Hearts and Masks

skulls, and bronzes and marbles, paintings, tarnished jewelry and ancient armor, rare books in vellum, small arms, tapestry, pastimes, plaster masks, and musical ins

its kind, I liked to conjure up in fancy the various scenes through which these curiosities had drifted in their descent to this demi-pawnshop; the brave men and beautiful women, the clangor of tocsi

lent order and the pictures possessed value far beyond the intrinsic. He was waiting upon a customer, and the dingy light that

er hard. Doubtless he felt the magnetism of my scrutiny, for he suddenly looked around. The expression on his face was not one to induce me to throw my arms around his neck and declare I should be gla

ehind the cases, the slip-slip fashion of his

ep costume

n gentleman,"-with grim and appropriate irony. "Wha

to a masked ball to-night as a Grey Capuchin

nts are

re is always a mystery to be solved and a story to be told, when a man makes the purchase of a pistol in a pawnshop. A man who buys a pistol for the sake of protection does so in the light of day, and in the proper p

I want. How mu

is what I want. How

; it has nev

t being brightens at the sight of money and its representatives. I drew out a small bill and handed it to the proprietor. He took it, together with the mask, and sidled over to the cash-register. The bell gave forth a muffled sound, not unl

nd then when he saw what it was, his jaw fel

rts!" he exclai

ghed

hearts!" h

middle, which make ten in all,"-raillery in my tones. What the deuce

he murmured, pul

" I asked, rather curious to le

everal reaso

A

d pinned to that card; t

card-s

ost a small fortune because

ok

next to me drew the ten of hearts, the very card I neede

d I, wondering how many mor

into the two central spots, and an hour later the seventh bul

. "After all that trouble, the sight of

d change. I have in my own time tried to fill royal flushe

fascinating thing there is," the

ing that I was soon to put my trust in

n Mouquin's, and now this stranger in the curio-shop. I was confident that the latter had lied in regard to his explanations. The card had startled him, but his reasons were altogether of transparent thinness. A man never likes to confess that he is unlucky at cards; there is a certain pride in lying about the enormous stakes you have won and the wonderful draws you hav

and fell into a pleasant dream. It was not necessary for me to start for the Twenty-third Street ferry till nine; so I had something like three-quarters of an hour to idle away.... What beautiful hair that girl had! It was like sunshine, the silk of corn, the yield of the harvest. And the marvelous abundance of it! It was true that she was an artist's model; it was equally true that she had committed a mild impropriety in addressing me as she had; but, for all I could see, she was a girl of delicate breeding, doubtless one of the many whose family fortunes, or misfortunes, fo

ossibly come of it. I would certainly go, now I had gone thus far. What fool idea the girl was bent on I hadn't the least idea; but I easily recognized the folly upon which I was about to set sail. Heigh-ho! What was a lonely young bachelor to do? At the most, they could only a

a patch of white paper on the rug in front

Hawt

E: Blu

5:30

URN

West 87

IA

he only person who was going to a masquerade. Without doubt this fair demoiselle was about to join the festivities of some shop-girls' masquerade, where money and pedigree are inconsequent things, and where everybody is

back to Friard's; so I determined

f stars to be seen here and there in the sky. By midnight there would be a full moon. I got to Jersey City without mishap; and when I took my seat in the smoker, I found I had ten minut

r professional fighters. (Have I mentioned to you the fact that I was all through the Spanish War, the mix-up in China, and that I had resigned my commission to accept the post of traveling salesman for a famous motor-car company? If I have not,

tten him down as a quasi-swell. For months the police had been finding clues, but they had never laid eyes on the rascal. The famous Haggerty of the New York detective force,-a man whom not a dozen New York policemen knew by sight and no criminals save

f my racing-cars, and was clear of the delinquent lists at his clubs. I dismissed all thought of him, threw aside the paper, and mentally figured out my commissions on sales during t

ut of my reach, which was exceedingly careless on my part. Perhaps they-she and her uncle-frequently dined at Mouquin's; I determined to haunt the place and learn. It would be easy enough to address her the ne

a small, well-colored meerschaum pipe with evident relish. Somehow, when a man clenches his teeth upon the mouth-piece of a respectable pipe, it seems impossible to associate that man with crime. But the fact that I had seen him selecting a pistol in a pawnshop rather neutralized the good opinion I was willing to form. I have already expressed my views upon the subject. The sight of him rather worried me, though I could not reason why. Whither was he bound? Had he finally taken one of Friard's p

y chance acquaintance, who, without turning his head, thrust a match over his shoulder. The man with the face of a butler lighted the most villainous pipe I ever beheld

again. My ten of hearts! The wrinkle of a chi

ain, supposing I was miles away from the requisite color and design? I was staggered. Here was a pretty fix! I had never even dreamed of such a contingency. Hang it! I now wished I had stuck to my original plan, and gone to the theater. Decidedly I was in

nman; then the train slowed d

d asked for a match. The former stood undecided for a moment, and during this space of time he caught sight of me. He became erect, gave me a sudden sardonic laugh, and swiftly disappeared into the dark. All this

?" asked one of t

im to direct me to

in from the sea, pure and cold. The storm-clouds were broken and scuddi

mes whistling, sometimes standing motionless in doubt. Bah! It was only a lark.... I thought of the girl in Mouquin's; how much better it would have been to

, though nobody knew who his neighbor was. I sat in a corner, silent and motionless as a sphinx. Once a pair of blue slippers attracted my eye, and again the flash of a lovely arm.

grac

t it

ese to act naturally for once. Nothing lasts so long as the natura

the genial Moriarty. Sometimes the members of the Hunt Club put up there for the nig

from close scrutiny. My spirits rose as I espied Teddy Hamilton at the door. He was on the committee, and was in

my son!" I crie

ome one he knew; well, so it was. "What's

en of

d Teddy to a man who was kee

by one! Well, at any rate, I had for the time being escaped detection; now for the fun. It would be sport-royal while it lasted. What a tale to give out at the club of a Sund

nk, your

held an exqui

ing, I beheld an ex

um!" I repl

hat does t

elieve all you see

were a Latin scholar; and besides, you gave me t

hought she knew me. I has

know me, not the least bit. My

ll out to Teddy Hamilton that your card was the ten of h

nd I hadn't yet put a fo

a mistake. Your Jesuit probably told you

ll wa

y dance; no one makes w

s my Jesuit now!" And to my i

really possessed the ten of hearts, the man who kept tally on the cardboard was do

hidden behind palms and giant ferns. The band was just striking up A Summer Night in Munich, and a wonderful kaleidoscope revolved around me. I saw Cavaliers and Roundheads, Puritans and

ge I reasoned that if he wasn't in the gold-book of Venice he stood very well

cum!" said

irectly the clock strikes the mid

eliver the supreme int

drifted away li

I saw the Jesuit,

ola, hast thou t

, for I have lost one

hou art not h

rtally glad that Colum

want absolution for the follies they are about to com

nk, why did you se

in love with

skeleton in the

hing as a clothes-press, much less so fa

at do yo

g with fools

eeve and batted me gaily o

up, why am

reputation of being a wit. I must walk carefully, or these though

ne ancient friend J

sto

he Ides of March?

e of the ten of hearts," said Caesa

d to Hamilton. Still, the popularity of the card was very disquieting. I wished it had been seven or five; there's luck in odd numbers.... A Blue Domino! My h

eened by a pot of orange-trees. I crossed over and sat do

iful night it

caught sight of a

ught of passing comments on the weather at a masque! Prior to this

hat. I am even going

resignedly, I thought,-and