THE MEDFORD DAILY TK11VUNE. MEbFOKD. OR EC ON, CON'DAY, OiTOUKR 2:. 100!).
! The
(Continued.)
.. ..SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I Jack Billiard, a
wealthy New York clubman, hears a
mysterious voice singing in the night
under his window.
II He inserts an advertisement in
a personal ccolumn to find the singer.
He receives a reply.
m, IY, V, and YI He visits the
mysterious singer, but she wears a
mask. He falls desperately in love
with her, but he has not seen her face.
The unknown woman gives her name
as Mme. Angot, which is assumed.
They have dinner. She refuses to
see him again.
Vn Hilliard and Dan Merryhew
decide to go to Italy. Merryhew
loves Kitty Killigrew, a comic opera
singer, who has gone to Italy. Hil
liard receives a black musk in an en
velope. ' CHAPTER, IX.
A TANGLED SXKI.N;
SAXFOHD knew how to order a
dinner, and so by the time that
I Jlerriuew lind emptied his sec
ond glass of Burgundy and his
first of champagne he was iu the haze
of golden confidence. He would flud
Kitty, and when he found her he would
find her heart as well.
"Say, Jack." said Sgndfonl. "what
did you mean by that fool cable any
how?" HiHiird had been patiently waiting
for an opening of this sort. "And
what did you mean by hoaxing me?"
"Hoaxing you?"
"Thafs the word. I was In your
house that night. I was there as sure
ly as I am here tonight."
"Nell, am I crazy or is it Jack?"
"Sometimes," said Mrs. Sanford,
"when you put the chauffeur in. the
tonneau I'm inclined to think that it is
you."
Ililiard looked straight into the plac
id gray eyes of his hostess. Very slow
ly one of the white lids drooped. His
heart bounded.
"But really," continued Sandford se
riously, "unless you bribed the care
taker you could not possibly have en
tered the house. You have been dream
ing." "Very, well, then. It begins to look
as if I bad." It was apparent to Hil
lard that Sandford was not in his
wife's confidence in all things. He
also saw the wisdom of dropping the
subject while at the table.
They took coffee and liqueur In the
glass inclosed balcony. Hillard found
a quiet nook not far from the lift. He
saw that Mrs. Sandford's chair was
placed so that she could get a good
view of the superb night. He sat
down himself, sipped his liqueur med
itatively, drank his coffee and as she
nodded lighted a cigarette.
"Well?" she said, smiling Into his
brown eyes. She was rather fond of
Hillard, a gentleman always and one
of excellent taste. There was never
any wearisome innuendo In his wit nor
suggestion in his stories.
"You deliberately winked at me," he
began.
"I deliberately did."
"Sandford Is in the dark. I suspect
ed as much."
"Regarding the wink?"
"Regarding the mysterious woman
who occupied your house by your ex
press authority and who rode the
hunter in the park:"
"Was there ever a more beautiful
picture?" sweeping her hands toward
the city.
"The beauty of it will last several
hours yet. Who and what was
Bhe?"
"I wish I could iiud you a wife. You
would make a good husband."
"Thank you. I am even willing,
with your assistance, to prove It. Who
was. she, and how came she in your
house?"
"She wished that favor and that bcr
presence in New York should not be
known. Now describe to me. exactly
4
Lure
of the
Mask
By
HAROLD
MAC GRATH
58
Copyright. 1908. by the Bobbi.
Merrill Co.
what happened." 1 am worrying about
the plate and the silver."
He laughed. "And you will meet
me halfway?"
"I promise to tell you all I dare."
"There Is a mystery?"
"Yes. So begin with your side of It."
He was a capital story teller. He re
counted tbe adventure in all Its color
the voice under his window, the per
sonals In the paper, the interchange of
letters, the extraordinary dinner, the
mask iu the envelope. She followed
him with breathless Interest.
"Charming, charming!" She clapped
her hands. "And how well you tell It!
You have tUd it just as It happened."
"Just as it happened!" confounded
for a moment.
"Exactly. I have had a letter two.
In fact. Y'ou did not see her face?",
"Only the chin and mouth. But if I
ever meet her again I shall know her
by her teeth."
"Heavens! And how?"
"Two lower ones are gone. Other
wise they would be beautiful."
"Poor man! Y'ou have builded your
house upon the sands. Her teeth are
perfect. She has fooled you."
"But I saw with these two eyes!"
"There is a preparation which the
atrical people use a kind of gum. She
mentioned the trick. Isn't she clever?"
"Y'et I shall know her hair," dogged
ly. ! She put her hands swiftly to her
head. "Now, you have known me for
!
years. What is the color of my
Lair?"
"Why, it is blond."
I "Nothing of the kind. It is auburn.
If you cannot tell mine, how will you
tell hers?"
"I shall probably run after every
red headed woman in Europe till I find
her," humorously.
-"Our ears never deceive half so often
as our eyes."
I "Her face is not scarred, is it?"
' "Scarred!" indignantly. "She is as
' beautiful as a Raphael, as lovely as a
Bougucreau. If I were a man I should
gladly journey round the world for tbe
sight of her."
"I am willing, even anxious."
! "I should fall in love with her."
i "I believe I have."
I "Come. Mr. Hillard. I am just fool
ing. Y'ou are too sensible a man to
fall In love witli a shadow a mask.
One-does not fall in love that way."
I "She Is married?"
I "Certainly I have not said so."
He flicked the ash from his ciga
rette. "Have you those letters?"
"One of them I'll show you."
, "Why not the other?"
"It would be wasting time. It mere
ly relates to your adventure. She
sailed the day after you dined with
her."
"That accounts for the shutters. The
police and the caretaker were bribed."
"I suspect they were."
"If I were a vain man, and you
know I am not, I might ask you if she
spoke well of me In this letter. Un
derstand I ara not Inquiring."
"But you put the question as adroit
ly as a woman. We are sure of vanity
always. Yes, she spoke of you. She
, found, you to be an agreeable gentle
man. But," with gentle malice, "she
, did not say that she wished she had
' met you years ago under more favor
able circumstances."
I "Come, give me the death stroke and
I have done with it. Tell me what you
dare, and I'll be content with it."
i She opened her handkerchief purse
and delved among the various articles
therein.
"I expected that you would be asking
questions, so I am prepared. I did not
tell my husband for that very reason.
He would have insisted upon knowing
everything. Here, read this. It 1b only
a glimpse."
He searched eagerly for the signa
ture. "Don't bother," she said. "The name
Is only n nickname ' we gave her at
school."
"School? Do you mean to tell me
that you went to school with her?
Where?"
"In Pennsylvania first, then In Milan.
Read."
O Cnra MIalf mil you Knew how
rurry 1 am i i..it you! Wliv imit yon
(Mil at on'-"' :y ii. :i co'nn : my beau
tiful VouUi- . i iui . . no im.i h io pay that
':innut tu'vriiloii. Von 'uflk nNiut lh ot
i iMitmv. l'oiif kik'm my li'tli' ilri'am of
l utni'tv. II u'us n M '.i''t f'T 'i v. Tlio
''H un ''irt of obaituUj In our
l-.'1!. Tti' coin.. i" u' 'Tly tllsro
iiiiilei!. i.i lln : i.u l. wii hud not
I i-!,.;soil our reunion r.ml ccnery In
Italy.
"C'st;:;:n-. Hid see nery ?" Hillard
fou.-'ii i!: 1 -ii,:i '.lure again.
Tin- Uim of all tho troublo was n clerk
l-i t';n i'diu' U(t nt NapluB. Ho wrote us
t.KU Out" woulil bo nu dutU-3 on coMuntcs
uud Bi-tfncry. Alas, the mnimKOr anil lit
barker ure on tlio way to Aluorli-a, nail
iKr anil wiser num! We suri-timti'reit our
ri'lurn tickets to tho chorus ami sent
them home. The real of ue are trumlcil
Ib not that the word? hero In Venice,
waltlnK for money from home. If I were
alone. It woulil be hlifhly. amutitnir, but
these Hor people' with me! There 18 only
one way I can help them, but that never!
You pceollcct that my iersoiuil Income U
I'uarterly. anil It will bo two monthit be
fore 1 Bhall have funilti. There are fiur
tong moving; heaven anil earth to Had me.
My companions haven't the least Idea
who 1 am. Fo hero we all are, waiulerlmr
about the I'laxxa San Marco, cnllins at
Cook's every ilay In hoes of money. I
rni stayluK with my maid In tlio Campo
:uitu Maria Kormosn, near our beloved
anta Harbara. I have Kuaranteetl tho
creillt of my companions, ami they believe
that Venetians are Kcner'out people, (ten
erous! I'erhaps you will womler how I
dared appear on the staKO In Italy. A
black wIk and a th'eatrlcivl makeu theso
were sulllclent. A duke sont me on Invi
tation to take supper with him. ns It X
were a ballerina! 1 sent one of the Amer
ican chorus plrls. a little minx for mis
chief. She ate his supper and then ran
away. 1 understand that he was furious.
Only a few months more, Nell, anil then
I may como anil no as I please. Come to
Venice. CAPWCCIOSA.
Hillard did not stir. - Another laby
rinth to this mystery! Cnprleclosn
Kitty Kllllgrew's unknown prima don
na, and all be had to do was to take
the morning train fur Venice, and
twenty-fnur hours later he would be
prowling through the Campo Santa
Maria I'oruiusu.
-Mrs. Sandford observed him curi
ously, even sadly. Why couldn't his
fancy have been charmed by nu every
day, sensible girl and nut by tills
whimsical, extraordinary woman who
fooled diplomats, Haunted dukes and
kept n kiiiK at arm's length in a pas
time? And yet
"Cnpricciiisa," he ' mused aloud.
"That Is not her name."
"And'l shall nut tell it you."
"Hut her given name? Just n straw,
something to hold on. I'm a drowning
man."
"It is Hilda."
"That Is Herman."
"She prefers It to Ponla."
"Sonla Hilda. It begins well. May I
keep this letter?"
"Certainly not. With that cara mla?
Give it to me."
He did so. "Shall I seek her?"
"This Is my advice don't think of
her after tonight. If you ever see or
recognize her, avoid her. It may sound
theatrical, but she is the Innocent
cause of two deaths. These nieu
sought her openly too." ' .
"What has she done?"
"She made a great though common
mistake."
"Political ?
"Don't be foolish. I Am sorry I let
you see the letter. I forgot that she
told me her hiding place."
"Her hiding place?"
"Mr. Hillnrd, she Is os far removed
from your orbit as Mnrs' Is from Jupi
ter's. Forget her."
"My orbit is not limited. I shall
seek lit r. When I f;::d Iirr I shall
marry her."
"I like you too much, Mr. Hillard, to
stand br and see ran break your heart
COMBINATION RANGE
BOILER INSULATOR AND
HOT FIRELESS COOKER
lift 4
iFli
mmmm
J. W. WHITNEY
Office in Aikin Plumbing Co.'s Store, Med fr rd.
against a stone wall."
"Don't you see, the deeper the mys
tery Is tlio inure powerful tho attrac
tion becomes?"
The doer to the lift opened and
closed noisily, and lllllaid turned neg
ligently. A man sauntered through the
room. The moment ho ciimo Into tho
light lllllard's Interest became lively
enough. It was the handsome Italian
with the scar.
"Who Is Hint man?" he whispered.
"Only a few weeks ngti I bumVi'd Into
him on coming but of the club."
"Do not attract his attention," nhu
nuswered,
"Who Is he?" ho repented.
"A Venetian otllcer and a proillgate.
I entertained hlui once, but I lenrnt'd
from him that I had been 111 advised."
Hillard saw that this subject would
admit of no further quesilons. The
man with Hie sear had committed
tjome Inexcusable efTense, mid Mrs.
Sandford had crossed him off the
list.
It was after 10 when Hillard and his
friend took their leave.
' Wo shall leave In the morning for
Venice," said Hillard.
"Venice? How about Rome, and
Florence?"
"Which would you prefer, Itomo and
the antiquities or Venlco nnd Kitty
Killigrew V"
"Kitty In Venice? Are you sure?"
"She Is there with Iji Signorlim Ca
prlcclosa. Oh, this Is a Duo world, aft
er nil, and I wns wrong to speak 111 of
It this morning."
"If Kitty's In Venice I'm nn ungrate
ful beggar too. But I do not seo why
Kitty's being In Venice excites you."
"!'.)? Well, fate writes that Kilty's
mysterious piimn donna and my lady
of tho mask are one and the same per
son." "No!"
The two without further words
marched along the middle of the Cor
so to the hotel. The colnierge started
toward them, but suddenly reconsid
ered and retreated to his bandbox of
nn olilce. The strangeness of his move
ments passed uiiuiillicd.by the two
men, who continued on through tho
lobby Into tho first corridor. Hillard
Inserted his key In the door of his
room nnd swung It Inward, lie paused
on the threshold with good cause.
Two dignified cnniblnleti rose quick
ly and approached Hillnrd. There was
something In the Hashing eyes and set
jaws that made him realize that tho
safest thing for him to do nt that mo
ment wns to stand perfectly ntlll.
(To be continued.)
BIJOU
THEATRE
Closed for Repairs
Open Thursday Evening with
Darling Stock Company
Mut enlarge seating capacity to
accommodate the crowds.
BILLY EMPEY VAN, Manager.
Containing two indispensable
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and let us demonstrate its
merits:
t-msot. win .a js.
Perry Snodivisioo
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ENGINEERING AND SURVEYING CON
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MEDFORD, OREGON
Office in Jackson County Bank Upstairs
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