Hearts and Masks

ves and stuffing them into a pocket. "As a friend of mine used to say, it is the unexpected that

e didn't. The gentleman was very nice and obl

re, "I beg of you, Mr. Comstalk, I beg of you not to move or to become unduly excited. Physici

d him soundly in my mind. William's bulging side-pocket convinced me

rogue admiringly. "A gentleman always recognizes his opport

witty, too, sir,"

pale and rigi

want?" I dema

down to dine with a lady without having washed his face. The coal-dust does not a

e expressed indescribabl

struggling to repress the almost irr

e outdone, "we are often thoughtless in regard to

Mr. Comstalk. You have the true spi

ainly ha

has a merry time of it indeed. To have the perfect s

risk in offering me the

In what

d is at the club." I do not know wha

t as he can. He passed here ten minutes ago in the patrol, lickety-clip! He wishes to warn all p

sum, sir,"

oes to you, my good

sir," repl

gues I never

well, sir, to hast

nty of time

irl, her terror slipping from her, "simply t

am!" cried the rogue, tak

s, sir, but as you do, it seems t

his charming young lady sc

mean that." William leaned against the

ghted a cigarette a

will you join me?"-proffe

p well before this girl if I died for it. I blew a cloud of smoke at

for you increases each m

andsome case belong?" I a

rusted friend: how these often tumble down our beautiful edifices! Yes, I am a scamp, a thief, a rogue; but not because I need the money. No,"-with retrospec

this life? Drugs? Pah! Oh, I have given Haggerty a royal chase. It has been meat and drink to me to fool the cleverest policeman in New York. Till yesterday my face, as a criminal, was unknown to any man or woman, save William here, who was my

r and flung it on the table. I made a

t, sir," warned

cles r

," said the girl, smiling bravely into my ey

p the ring and rolled it

ey sparkled, scintillated, glowed; thousands in the whitest of stones! How he ever had got his fingers on them is something I shall never learn. "Aren't they just beautiful?" he asked na?vely. "Can you blame me for coveting them?" He set the ruby on top of t

mechanically

turning his shining eyes upon me, while his

I replied, tossing

op you carelessly exhibited a wallet that was simply choking to death with long yellow

argue. So I drew out my wallet. I extracted the gold-bills and made a neat l

Most men would have flun

ver you doubt it, sir,"

n change," I suggeste

ed something to pay for this little supper and the fare back to New York." My bills disappeared i

m snig

inquired. The comedy was beginnin

ed, his sardonic smile returning. "It is so lon

cow

t of view only. I admit we would not b

o this day of some broken, fantastic dream,