6 Jl HEARTS AND MASKS By HAROLI) MacCRATH Author of"The Man on the Box," etc. With Drawings by Harrison Fisher (Copyright, 1906, by tt'»bhtf-MerrUl CO*f CHAPTER V.—Continued. Here was a burglar with the sense of humor. "What can I do for you?" 1 asked blandly. "Firstly, as they say, you might tell nie what you and this lady are doing In this lonesome cellar." "Say 'sir,' when you address me." "Yes, sir." "The lady and I were playing hide and-seek." "Nice game, sir," —grinning. "Were you trying to hide under the coal?" "Oh, no; I was merely exploring it." "Say 'sir,' when you address me." "Sir." "You're a cool hand, sir." "1 am gratified to learn that our ad miration is mutual. But what are you doing here?" "I was ascertaining if the law was properly observed, sir," shaking with silent laughter. "But what puzzles me," I went on, "is the fact that you could gather the gems in that garb." For I was posi tive that this was the Galloping Dick every one was looking for. "1 don't understand a word you say, sir. I'm an inspector of cellars, sir, not a jeweler. So yo' 1 and the lady was playing hide-and-seek? Come, now, what is your graft? Is all the push here to-night?" "That depends,"—cursing under my breath that I wore a gown which ham pered my movements. For, truth to tell, I was watching him as a cat •watches a mouse. "Well, sir, we of the profession never interferes with gentlemanly jobs, sir. All I want of you is to help me out of here." "1 am not a burglar." "Oh, 1 understand, sir; I understand completely. A gentleman is always a gentleman, sir. Now, you can re turn to that coal bin. I was just about to make for it when you lit that can dle." "Why not leave by the cellar doors?" "I have my reasons, sir; most satis factory reasons, sir. I prefer the win dow. Get along!"—his tones suddenly hardening. I got along. "The lady may sit down, sir," he said courteously. "Thank you, I will," replied the girl, plumping down on an empty winecase. (She afterward confessed that if she hail not sat down cn the box, she would have sat down on the cellar floor, as a sort of paralysis had seized her knees.) I stepped into the coal bin and rested fhe candle on the little shelf for that purpose. I was downright anxious to see the fellow safely away. There wasn't room in that cellar for the three of us. His presence doubly pn dangered us and multiplied the com plications. I was in no position to force the gems from him. A man who has ten thousand dollars' worth of jewels on his person doesn't stop at shooting; and i possessed a healthy regard for my skin. 1 opened the win dow and caught it to the ceiling by a hook 1 found there. "There i» a stout screen, my man." "Take this, sir, and cut it out," — handing me a pair of wire clippers, holding his lantern under his arm meanwhile. The muzzle of the re volver, during all this time, never wavered in its aim at my head. 1 went to work at the screen and presently it fell inward. "Is that satisfactory?"—with im pressive irony. "You are the most perfect gentle man that I ever see, sir!" The girl laughed hysterically. "Now what ?" The fun was begin ning to pall on me. "Step out of the bin and stand aside. Sit down by the lady. Maybe she's a bit frightened." I obeyed him to the letter. "Thanks!" With the agility of a .'at he leaped up and wriggled through the window. He turned. "Good night, sir. Sometime maybe I'll do the same for you, sir." "Goto the devil!" I snarled. "My, my! What a temper, sir! I wouldn't, have thought it of you, and a nice lady in speaking distance!" He disappeared. The girl laid a hand on my arm. "You have acted very sensibly, Mr. Cornstalk. If you had not, it is quite certain he would have shot you." "It would have been a good thing for me if he had. He has gone, and the jewels have gone with him. I /adn't the least chance; the wretch! He probably came disguised as a plumber, and nobody suspected him." "But if he possessed the ten of hearts, why should he have left this way?" "Possibly my idea was only an imi tation of his. There must have been at least a dozen tens of hearts. My dear young lady, I would give a good deal if you wore well out of this. I believed ruy plan was for tile best, and instead I have simply blackened the case against us. I have been too ad venturous. The situation looks very serious just. now. Of course, in the long run, we shall clear ourselves; but it will take some fine arguing to do it, and possibly half a dozen law yers." "It is a terribly embarrassing pre dicament; but. since we started out together, we'll hang together." She held out her hand to me. "It will be fun to extricate ourselves with full honors." "You're a brick!" And I pressed her hand tightly. "Now, I wonder why the burglar didn't try those cellar doors?" she murmured. "By Jove, I'll soon rind out! Come on! There's hope yet." This time we reached the stone steps without interference. 1 gave the candle to the girl, cautiously put a shoulder against, one of the doors, and gave a gentle heave. It was not locked. Through the thin crack I looked out upon the bright world of moonshine and crystal. Instantly I permitted the door to settle into its accustomed place. 1 readily under stood the burglar's reasons. Seated upon a box. less than a dozen feet away, and blissfully smoking one of the club's cigars, sat a burly police man. So they had arrived upon the scene! "What is it?" asked the girl, as I motioned her to retreat. "The worst has come; the police!" —dramatically. "Gracious heavens, this is frightful! We shall never get out now. Oh dear! •What Can I Do for You?' Why did I ever come? It will be in the papers, with horrid pictures. We ought not to have left the ball room. Our very actions will tell heavily against us. Awful!" "Now, don't you worry. They will not take any notice of you, once they set eyes upon me. Homo sum! They are looking for me. There's only one superfluous ton of hearts. 1 have it." "But I shall be found with you, and the stupid police will swear 1 atn au accomplice." She wrung her hands. "Hut no jewels will be found upon us," 1 argued half-heartedly. "They will say we have already dis posed of them." "Hut the real burglar—" "They will say that he came into the cellar at our bidding." This girl was terribly reasonable and direct. "Hang it! 1 know Teddy Hamilton, the .\I. F. H. He'll go my bail, and yours, too. for that matter. Come, let's not give up. There must be some other way out." "1 wish I might believe it. Why did I come?"—a bit of a wail stealing into the anger in her voice. "This is Tom Fool's Night. and no mistake," I assented ruefully. "But I am 8 bigger fool than you are; I had an alibi, and a good one." "An alibi? Why on earth, then, did you follow me? What is your alibi?" "Never mind now. We should still be in this miserable cellar," —briefly. What a night! A am so ashamed! I shall be horribly compromised." "I'll take the brunt of it all. I'm sorry; but, for the love of Heaven, don't cry, or I shall lose what little nerve I have left." "I am not crying!" she denied em phatically. "My inclination is to shriek with laughter. I'm hysterical. And who wouldn't be, with police of ficers and cells staring one in the face? Let us be going. That police man outside will presently hear us whispering if we stand here much longer." There was wisdom in this. So. once again I took the candle, and we marched back. There wasn't a sin gle jest left in my whole system, and it didn't look as if there was ever going to be another supply. We took the other side of the furnace, and at length came to a flight of wooden CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907. stairs, leading somewhere into the club. It.was our last chance, or wa should lie obliged to stay all night iu some bin; for it would not be long be fore they searched the cellars. If this flight, led into the kitchen, we were saved, for I could bluff the serv ants. We paused. Presently we as cended, side by side, with light but firm step. We reached the landing in front of the door without mishap. From somewhere came a puff of air which blew out the candle. I struck a match viciously against the wall — and blundered into a string of cook ing-pans! It was all over, the agony of suspense! Blang! Rumpity • bumpity - blang blang! 1 have heard many stage thunders in my time, but that racket heat any thing and everything this side of siege guns. Instantly the door opened and a po liceman poked his head in. Before I had time to move, he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me—into the ball room! The girl and I had made a complete circuit of the cellars, and had stumbled into the ball-room again by the flight opposite to that by which we left it. Cheerful prospect, wasn't it? The adventure had ceased to have any droll side to it. "Aha!" cried the base minion of the law. "Here you are, then! Hello, everybody! Hello!" he bawled. Caught! Here we were, the Hlue Domino and myself, the Grey Capu chin, both of us in a fine fix. Dis covery and ejection I could have stood with fortitude and equanimity; but there was bad business afoot. There wasn't any doubt in my mind what was going to happen. As the girl said, there would be flaring head-lines and horrid pictures. We were like to he the newspaper sensation of the day. Arrested and lodged in jail! What would my rich, doting old uncle say to that, who had threatened to dis inherit me for lesser tilings! I felt terribly sorry for the girl, but it was now utterly impossible to help her, for I couldn't help myself. And behold! The mysterious stran ger 1 had met in the curio-shop, the fellow who had virtually haunted me for six hours, the fellow who had mas queraded as Caesar, suddenly loomed up before me, still wearing his sardon ic smile. At his side were two more policemen. He had thrown aside his toga and was in evening dress. His keen glance rested on me. "Here he is, Mr. Haggerfty!" cried the policeman cheerfully, swinging me around. A detective! And Heaven help me, he believed me to lie the thief! Oh, for Aladdin's lamp! CHAPTER VI. I stood with folded arms, awaiting his approach. Nonchalance is always respected by the police. I must have presented a likely picture, however— my face blackened with coaldust, cob webs stringing down over my .eyes, my Capuchin gown soiled and rent. The girl quietly took her place beside me. "So you took a chance at the cel lars, eh?" inquired the detective ur banely. "Well you look it. Will you go with us quietly, or shall we have to use force?" "In the first, place, what do you and your police want of me?" I returned coolly. He exhibited his star of authority. "I am Haggerty of the Central Of fice. I want you for several things." Several things? I stared at him stupidly. Several things? Then it came to :ne, with a jar like an earth quake. Tlie story in the newspaper returned to my vision. Oh, this was ;*JO much, altogether too much! He took me to he the fashionable thief for whom half the New York police force were hunting. My sight swanj for a moment in a blur. To be Continued. THE "SHARK PAPERS" DESTROYED IN THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE AT KINGSTON. Documents Found In Fish's Belly Which Convicted Captain of Amer ican Brig of Carrying Contra band of War. When the earthquake, and the lire which followed, devastated Kingston, Jamaica, there was destroyed, among other things, a relic and reminder of by-gone days which is of special in terest to Americans. Few perhaps of those living to-day, or even of those who have visited Kingston itself, know the story of the famous "Shark Papers," and how they brought conviction to an American sea captain, it is a sort of Jonah and the whale story, with the corroborating evidence of the truth of the story to be found in the existence to-day of the head of the shark which figured so prominent- ' ly in the case, and which just in the nick of time supplied the evidence needed. If the papers, which the accommo dating flsh swallowed as they were thrown overboard, and later gave up after it had been caught by an Eng lish gunboat are destroyed, there still remains the jaws of the flsh to bear ' their mute testimony to the truth of as j remarkable a sea tale, with its almost miraculous coincidences, as was ever told. For over a century the Institute of Jamaica has treasured the famous pa- ! pers which have probably been dei stroyed in the fire which followed the wrecking of the building by the earth quake. The story of these cherished ship's i papers is worth repeating, especially to an American, who is always able to appreciate a good story, even if it is one on his own countrymen. It seems that in 179!) the American brig j Nancy had been causing the British ! a deal of trouble, and was suspected ! of carrying contraband of war, but | had always been able to escape detec- , tion, and in the last case in which her j captain was convicted and the brig confiscated by the triumphant English- j men she would have escaped again j had not circumstances stranger than ' the wildest fiction combined to place ! in the hands of the court at Kingston j the evidence which was needed to con-1 vict of the violation of international j law. 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