F HEARTS] AND MASKS By HAROLD MacGRATH [ Authorof "The Man on the Box, "etc. With Drawings by Harrison Fisher Hi r (Copyright, 1905, by Co.l ** CHAPTER I. It all depends upon the manner of your entrance to the Castle of Adven ture. One does not have to scale its beetling parapets or assault its scarps and frowning bastions; neither is one to force with clamor and blar ing trumpets and glittering gorgets tho drawbridge and portcullis. Rather the pathway lies through one of those many little doors, obscure, yet easily accessible, latchless and boltless, to which the average person gives no •particular attention, and yet which in variably lead to the very heart of this Castle Delectable. The whimsical chatelaine of this enchanted keep is a shy goddess. Circumspection has no part in her affairs, nor caution, nor practicality; nor does her eye linger upon the dullard and the blunderer. Imagination solves the secret riddle, and wit i 3 the guide that leads the seeker through the winding, bewilder ing labyrinths. And there is something in being •Idle, too! If I bad not gone idly into Mou quin's cellar for dinner that night, I should have missed the most engaging adventure that ever fell to my lot. It is second nature for me to be guided by impulse rather than by reason; reason is always so square-toed and Impulse is always so alluring. You will find that nearly all thß great ■captains were and are creature 3 of impulse; nothing brilliant is ever ■achieved by calculation. All tljis is not to say that I am a great captain; it is offered only to inform you that I am often impulsive. A Timeß, four days old; and if 1 hadn't fallen upon it to pass the minutes between my order and the service of it, I shouldn't have made the acquaintance of the police in that pretty little suburb over in New Jersey; nor should 1 have met the enchanting Blue Domino; nor would fate have written Kismet. The ■clairvoyant never has any fun in this •cycle; he has no surprises. I had been away from New York for several weeks, and had returned only that afternoon. Thus, the spirit •of unrest acquired by travel was still upon me. It was nearly holiday week, and those congenial friends 1 might have called upon, to while away the •evening, were either busily occupied with shopping or were out of town; • and I determined not togo 1o the club ■ and be bortd by some indifferent bil liard player. I would dine quietly, listen to some light music, and then goto the theater. I was searching tthe theatrical amusements, when the column indifferently attacked my eye. I do not know why it is, but 1 have a wholesome contempt for the so-called society columns of the daily newspaper in New York. Mayhap, it Is because I do not belong. I read this paragraph with a shrug, •and that one with a smirk. 1 was in <no manner surprised at the announce ment that Miss High-Culture was go ing to wed the Duke of Impecune; I had always been certain this girl •would do some such fool thing. That Mrs. Hyphen-Bonds was giving a fare well dinner at the Waldorf, prior to her departure to Europe, interested ray curiosity not in the least degree. It would be all the same to me if she never came back. None of the wishy washy tittle-tattle interested me, in fact. There was only one little six line paragraph that really caught me. On Friday night (that is to say, the night of my adventures in Blankshire), the Hunt Club was to give a charity masquerade dance. This grasped my adventurous spirit by the throat and refused to let go. The atmosphere surrounding the ■paragraph was spirituous with en chantment. There was a genuine novelty about this dance. Two packs -of playing cards had been sent out as tickets; one pack to the ladies and one to the gentlemen. Charming idea, wasn't it? These cards were to be ■shown at the door, together with ten dollars, but were to be retained by the recipients till two o'clock (supper •time), at which moment everybody was to unmask and take his partner, who held the corresponding card, into supper. Its newness strongly appealed to me. I found myself reading the .paragraph over and over. By Jove, what an inspiration! I knew the Blankshire Hunt Club, ■with its colonial architecture, its great ball room, its quaint fireplaces, its stables and sheds, and the fame of its chef. It was one of those great coun try clubs that keep open house the year round. It stood back from the sea about four miles and was within livo miles of the village. There was a fine course inland, a cross-country going of not less than twenty miles, a shooting-box, and excellent golf links. l»i the winter it was cozy; in the summei it was ideal. . I was intimately acquainted with the club's M. P. 11., Teddy Hamilton. We had clone the Paris-Berlin run In my racing car the summer before. If I hadn't known him so well, I might still have been in durance vile, next door to jail, or securely inside. I had frequently dined with him at the club during the summer, and he had offered to put me up; but as I knew no one intimately but himself, I explained the futility of such action. Hesides, my horse wasn't a hunter; and I was rid ing him less and less. It is no pleas ure togo "parking" along the bridle paths of Central Park. For myself, 1 want a hill country and something like forty miles, straight away; that's riding. The fact that I knew no one but Teddy added zest to the inspiration which liaa seized me. For I deter mined to attend tnat dance, happen what might. It would be vastly more entertaining than a possibly dull the atrical performance. (It was!) I called for a messenger and dis patched him to the nearest drug store for a pack of playing cards; and while I waited for his return I casu ally glanced at the other diners. At my table—one of those long marble topped affairs by the wall —there was an old man reading a paper, and the handsomest girl I had set eyes upon in a month of moons. Sometimes the word handsome seems an inferior ad jective. She was beautiful, and her half-hidden eyes told me that she was anywhere but at Mouquin's. What a head of hair! Fine as a spider's web, and the dazzling yellow of a wheat field in a sun shower! The irregu larity of her features made them all the more interesting. I was an artist in an amateur way, and I mentally painted in that head against a Rubens jf" . i wit :'■■ • ' "7" I ~3i i •. .' .. : : ; , • I • : -%- •<• - : - It Was the Ten-Spot of Hearts. background. The return of the mes senger brought me back to earth; for 1 confess that my imagination had already leaped far into the future, and ihis girl across the way was nebulous ly connected with it. I took the pack of cards, ripped off the covering, tossed aside the joker (though, really, I ought to have re tained it!) and began shuffling the shiny pasteboards. I dare say that those around me sat up and took no tice. It was by no means a common sight to see a man gravely shuffling a pack of cards in a public restaurant. Nobody interfered, doubtless because nobody knew exactly what to do in the face of such an act, for which no adequate laws had been provided. A waiter stood solemnly at the end of the table, scratching his chin thought fully, wondering whether he should report this peculiarity of constitution and susceptibility occasioning certain peculiarities of effect from impress of extraneous influences (vide Web ster), synonymous with idiocrasy and known as idiosyncrasy. It was quite possible that 1 was the iirst man to establish such a precedent in Monsieur Mouquin's restaurant. Thus, I aroused only passive curiosity. From the corner of my, eye I ob served the old gentleman opposite. Ho was peering over the top of his paper, and 1 could sec by the glitter in his eye that he was a confirmed player of solitaire. The girl, however, still appeared to be in a dreaming state. I have no doubt every one who saw me thought that anarchy wa3 abroad again, or that Sherlock Holmes had entered into his third incarnation. Finally 1 squared the took a long breath, and cut. I turned up th? card. It was the ten-spot of hearts. I considered this most propitious, hearts being my long suit in every thing but love, —love having not yet crossed my path. I put the card in my wallet, and was about to toss the rest of the pack under the table, when a woman's voice stayed my hand. "Don't throw them away. Tell my fortune iirst." I looked up, not a little surprised. It was the beautiful younn girl who had spoken. She was leaning on her elbows, her chin propped in her palms, and the 1 : ; M in her gray chatoyant CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1907. eyes was wholly Innocent and mis chievous. In Monsieur M-suquin's cel lar people are rather Bohemian, l.ot to say friendly; for it is the rendez vous of artists, literary men and jour nalists, —a clan that holds formality in contempt. "Tell your fortune?" I repeated, par rot-like. "Yes." "Your minor can tell that more ac curately than I can," i replied with a frank glance of admiration. She drew hef shoulders together and dropped then;. "I spoke to you, sir, because I believed you wouldn't say anything so commonplace as that. When one sees a man soberly shuffling a pack of cards in a place like this, one naturally expects originality." "Well, perhaps you caught me off my guard,"—humbly. "I am original. Did you ever before witness this per formance in a public restaurant?"— making the c;yds purr. "I can not a«iy I have," —amused. "Well, no more have I!" "Why, then do you do it?"—with re newed interest. "Shall I teil your fortune?" "Not now. I had much rather you would tell me the meaning of this play." 1 leaned toward her and whispered mysteriously: "The truth is, I belong to a secret society, and I was cutting the cards to see whether or not I should blow up the postofflce to-night or the police station. You mustn't tell anybody." "Oh!" She started back from the table. "You do not look it," she added suddenly. "I know it; appearances are so de coptive," said I sadly. Then the old man laughed, and the girl laughed, and I laughed; and I wasn't quite sure that the grave waiter did not crack the ghost of a smile—in relief. "And what, may I ask, was the fatal card?" inquired the old man, folding his paper. "The ace of spades; we always choose that gloomy card in secret so cieties. There is something deadly and suggestive about it," I answered morbidly. "Indeed." "Yes. Ah, if only you knew the tti rible life we lead, we who conspire! Every day brings forth some galling disappointment. We push a king off into the dark, and another rises im mediately in his place. Futility, futil ity everywhere! if only there were some way of dynamiting habit and custom! I am a Russian; ail my family are perishing in Siberian mines," —dismally. "Fudge!" said the girl. "Tommy-rot!" said the amiable old gentleman. "Uncle, his hair is too short for un anarchist." "And his collar too immaculate." (So the old gentleman was this charm, ing creature's uncle!) "We are obliged to disguise our selves at times," I explained. "Tha police are always meddling. It is dis couraging." "You have some purpose, humorous or serious," said the girl shrewdly. "A man does not bring a pack of cards —" "I didn't bring them; I sent out for them." " —bring a pack of cards here simply to attract attention," she continued tranquilly. "Perhaps I am a prestidigitator in a popular dime museum," I suggested, willing to help her out, "and am doing a little advertising." "Now, t4iat has u plausible sound,' she admitted, folding her hands undor her chin. "It must be an interesting life. Presto —change! and all that." "Oh, 1 find it rather monotonous In the winter; but in the summer it ii fine. Then I wander about the sues mer resorts and give exhibitions.'' Xc uti Coptic u«d. SHONTSOIIT. Resigns as Chairman of Canal Commission. GETS BETTER JOB. He Has Been Elected President of thelnterborough Co., Gotham's Street Railway Combine. Washington, D. C. —The resigna tion of Theodore P. Shonts, as chair man of the isthmian canal commis sion, was announced at the White House Wednesday, having been ten i dered to the president and accepted : by him Tuesday, according to corres j pondence made public. It will take i effect not later than March 4, Mr. ; Shonts having been elected president j of the Interborough-Metropolitan com ; pany, which controls the rapid transit and many surface lines in New York, j No announcement was made as to who will succeed Mr. Shonts as chair man of the commission, but it was learned authoritatively that headquar ters will be removed from Washing ton to the isthmus and that a high salaried chairman to serve in that ca pacity alone will not be named. This being admitted, it follows that John F. Stevens, the engineer in charge of the construction of the canal, would not be made subordinate to another official on the isthmus. Without defi nite announcement, therefore, it is re garded as a certainty that Mr. Stevens will be named as chairman 'of tlie commission and will assume duties as such in connection with his post as chief engineer. Mr. Shonts' retirement does not come wholly as a surprise. It has been rumored that as soon as action had been taken upon the proposition to build the canal by contract, that Mr. Shonts would sever his connection and resume a calling more congenial to his taste. Secretary Taft confirm ed that rumor by saying that Mr. Shonts' resignation was voluntary. THAW'S TRIAL BEGINS. Two Jurors Are Secured During the First Day's Session. New York. The curtain was rung up Wednesday for another act In the tragedy of real life known as the Thaw-White case. The setting was not the gay all-night restaurants of the Tenderloin, where the principal actors in the tragedy once were fa miliar figures. It was not the roof garden crowded with summer revelers who on a fateful night clinked glasses in rhythm to the music of the orches tra and listened laughingly to merry singers, and then were hushed into a silence of horror as three pistol shots cracked and a noted architect lay dead at the table where he had been chatting with friends. The story of the play was brought down to the grim court room scene where 12 men are to sit and render a judgment which may mean either the taking of another life, this time by the state, or a determination that Harry K. Thaw was justified in the claim that he had shot the man who had "ruined his wife." There may be a third decision, that Thaw was in sane at the time he committed the crime—"emotional insanity," it is called—but there will be no opportun ity to say that. Thaw is now insane. The trial began shortly before 10:30 o'clock and when an adjournment for the day had been taken about 5 p. m.. there were two jurors in the box. A third juror had been accepted and sworn, but he was excused in the closing moments of the day's session. TWENTY WINERS KILLED. A Terribly Fatal Explosion in a Mine Near Primero, Col. Trinidad, Col. Twenty miners, according to the most au thoritative information available, lost their lives as a result of an explosion which occurred early Wednesday in the Colorado Fuel and Iron Co.'s mine near Primero, 20 miles west of this city. Two of the dead are Frank Hobart, miner, and R. J. Lumley, fire boss. The names of the other men killed have not been learned, as the shift boss who checked up the men who went into the mine Tuesday night is missing. All the men except Lumley were foreigners, most of them being Italians. The explosion stopped the air fan, which was not repaired until late Wednesday and there is little chance that any of the men in the mine at the time of the explosion ar# still alive. Congress. Washington.—On the 23d the sen ate passed the bill increasing the sal aries of congressmen to $7,500 a year. Senator Heveridge began a long speech on the evils of child labor. The house began consideration of the pen sion appropriation bill. Will Build Six Tunnels. Welch, W. Va.—The Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. has let contracts for six tunnels at a cost of $3,000,000. Th 'i tunnels, which are to be double tracked, will shorten the distance on the West Virginia division 15 miles. The six tunnels will aggre gate 0,100 feet, in length. The River and Harbor Bill. Washington, D. C.—The river and harbor hill which will be reported to the house to-day by the committee on rivers and harbors will carry an ap uroprlatlon p;jsrog->t!ng $83,406,138. j Balcom & Lloyd, ft 11 WE have the best stocked j! general store in the county jj and if you are looking for re liable goods at reasonable | prices, we are ready to serve •* you with the best to be found. || Our reputation for trust- 01 jgj worthy goods and fair dealing S ffl is too well known to sell any p | but high grade goods. |j Our stock of Queensware and 1 B Chinaware is selected with ft !. great care and we have som® jp of the most handsome dishes ttj g ever shown in this section, B both in imported and domestic pj makes. We invite you to visit B us and look our goods over. M p P I 1 Pi Mm P \ oi. ra i - II | Balcom & Lloyd. J IjEsssszssssssEssssssssxsssag II LOOK ELSEWHERE BUT DON'T FORGET ; !J II THESE PRICES AND FACTS AT 11 LaBAFS II I H M M M We carry in stock { . ] || ftg the largest line of Car- _ . t ' ** Hg pets, Linoleums and fi£_ • E3 Mattings of all kinds . S £1 ever brought to this [JQOOXffICtTTI 8 Pf town. Also a big line " • SKSSKsjfI # $ II of samples. '|Wl| Si 112 2 A very large line ot .FOR THE EES® 'j \l HSSF COHfORME lodging IS M if * 4 : Art Squares and of fine books In a choice library C ?? Rugs of all sizes and select the Ideal pattern of Globe- ** M kind, from the cheap- Wernicke "Elastic" Bookcase. est to the best. Furnished with bevel French plate or leaded glass doors. || 14 Dining Chairs, I »°» S4I - E °* i N || Rockers and GEO. J. LaBAR, fcj High Chairs. e«ie Agent for Cameron County. I fc J ff2 A large and elegant I——r* line of Tufted and || Drop-head Couches. Beauties and at bargain prices. |j || || M|3o Bedroom Suits, tf<JP S4O SVdeboard, quar- COfl Li solid oak at tered cak 3wU r* |2B Bedroom Suits, COI |32 Sideboard, qnar- COC If!- 4 solid oak at 4>ZI tered oak pf IP'S $25 Bed room Suits, Ofl |22 Sideboaid, quar- CIC M solid oak at OZU I tered oak, 4)10 II A large line of Dressers from I Ch ffoniers of all kinds and N $8 up. I a 1 prices. |^| || || | j The finest line of Sewing Machines on the market, fcg JJ the "DOMESTIC" and "ELDRIEGH.' All drop- {J heads and warranted. J ' A fine line of Dishes, common grade and China, in sets and by the piece. Pj As I keep a full line of everything that goes to $1 make np a good Furniture store, it is useless to enuin- M| M erate them all. M Please call and see for yourself that lam telling |3 || you the truth, and if you don't buy, there is no harm || done, as it is no trouble to show goods. ii GEO. J .LaBAR. |! UKTDER.TAK.I3VO. iM 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers