F HEARTS] AND MASKS By HAROLD MacGRATH Authorof "The Man on the Box," etc. With Drawings by Harrison Fisher q. —— - ~, m (Copyright. llKft. by liobbs-MerriU Co. I CHAPTER ll.—Continued. The ten of hearts again! Hang the card! And then with a sigh of relief I recollected that in all prob ability he, like Columbine, had heard me call out the card to Hamilton. Still, the popularity of the card was very disquieting. I wished it. had been seven or live; there's luck in • odd numbers. ... A Blue Domino! My heart leaped, and 1 thought of the little ticket in my waistcoat pocket. A Blue Domino! If. by chance, there should be a connection between her and tin; ticket! She was sitting all alone in a cor ner near by, partly screened by a pot •of orange trees. I crossed over and sat down by her side. This might prove an adventure worth while. "What a beautiful night it is!" 1 said. She turned, and I caught sight of a wisp of golden hair. "That is very original," said she. "Who in the world would have thought of passing comments on the weather at a masque! Prior to this moment the men have been calling me all sorts of sentimental names." "Oh, I am coming to that. I atn ••even going to make love to you." She folded her hands —rather re signedly, I thought— and the rollick ing comedy began. CHAPTER 111. When they give you a mask at a 'bail they also give you the key to all manner of folly and impudence, liven ■®tupid people become witty, and the witty become correspondingly daring. For all I knew, the Blue Domino at ray side might be Jones' wife, or Brown's or Smith's, or even Green's; but so long as I was not certain, it •mattered not in what direction my whimsical fancy took me. lit is true 'that, ordinarily .lones and Brown and Smith and Green do not receive in vitations to attend masquerades at fashionable hunt clubs; but some how they seem to worry along with out these equivocal honors, and pros per. Still, there are persons in the swim named Johnes and Smythe and Browne and Greene. Pardon this parenthesis!) As I recollected the manner in ■which 1 had self-invited the pleasure of my company to this carnival at the Blanksliire Hunt club, I smiled behind my mask. Xerves! I ought to have been a professor of clinics in stead of an automobile agent. Hut the whole affair appealed to ine so strongly I could not resist it. I was drawn into the tangle by the very fas cination of the scheme. I was an interloper, but nobody knew it. The ten of hearts in my pocket did not match the backs of those* cards regu larly issued. But what of that? Every one was ignorant of the fact. I was eatc inside; and all that was roman tic in my system was aroused. There are always some guests who cannot ■avail themselves ol their invitations; and upon this vague chance I had slaked my play. Besides, I was .de termined to disappear before the .'hour of unmasking. 1 wasn't going tto take any unnecessary risks. I •was, then, fairly secure under my Ca puchin's robe. tint of my mind slipped the previous adventures of the evening. 1 forgot, .temporarily, the beautiful unknown at Mouqnin's. I forgot the sardonic-lipped stranger Iliad met in Friard's. I for got everything save the little ticket 'that uad accidentally slipped into my package, and which announced that some one had rented a blue domino. And here was a Blue Domino at my •side, just simply dying to have me ,*a!k to her! "I am madly in love with you," I began. "I have followed you often; 1 liave seen you in your box at theop .era; I have seen you whirl up Fiftli .avenue in your fine barouche; and here at last I meet you!" I clasped my hands passionately. "My beautiful barouche! M.v box .at the opera!" the girl mimicked. What a cheerful Ananias you are!" "Thou art the most enchanting .creature in all the universe. Thou art .even a turquoise, a patch of radiant summer sky, eyes of sapphire, lips—" "Archaic, very archaic," she inter rupted. "Disillusioned in ten seconds!" I cried, dismally. "How could you?" She laughed. "Have you no romance? Can you not see the fitness of things? If you have not a box at the opera, you ought at least to make believe you have. History walks about us, and you call the old style archaic! That hurts!" "Methinks, Sir Mo «k—" "There! That's more like it. By my haldioru, that's the style!" "Odds bodkin, TOU don't tell me!" Tliere was a seo«?i<! ripple of laughter from behind the mask. It was rare music. "I could fall in love with you!" "There once waa a Frenchman who said that as nothing is impossible, let us believe in the absurd. 1 might be old enough to be your grandmother," —lightly. "Perish the thought!" "Perish it, indeed!" "The mask is the thing!" I cried, enthusiastically. "You can make love to another man's wife —" "Or your own, and nobody is the wiser," —cynically. "We are getting on." "Yes, we are getting on, both in years and in folly. What are you do ing in a monk's robe? Whore is your motley, gay fool?" "I have laid it aside for the night. On such occasions as this, fools dress as wise men, and wise men as fools; everybody goes about in disguise." "llow would you go about to pick out the fools?" —curiously. "Beginning with myself—" "Thy name is also Candor!" "Look at yonder Cavalier. lie wab bles like a ship in distress, in the wild effort to keep his feet untangled from liis rapier. I'll wager he's a wealthy plumber on week-days. Observe Anne ol Austria! What arms! I'll lay odds that her great-grand mother took in washing. There's Romeo, now, with a pair ol legs like an old apple tree. The freedom of criticism is mine to night! Did you ever see such ridicu lous ideas ol costume? For my part, the robe and the domino for me. All lines are destroyed; nothing is recog ■ ■■ ■ i ■ —■■ ■ ■ ■ ■■■! ■■■■ i tmrnm ,mm, ! -4! * t i|i sp "Look at Yon Cavalier, He Wabblps Like a Ship in Distress." nizable. My, my! Thorn's Harlequin, too. walking on parentheses." The Hlue Domino laughed again. "You talk as it you hail no friends here," —shrewdly. "Hat which is my friend and which is the man to whom 1 owe money?" "What! Is your tailor here, then?" "Ileavon forbid! Strange, isn't it, when a fellow starts into pay up his bills, that the tailor and the under taker have to wait till the last." "The subject is outside my under standing." "Hut you have dressmakers." "I seldom pay dressmakers." "All! Then you belong to the most exclusive set!" "Or perhaps I make my own dresses —" "Sli!" Not so loud. Suppose some one should overhear you?" "It was a slip of the tongue. And yet, you should be lenient to all." "Kind heart! Ah, 1 wonder what all those interrogation points mean— the black domino there?" "Possibly she represents Scandal." "Scandal, then, is symbolilzed by the interrogation point?" "Yes. Whoever heard of scandal coming to a full stop, that is to say, a period?" "I learn something every minute. A hundred years ago you would have been a cousin to Mils, de Necker." "Or Mme. de Stael." "Oh. if you are married —" "1 shall have ceased to interest you?" "On the contrary. Only marriage would account, for the bitterness of your tone. What does the Hlue Dom ino represent?" "The needle of the compass." She stretched a sleeve out toward me and I observed for the first time the min iature compasses woven in the cloth. Sureiy, one does not rent a costume like this. "I understand now why you at tracted me. Whither will you guide me?" —sentimentally. "Through dark channels and stormy seas, over tropic waters, 'into the haven under the hill.' " "Oh, if you go to quoting Tenny son, it's all up with me. Are you married?" "One can easily see that at amy rate you are not." "ExjUMn." CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1907. 'Your voice lacks the projier ar.d requisite anxiety. It is always the married woman who enjoys the mask with thoroughness. She knows her husband will be watching her; and jealousy is a good sign." "You are a philosopher. Certainly you must be married." "Well, one does become pliilosopb Seal —after marriage." "But are married?" "I do not say so?" "Would you like to be?" "I have my share of feminine curi osity. But I wonder," —ruminatingly, "why they do not give masquerades oftener?" "That is easily explained. Most of us live masquerading day by day, and there might be too much of a good thing." "That is a bit of philosophy that goes well with your robe. Indeed, what better mask is there than the human countenance?" "If wo become serious, we shall put folly out of joint," said 1, rising. "And besides, we shall miss the best part of this dance." She did not hesitate an instant. I led her to the lloor, and we joined the dancers. She was as light as a feath er, a leaf, the down of the thistle; mysterious as the Cumaean Sibyl; and I wondered who she might be. The hand that lay on my sleeve was as while as milk, and the filbert shaped horn of the finger-tips was the tint, of rose leaves. Was sho connected with the ticket in iny pock et? I tried to look into her eyes, but in vain; nothing could i see but that wisp of golden hair which occasion ally brushed my chin as wilh asur- | reptitious caress. If only I dared 10- j main till the unmasking! I pressed j her hand. There was an answering pressure, but its tenderness was de j stroyed by the low laughter that ac companied it. "Don't bo silly," she whispered. "How can 1 help it?" "True; I forgot you were a fool | in disguise." "What has Romance done to you I that you should turn on her with the I stuffed-club, Practicality?" i "She has never paid any particular i attention to me; perhaps that is the | reason." As we neared the corner I saw the Honorable Julius again. He stretched i forth his death's-head mask. "Beware the ten of hearts!" he ' croaked. Hang his impudence! . . . The | Blue Doinino turned her head with a | jerk; and instantly I felt a shiver j run through her body. For a moment she lost step. I was filled with won j der. In what manner could the ten of hearts disturb her? 1 made up my ir.iiul to seek out the noble Roman 1 and learn just how much lie knew j about that disquieting card, j The music ceased. "Now, run away with your benedic I tions," said the Blue Domino breath j lessly. i "Shall I see you again?" eagerly. "If you seek diligently." She paused for a moment, like a bird about to take flight. "Positive, fool; compara tive, fooler; superlative, foolest!" And I was left standing alone: What the deuce did she mean by that? After all, there might be any num ber of blue dominoes in the land; and it seemed scarcely credible that a guest at the Hunt Club would goto a costumer's for an outfit. (I had gone to a costumer's. but my case was alto gether different. I was an impostor.) I hunted up Imperial Rex. It was not long ere we came face to face, or, to j speak correctly, mask to mask. To be Continued. Captured a Prize. Gunner —The gridiron hero is alt smiles. Guyer—Yes; he has captured a grid iron heroine. Gunner —A gridiron heroine? Guyer—Yes; a college girl who real- I ly knows how to broil a beefsteak.— I Chicago Daily News. RESCUED 11 People from Wrecked Steamer Berlin. THREE ARE WOMEN The husband of the Queen of Hol land was Very Active in the Work of Saving Lives. London, Eng.—The worst disaster 1 for many years in the history of the busy cross-channel traffic between England and the continent occurred I during a violent gale Thursday morn ing, when the Rotterdam mail steam er Berlin, from Harwich to Hook ot Holland, having safely weathered the hurricane, was wrecked as she was entering port. Only one man out of the 143 persons 011 board succeeded In reaching shore Thursday. Hook of Holland.—Largely as a result of the courage of Prince Henry of The Netherlands, the prince consort, that which appeared to be an impossible task has been achieved, and the heroic efforts of the Dutch (lifeboat men have succeeded in rescu j ing alive 11 more of the survivors of the ill-fated steamer Berlin. The gallant Dutch lifeboat men j were rewarded after more than 30 hours of hard and dangerous work. Buffetted and driven back time after j time, the sturdy Dutchmen refused to j relax their attempts to rescue the handful of shipwrecked people, and Anally at 3:30 o'clock Friday after noon, the receding tide and some im provement in the weather having ; made the conditions easier, their long < tight was crowned with success, j Although several of the persons j rescued were in the last stages of ex ! haustion, they now are on the road to j recovery and some of them have been I able to tell the story of their awful experiences. Two women and a child 1 are still on board the wreck, but it is ! feared that they are dying. The names of the passengers saved J follow: Mr. Young. Mr. Brodersen, Fraulein j Buttel, Fraulein Gabler, Frau Schra i der, all three of these women belong ' to the opera company; a man whose 1 name is not known, and live members of the crew. Only two women and a j child are now left on the wreck. Of ] these the two women are known to be Fraulein Thiele and Frau Wernberg. J The husband of the last mentioned woman lies dead in the mortuary | here. A DECLARATION Of WAR. It Is Made by Honduras Against Nicaragua. City of Mexico. —Word reached 1 this city Friday night that Hon j duras has formally declared war j against Nicaragua. President Bonilia J is at the head of the Honduran troops and is marching on the frontier of j Nicaragua. Managua, Nicaragua.—The Nicara- I guan forces on February 20 cap tured without opposition the town of El Truinfo, in Honduras, and Thursday, after six hours' hard fight ing the Nicaraguan army occupied San Bernardino, an excellent position j owing to the fact that it is in com j munication by land and water with the Nicaraguan base of operations. Many Hondurans were killed or wounded and the retreating army left quantities of ammunition and many rifles 011 the field. The casualties on | the Nicaraguan aide were a few men | wounded. POUR PEOPLE DROWNED. They Broke Through the Ice in a Park at Buffalo, N. Y. Buffalo, N. Y. —Four people were drowned in Scajaquada creek, at the Elm wood avenue entrance to Dela ware park, last night. Mrs. Drummer, with several chil dren, was walking on the ice toward Delaware park. At the Elmwood ave j nue viaduct over the creek, the ice | suddenly gave way under Ruth and the two Beiter boys, throwing them | into the water. Mrs. Drummer was j about 20 feet away with her 4-year-old j son Walter. Mrs. Drummer ran to the rescue of the three children. In her efforts to save them she broke through the ice and little Walter, who had toddled after his mother, fell in after her. Walter clung to the edge of the ice and was rescued. Mrs. Drummer was unconscious when taken from the water and died shortly afterwards. The bodies of the others were recovered. Congress. Washington.—On the 22d the house devoted its session to consideration of the sundry civil bill and passed 3GO private pension bills. The senate passed the military academy appropri ation bill, but spent most of the day in debate of the agricultural appropri ation bill. Will Make Up the Shortage. Hartford, Conn. —Most of the $55,- 000 taken from the trust funds of the Connecticut Baptist convention by the treasurer, W. F. Walker, the defaulting official of the Savings Bank of New Britain, will be made up by friends of the denomination. Explosion Injured Nine Miners. Collinsville, 111. —Nine coal miners were injured, two seriously, by the explosion of a compressed air tank 200 feet below the surface in Lumaghi mine No. 2, near here, Fri day. Balcom & Lloyd, j WE have the best stocked general store in the county j| and if yon are looking for re- | liable goods at reasonable Jjj prices, we are ready to serve r yon with the best to be found. |j| p Our reputation for trust- jji | worthy goods and fair dealing S is too well known to sell any jj| | but high grade goods. =] ■ I I Our stock of Queensware and |K Chinaware is selected with ffl great care and we have soma of the most handsome dishes H ever shown in this section, both in imported and domestic ffl makes. We invite you to visit us and look our goods over. IS II ffl 1 l 1 G I ® pj zz=zzzzzz=zzzrzzzzzzzzizzzzzi 1® | Balcom & Lloyd, j II |] || LOOK ELSEWHERE BUT DON'T FORGET 14 THESE PRICES AND FACTS AT S iLaBARW I M JJ N N M 14 We carry in stock . the largest line of Car- ~ ' ** pets, Linoleums and Sjr'iMilfWiffffM IJ Mattings of all kinds 7Y "H II f ver brought to this ; M J* town. Also a big line • *** frssssssfl * * «of samples. ilMilllffll II A very large line ot FOR THE pESf JJ Lace Curtains that can- - - M I* Xre e forthe h P rice auy - COMFORTABLE LODGING it M fti Art Squares and of fine books in a choice library Ej Rugs of all sizes and select the Ideal pattern of Globe- M H kind, from the cheap- Wernicke "Elastic" Bookcase. est to the best. Furnished with bevel French j|J| Plate or leaded glass doors. N Dining Chairs, I »on sale or 1 || || Rockers and GEO. J. LaBAR, H High Cliail'S. Sole Agent for Cameron County. A large and elegant L—— line of Tufted and ; M Drop-head Couches. Beauties and at bargain prices. M li fed S3O Bedroom Suits, OC S4O Sideboard, quar- COfl £2 Bolid oak at 4>ZO tered cak 4)oU P* P? |2B Bedroom Suits, COI $32 Sideboard, qnar- COC PS solid oak at 4JZI tered oak ** jf* $26 Bed room Suits, CIH $22 Sideboard, quar- CIC IM| solid oak at «pZU tered oak, 4J y 0 || M A large line of Dressers from I Chiffoniers of all kinds and £4 M $3 up. I a 1 prices. |# £3 —7 M The finest line of Sewing Machines on the market, fc* II the "DOMESTIC" and "ELDRJLGE.' All drop- £2 heads and warranted. A fine line of Dishes, common grade and China, in £2 sets and by the piece. M As I keep a full line of everything that goes to M M make up a good Furniture store, it is useless to enum- h M erate them all. |1 H Please call and see for yourself that lam telling |g || you the truth, and if you don't buy, there is no harm ** || done, as it is 110 trouble to show goods. « GEO. J .LaBAR. || TJINrr)E3R.TABLIKrG. M nnnsxxsxxxsxsssrxxzxszsriJ 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers