnny had nothing more to
say. lie embraced Rita with u feryor
that betrayed his oblivion to his sur
roundlngs, and Ritn, equally obllyious,
sighed happily.