Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, August 16, 1922, Page 2

syNoesis ilj CHAPTER L~—During the helght of the Nl‘l Qrleans carnival season Jachin Fell, ‘wealthy ;nnl_x)::n somewhat my-unnu. cn- discussing seriés of l'obherln by an Indxvldunx knnwn a8 the Midnight Masquer, who, invariably attired as an avintor, has long defied the police, -Joseph Matlliza. wealthy banker. a ball that night, at which the way to the affair, meet a girl as Cnlflmfine‘ seemingly known to Fell. but d, who accompanies them “to the “(Continged from last issue) CHAPTER Il unqmr:. Joloph Maillard might have hope- tully considered the note from the Mid- aight Masquer to be a hoax perpetrat- ed.by some of his friends, but he took 20 chances. Two detectives were post- »d ‘In the grounds outside the house; mside, two others, masked and cos- tumed, were keeping a quietly efficient 2ye.on all that transpired. Each guest upon entering was con- ducted directly to the presence of Jo- seph Maillard himself, or of his wife; was bidden to unmask in this private audience, and was then presented with 1 favor and sent forth masked anew to. the \festivities. These favors were :eneealed, in the case of the ladies, in corsage bouquets; in that of the men, Inside false cigars. There was to be a.general opening of the favors at mid- ulgm.'the-thne set for unmasking. All this .ceremony. was: regarded- by the guests jas a ‘delightful innovation, and by JoSeph .Maillard as ra: delightful way of. assuring himself that only in- vited. guests entered his‘house. - Invita- tiogs' might be forged—faces, never! .Lucie Ledanols entered the presence of her . stately -reldtive,, and .after: un- masking, . dutifully - exchanged - kisses with Mrs. Maillard. Until some months previously, until'she had come, into the management of: her- own property—or what':whs. left, of. it—Lucle had been | of the Maillards. “Mercy,: child,: how 'mmelo\n you logk ; tamight 1", exclaimed : Mrs. Mafl- | lard, holding her off and: examining her high ‘color.with obvious, suspicion. . “Thank you, ma’am,” ‘and Lucie made l mock mm-gesy Columbine?" “Very much. " Here's Aunt Sally; | take Miss Lucle's cloak, Sally.” vAn old colored servant bobbed her ! head in. greeting- to Lucie, who re- moved her cloak. ‘As she did so, she saw that Mrs. Malllard’s eyes were tastened in utter amazement upon her | throat.. _“Isn’t it pretty, auntie?’ she asked, smilingly:” . “My ggodness gracious!” The stern eyes -hardened. ‘“Where—where on earth’ did you obtain such a thing? Why—why—" Columbine’s features flinched. She was a poor relation, of course, so the look in the older woman's eyes and the implication of the words formed little less than an insult. Quletly she put one hand to her throat and removed the collar, drop- ping it into the hand of Mrs. Maillard. It was a thing to make any woman's eyes widen—a collar of exquisitely wrought gold studded with ten great blazing: star sapphires. Beside it the dlamonds that bejeweled Mrs. Mall- lard’s ample front looked cold and !iteless. | “That?” queried Lucie, innocently, produ a scrap of chamols and dab- bing at her nose. “Oh, that's very in- teresting! It was made for Queen Hor- tense—s0 was this scarf that keeps my cagged hair from lopping out! They were a present—only this morning." “Girl!" The lady's voice was harsh. “A present? From whom, it you please?” “Oh, 1 promised not to tell; he's a particular friend of mine. Aren't the stones pretty?” Mrs. Maillard was speechless. She compressed her firm lips-and watched Lucle replace the sapphire collar with- | out a word to offer. Sllently she ex- tended a corsage bouquet from the pile | beside her; then, in a trembling voice, forced ‘herself to explain about the fa- | vor inside. Slipping her mask into place Lucle was ‘gone, not tithout telfef. She kpew ‘very well that within half an hour Bob Maillard would be informed |/ ! that ‘she had accepted gifts of Jewels | feom other men, with, all thig accompa-: | ¥lbg Implications and additions that | imagination could furnish,,. For, al- " th@mgh ‘Bob Maillord wanted very nivch ihdeed to marry her, his mother | had no:intention of san¢tionthg such a| union. “Neither has Uncle Joseph,” she re- flected, smlling to herself, “and nelther | “have I!- So we're all agreed, except ' Bob.” “Columbine!” A hand fell upon her | wrist. . “Columbine! Turn and confels | MARDI GRAS‘»“:é;.,.MMm 2 “Do you like little | ething.in. his voice spelt. sin- Lucie, smiling; held out her you can dance in that friar's robe, | thea try it!" Could he dance, indeed! Who could | uot dance with Columbine for partner? t&r saying, the monk proved his word by the deed and proved it well. Nor did he again hint that he had recog- uized her; until, as they parted, he once more left. her astonished and perturbed. As he bowed. he mur- wured: . “Beware, sweet Columbine!:Beware of |ho-ny Aramis! = Munvl m. sHe was ‘nne uponm vud. u sAramis? = Why, ' that ‘mast be the Musketeer, ‘of courses—Bob Maillard® The name, with its implications, was’ | & clever hit. ‘But who Was this browni| ‘mouk. who seemed to know so much, A who danced so divinely;-whoee French | was like. music? A vague suspicion was {in the girl's mind, but she had no | proof. |~ Half-an hour after this Bob Malllard : came to her, and with impatient words wade a path through the circle which | surrounded her. “I know you now, \anie " he murmured. “I must see | you at once—Iin the conservatory.” She was minded to refuse, but as- | sented briefly. The words of the | monk intrigued her; what had the mn guessed? Tt Bob were indeed | ahout to propose, she would this time | Gt off his hopes for good. But—was it that sort of a proposal? As she managed to xid herself of ber admirers, and descended to the copservatory,) she was highly- vexed ‘witls herself”and thé Franciscan, gnd ¢o came to her “appointment in no equable frame of mind. She found Malllard waiting in the old-fashioned conservatory; he had unmasked, and was puffing a cigarette. “By gad, Lucie, Fou're beautiful to- uight. Where did you get that collar of jewels?” “Indeed!” The girl proudly drew berself up. .“What business is that i of yours, sir?” “You Frighten Me, Holy Man!™ shol “Arec’t you one of the family? Cried, Gayly. “Confess to You, In- | p—n it—Lucie! Don't you know that deed! Not 1" .I want to marry you—" S Tad come to the foot of the | WY dear Robert, I certainly do not wide, old-fashioned stairway that led | F20¢ to mamy any man who swears to the floors above, and beside her had | {0 MY face—you least of all” she l suddenly appeared a Franciscan monk, | coldly intervened. “I have already re- cowled and gowned In sober brown | {Used you three times; let this be the from head to foot. | fourth and last. Now, kindly inform “You frightened me, holy man!" she \ wme .why you wished me to meet you cried, guily. “Confess to you, indeed! | bere.” Net L | “I.have a chance to make some “Never a better chance, butterfly of | money for you'in a hurry,” he said. the world. Haste not to the dance; | “Your father left you a good deal of fair sister—tarry a while and invite | laod up Bayou Terrebonne way—" the soul In spech of import! Having ; ‘“Your-father sold some of it,” she passed the dragon at the gate, tarry | Put in, idly. His eyes flickered to a moment with this man of vows—" | the thrust. Shrive me quickly, then,” she said, | “Yes; but you've plenty left, near ughing. | Paradis. It's away from the gas fleld, “Now, without confession? Would | but I'm interested in an ol company. Jou have me read your lhonxhts and ! We've plenty of money, and we're go- 1:17: penance?” y ing to go strong after the liquid gold. “If you can do that, holy man, I may | That land of yours is good for noth- confess ; so prove it quickly!" | ing else, and if ‘you want to make The Franciscan leaned forward. His | some money out of it I'll swing the | voice came low, distinct, clear-cut, and | company into leasing at a good figure ! he spoke In the French which Lucie : and drilling there.” | understood as anqther mother-tongue, | | “You think there's ol on the land?” as'do most of ‘the ‘older families oti “No.” He made a swift, energetic New Orleans. gesture of dissent. “To be frank, I “See how I read them, mademoi- | don't. But I'd like to throw a bit of | selle! Ome thought is of uneasy sus- | ; luck your way, Lucie. That fellow | picion; it is typified by a hard-lipped, | Gramont—the prince, you know him .mspln‘ man. One thought is of Pro- | —he’s an engineer and a geologist, ‘she bréathed. has haj ‘broke into & laugh. “Well, it is mid-; peared. I'm almost sorry.” of = surprise, exclamations, merry himself and Mdking hugely relieved. the Columbine daintiness! Have you found regret; it is typified by a darkly | welling stream of all.«. Qua-thought+". Suddenly Lucie had shrunk away from him. “Who—who are you?" she breathed, with a gasp that wd¥ almost of fear. “Who are you, monsieur?” “A humble brother of minor orders,” and he bowed. “Shall I not continue | with my reading? ' The third, mademoi- selle, is one of hope; it is typified by a small man who Is dressed all In gray—" ! Lucle turned away from him quickly. “I think that you have made some | grave error, mepsfeur,” she said. Her | volce was cold, charged with dismissal and offended dignity. “I pray you, ex cuse me.” % : Not walting any response, she has- tily ‘ran up the stalrs; After her, for a moment, gazed the Franciscan, then shrugged his [ wide' shoulders 'and plunged Into the crowd. While she danced, while she chat- tered and laughed and entered into the mad galety of the evening, Lucle Le- danols could not banish from her mind that ominous Franciscan. How could | he have known? How could he have guessed what only she and one other barely suspected? There was no proof, lof course; the very breath of suspi- cion seemed a calumny against an up- right man! Joseph Maillard hnd sold that Terre- | bonne land six months, before any gas | or. oil had been discovered there, and | eight months before Lugie had come | into the management of her own af- fairs, - He had not known about the wminerals, of course; it was'a case only of bad judgment. Yet, indubitably, he was now a shareholder and officer in |'which had bought that strip-of land. Lucte| strdre angnily to banish the | dark lhuuzhtu from her mind: Why, | Mallarg svas a Fich mdn, a banket, hn honorable gentleman! To doubt his | | hopiar, , aithough he was a harsh and ‘I stern man, was impossible. Lucle abt! belldve— | “May I crave pardon for my error?* came a voice at her elbow. She turned, to see the Franciscan again beslde | her. “With a thousand apologies for lmpertmence, mademoiselle; I am very gorry for my faults. Will not that | admission obtain for me oume littie | - | dance:cne. hint of- forgiveness from the Rayoh ‘Oil company, the concern | kne?v him better than most, and could | and he’s in the swim.” |+~ S0 the girt smiled a little, “you | would betray your business friends In ! nv;l-.' -l | “8o,” the Girl Smiled l Little, “You Would Betray Your Business Friends in Order to Make a Bit of Money for Me?" order to make a bit of money for we?” Malllard stared at her. “Wel, it you put it that way, yes! I'd do more than that for—" 1 P “Thank you,” she interrupted, her volce cold. “I don’t think, I'q. trupt your sagacity very far, Robert. Good- uight.” | _ She turned from him and was gone, | dancing through the great rooms llko . | a true Columbine. Midnight neared, and brought a douv- . cern to many; the Midnight Masquer.| | had galned his name by invariably appearing a moment or two before the | stroke of twelve. Jachin Fell, who divided his time between enjoying the smoking room and wandering about among the masquers, perceived that Joseph Maillard was wnkchln: the time_with anxiety, . . - i e wuh.snnv EVENING, Aufll!‘l' 16, 1922 »‘m..m »A-large-man, sterm-and. & bit-scom- tul"of look, Maillard was imposing vather than handsome., He appeared the typical banker, efficient, devold of all sentiment. Amused by the man's evident uneasiness, Jachin Fell kept him in view while the moments dragged. One might have thought that the little gray man was studying the financier as an entomologist studies a butterfly on a pin. Shortly before twelve Columbine pirouetted up to Fell and accepted the arm he offered her. They were for thenownone.hlmotme baliroom. “lmlltt.mtnnflflv'.nln-,‘ “Gladly,” he lmntzd. “u.v 2 ¢ fllfl' t’s Sunday, you know—" ‘It _you Wil at three. Sowu < butlcinnntub-korn ere. you—that you are interested im' my .fllll'l'l" The pale gray eyes of the little gray wan looked very innocent and wonder- ing. ] “Ceftalnly not, my dear! Why?" “TN tell you.tomorrow.” Then she | uight—and the Masquer has not ap- “BEM“)]I ST AR” May be chartered any time for Picnic or Excursion Parties. The lights flickered off for a mo- went, then on again. The signal for unmasking? = The dancing ceased. From the whole wom arose a babel of voices—cries laughter. Columbine removed her mask. An instant later Joseph Mail- lard approached them, chuckling to ACSOHODA‘[BS 80 PEOPLE Licensed Operator State Inspected Special Excursion Every Suam- day dowa river to Dam— at 3:00 p. m. “Ha, Lucie! I guessed you beneath examined your favor yet?” Continued in next issue SUBSCRIBE FOR THE PIONEER . 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