THE Ht)OD RIVER NEWS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1909
5
TheXureof
the Mask
By HAROLD NACGRATH
CeprnjM. 1908. the Beaks
M.mll Ce.
(CONTINUED KKOM J-AST tVEKK)
CHAPTER XI.
A BOX OF CIGAR.
ON' tUe way up to Rome Hulaxd
ami hi pupil bad a second
class compartment all to
themselves. To train was a
fast one. d r the day of alow travel
bu passed In Italy, and the cry of
speed U heard over the land.
Tin-re u;i u i-haiij;t of cars at Rome
and n :i!t of two hours.
After luncheon Merrlhew secretly
rua;tit two boxes of clears to carry
alivtif . They wort' good clears and coat
him $11 lie covered them with some
Open River Transportation Co
!. J. H. TCAL
Operated te initarl those bring aiooff the Rive
O. C. VBkH. Oeoeral Ag-eot
Paul 8. Taiuaan, Dock Ajt
OREGON
Shoip Like
Uraon Pacific
' TlflE TABLE
Effetive Sunday, Sept. 12, trains
, win arrive aad depart at flood River,
Oregoa, en the following schedule:
WEST BOUND
Mo.' i. Oieaun Washington Limited 8:50 A. li
Ke. S. Portland Ixpma 6:00
IJe.' t. S-oe-Spoksne-Portland i:45 "
fJa. 11. Pacine Express 120 P. M
e.. Portland Special "
Tiain N II rakes all stope bctm Hood
irm sad Portland.
, Trele Ma ( will stop only at Wjeth. Cavadr
Lacks. Banaarilla. Bridal Vail, Troutdala, Fair
via. Celoeibia Beeeh, Latourelle and Corbetts.
Traiaa Na I. Ns I and Ns. 7 will maka no steps
katwesa Hood Rirer aad Portland.
EAST BOl'ND
N. 14 A Ian tic Expraaa.- 10 it A. If .
h. t C.ieago Special. 11:54 "
)v i agon Washington Limited l:S P. M.
a f't-S pea ana- Portland 100 "
Fell to.'t Lake Eipreae 10:2 "
!! foa at all stations east of Hood Rirer.
Ks. : my. e at Mister, tlie Dalles. Ohio. Dee
Ktm. Rufia. Arlington. Umatilla. Hermirton,
S'.f.id. rhe and ether war nation.
be. and Na. I atop only at The Dallea. Umatil
la, Pendletea. Gibbon. La'irande and Baker City.
Ma I will only handle paaeengere for Nampa.
Idaho, aad point east thereof.
- Pa ln for local peinta aaet of Hood Rirer
Most take train No. 12 or train No. 14 to poinu at
which ther (top.
J. H. FREDRICY, Agent.
Taft Transfer Go.
: Draying. . .
) Wood Yard
HAY, FLOUR an, FEED
Fer Sale
OmoePaooeJ
Residence 232- II
4r rraj.
t L. B. STEVENS & CO. t
a ma use or
i Cigars, tTc6accos, i
5 Smcfrs' Supptiat
I Confectionery, Stationery, 2
Z Notions, Etc.
J Step la at "The Psaatims"
K On the Heights
& C.r.SUMNER
Lavatorico
Toilets
Sinho
PLUMBING
Scwcr ail inn
TILE
id
new spaH'is and at the statlou succeed
ed by aouie U'i;TtliMnnli) In slipping
them Into one of bis i-nseM. Uillurd
would have Ui.tiii'e.t him u bin rx
tr.iviigiiiioe. and this wu a S1! way
to avoid It. But aoine hours luler be
was kuIiik to lie very aorry that be
bad not made a couddant of bis guide.
As they were boarding the train they
noticed two gentlemen getting Into the
forward compartment of tbe carriage.
"Humph! Our frleud with tbe war,"
said Hlllurd. "We do not seem able to
shake him."
"I'd like to shake hi in. He goea
against tbe grain somehow." Merrl
bew swuug into tbe compartment. "I
wonder why tbe S&ndfords dropped
him?"
"For some good reason. Tbey are a
iberal pair, and If our frleud forward
jffended tbem it must have been some
thing outaltle the paie of forgiveness.
But i should like to know where old
Slovannl Is. 1 miss him."
"Poor devil said Merrlbew, with
careless sympathy.
The train started.
"Moute Carlo! Gold, gold, little
round pieces of gold!" Merrlhew rub
bed bis hand like a miser.
"Hard to 'get and heavy to hold!"
quoted Hlllard. "1 suppose that you
have a system already worked out."
"Of course. I shall win If I stick to
It."
"Or If tbe money lasts. Bury your
system, my boy. It will do you no
good. Trust to luck only. Monte Car
lo Is the graveyard of systems."
"But maybe my system Is tbe one.
You can't tell .4111 I have tried It."
Soon tbe train began to lift Into tbe
mguntalus. the beautiful Apennines.
By the1 . time they arrived in Genoa,
late at night, both compared favorably
with the coalers In the harbor of Na
ples. Early tbe uext morning the adven
turers set out for Monte Carlo more
tunnels; a compartment filled with
women and children. But the beauty
of the Hiviora was compensation.
Ventimiglia. or Vlnttmille, has a sin
ister sound In the ears of the traveler
if perchance be be a man fond of bis
tobacco. The train drew In. A dozen
steps more and one was virtually in
France. -But there is generally a slight
hitch before one takes tbe aforesaid
stepsthe Krench customs. A porter
fcppped his bead into tbe wludow.-
Eight minutes' for examination - of
luggage!" be cried.
"Come. Dan." cried Hillard; "lively if
we wan( K,Md seats when we come
out.. We change trains."
After a short skirmish they located
tbelr. belongings. Tbey would bave to
he patient.'
Among the Inspectors at Ventimiglia
Is a small, wizened Frenchman with a
face as cold and Impassive as the sand
blown sphinx. He possesses, among
other accomplishments, a nose pecul
iar less for Its shape than for Its smell.
He can. "smell out," tobacco as a .witch
doctor in Zululand. smells out a 'tfevU."
Fate directed this "individual toward
the Americans. Hlllard knew blm of
old. and he never forgets a face, this
wLzeued little man.
"Monsieur has nothing to declare?"
be asked.'
Hlllard made a negative sign and
opened his cases. With scarce a
glance at their contents and waving
aside tbe -cuupons tbe inspector ap
plied tbe chalk and turned to Merrlbew.-
'.'Monoieur has nothing to declare?"
e repented.
' Uerribew shook ' bis bead airily.
"Nlente, hlente!" be said in bis best-
Italian. He did not understand wbat
tbe Inspector' said. He merely bad
suspicions.
"Look!" suddenly exclaimed Hlllard.
Passing out of tbe door which led to
liberty and to France, tbelr luggage
guaranteed by cabalistic chalk marks,
were two women. One of tbem was
veiled; the other was not.
"Kitty Killlgrew. as I liver shouted
Vierrihew, making a dasb for tbe door.
But tbe Inspector blocked tbe way,
beckoned to a gendarme, wbo came
ever, and calmly pointed to Merri
bew's unopened cases.
"Open!" said tbe Inspector.
"But" Merrlhew struggled to pass.
"For heaven's sake," cried Hlllard,
"be patient and open tbe cases at
once."
Merrlbew bandied bis keys clumsily.
It la ever thus when one U in a burry.
Finally be tbrew back tbe lids, feeling
that in another moment be must bave
pouted Italian or French out of pure
magic simply to tell this fool Inspector
wbat be thought of blm.
"Oho, monsieur In a burry!" mocked
(be Inspector. "Nothing, nothing!" He
took out two boxes of cigars.
"Wby the devil didn't you tell me
you bad tbem?" Hlllard demanded
wrathfully. To find tbe women by tbla
stroke of luck and then to lose tbem
again for two boxes of cigars! It was
maddening.
The Inspector went through Merri
bew's possessions with premeditated
leisure. Everything bad to come out
He even opened the shaving sets, tbe
collar box. the pin cases and the tie
bne.
"Will you Jiastenr asked Hlllard.
"We do not wIsM to miss this train." "
"Others follow," said the Inspector
laconically. , .' '-.
Hlllard produced a five franc piece.
The inspector laughed without noise
and shook bis head. This one Inspector
Is Impervious to money or smooth
Ieerhe. He Is the law personified.
Inexorable.
Illllnrd strained bis eyes, but saw
neither Kitty nor the veiled lady again.
Doubtless they were already on the
train. Had Merrlbew been an old
traveler lie would have left him to get
to Monte Carlo the best way be could,
but Merrlhew was as helpless as a
child, and he hadn't the heart to desert
him. though be deserved to be desert
ed. I lng ding! w ent the bell. Wbee
wheel went the whittle. The train
for Monte Carlo was drawing out, ana
they were being left behiud. Hlllard
swore aud Merrlhew went white with
Impotent auger. If only be could bit
something! Tbe Inspector siulled and
weut ou with bis deadly work. When
be was cert.ilu that they could not pos
sibly catch the train be hauded the
cigars to their owner and pointed to
a sign the other aide of the barricade.
"Wbat aball I do now. Jack?" Merrl
bew asked.
"I refuse to help you. Find out your
self." So Merrlbew, hopeless and subdued,
went into tbe room designated, saw
tbe cigars taken out and weighed, took
the bill and presented It with a hun
dred lire note at tbe little window In
tbe off room.
Procuring his change, be found Hll
lard sitting disconsolately on the bar
ricade. "I hope you are perfect! aaUafled,"
aald Hlllard. with an amiability which
wouldn't bave passed . muster any
where, r . " ,.
"Ob. I'm satisfied." answered Merrl
bem. He atuffed bis pockets with ci
gars, slammed the boxea Into the case
and locked them up.
"I warned you about tobacco."
"I know it."
"You Bhould bave told me."
"I know that, too, but I didn't want
you to lecture me."
"A lecture would have been better
than waiting here In this barn for
three hours."
"Three hours?" despondently.
"Oh, there's a restaurant, but lt'a not
much better than this. It's bad flies
and greasy plates.
And by the time they bad found the
Rlstorante 'Toruaghl miserable and
uninviting tbey were laughing.
"Only I wish I knew where they
were going," was Hiilard'a regret.
'They?" said Merrlbew.
'Yes. The woman with Kitty is the
woman I'm going to find If I stay In
Europe ten years. And when I find
her I'm going to marry her."
'Sounds good," said Merrlhew, pour
ing himself a third glass of very Indif
ferent Beaune.
'And tbey may be going anywhere
but to Monte Carlo Paris, Cherbourg,
Calais. In my opinion, Monte Carlo is
tbe last place two such women are
likely to go to alone." "
So they sat In the dingy restaurant
smoking and laughing and grumbling
till tbe next train was announced. At
4 that afternoon they arrived without
further mishap at the most Interesting
station of Its size in Europe, Monte
Carlo. . '-.
And then Into the omnibus adjoin
ing came the man with the scar.
The Riviera, from San Remo on the
Italian side to Cannes on the French,
possesses a singular beauty.
Villefranche stands above Nice, be
tween that white city and Monte Car
lo. It is quiet and lovely.. For this
reason the. great army of tourists pass
it by. There Is no casino, no band, no
streets full of tantalizing shops. On
the very western limit of Villefranche,
on the winding white road which rises
out of Nice, is a modest little villa, so
modest that a ballerina would scorn
It and a dnchess Ignore it
In the balcony La Slgnorina reposed
in a steamer chair, gazing seaward.
Tbe awning cast a warm glow aa of
gold upon ber face and hair, a trans
parent shadow. She was at this mo
ment tbe most precious thing upon
which the eye may look, a wholly
beautiful' woman; Kitty . Killlgrew,
standing In tbe casement ' window,
stared at - ber silently1, not without
some envy, not without some awe.
What was going on behind those
dreamy eyes?
"Hilda?" said Kitty.
"Yes, Kitty."
"Who and what are yoa?" Kitty
ssked bravely.
La Slgnorlnas eyes wandered till
they met Kitty's.
"And what good would It do yon to
know? Would It brlii tr money from
borne any sooner? You already., know
that I am unhappy. The adventuress
always la."
"Adventuress?" Kitty laughed scorn
fully. "Tbe proprietor pretends be
La 9ijnrHna turned ayHn in a patHcm
fierce and sudden.
does not know you. but I am certain
be does. He forgets himself sometimes
In the way be bows to you."
Kitty paused, then asked:
"Won't you tell me what tbe secret
Is?"
"How beautiful that whit sail
looks!"
"You know all about me." went on
Kitty stubbornly.
"Because you told me. I never asked
you a single question.
"Is U-lover
"Ivve!" La Blgnorlnn shrugged
"Poor Kitty, you are trying In vain to
make a romance out of my life. You
sbould not rend so mich "
"It U not curiosity." declared Kltty7
"it la because I love you and because
It makes me sad wbeu 1 bear you
laugh, when I n you beat your bauds
sgaiuM the chair as ou did Just now."
La Slguoriua turned agaiu in a pas
Sion which was as tierce us It was sud
den.
"There la a man." a lie hissed, bet
eyea dilating. "But I loathe blm, I
hate blm, I abhor blm! And were It
not wicked to kill be would bave been
dead long ago. Enough! If you ever
ask another question I will leave you."
"I am sorry." said Kitty. "He waa
false to you and broke your heart"
"No, Kitty, only my pride."
"It ia a strange world." mused KJttv,
"Let ns turn to our affairs. I re
ceived a letter today."
"From home?" eagerly.
"I have no home. Kitty. The letter
la from friend In Naplee. Mr. Hll
lard and Mr. Merrlhew, friends of
yours, are In Italy."
Kitty could scarcely believe ber
ear. ."Where are they? Where are
tney stopping?"
"That 1 do not know. But listen
Tbey bave started out to find us.
When I tell you that Mr. nillard la
the gentleman I dined with that night
before we sailed you will understand
my reasons for wishing to avoid him
From this time on we must never ap
pear on tbe streets without our Telia,
If by chance we meet tbem we muat
give no algn. It will be only for a Ut
tie while. Your letter will come soon.
and you may renew your acquaintance
with these two gentlemeu wheu you
return home. It may be hard for you.
but IX you wish to stay wtta me say
will must be a law unto yon."
"Not to speak to them If w meet
them?" urged Kitty In dismay. "But
that In cruel of you. Tbey are both
gentlemen."
"I do not know Mr. Merrlhew. but I
can aay that Mr. Hlllard la a gentle
man. Aa for being cruel, I am not;
only selfish."
"Are you not a queen wbo bas run
away from a kingdom?" asked Kitty
bitterly. "One reads about them every
day in tbe papers."
"My dear, you are free to choose one
of two paths. I shall not urge you oas
way or tbe other, but you must choose
now."
Several minutes passed." Kitty look
ed out to sea, and I-a Slgnorina dosed
ber eyea. In ber heart Kitty knew that
she could no more leave tbla woman
than she could fly. She was held by
curiosity, by sentiment by tbe roman
tic mystery.
"I bave chosen," she aald at length
"I shall stay with you," .
"Thanks, Kitty. And now the af
fairs of the company. We hare played
three days and have lost steadily. To
night will be the last chance. Win or
lose, tomorrow we shall return to Ven
ice. I do not like the Idea of golnr
to Monte Carlo at Dlght. It Is not ex
actly safe. Bat since beggars mustn't
be choosers ' we must go. Again 1
warn you to speak to no one while I
am playing and under no circum
stances raise your veil. They have be
gun to notice us. but It will end to
night. I wns mad to think that I could
win. And, by the way. Kitty, we shall
not go back to the Campo Formosa."
Kitty accepted this news brightly.
If there was one place she hated it
was the Carnpo.
"Now run and dress," advised La
Slgnorlua. "Let me dream a little
more while tbe sun sets."
She knew men tolerably well. After
thirty tbey cease to follow visions
they seek tangible things. No, tbey
must never meet again.' It would not
be wise. Her heart galled by dlall
lUNlon. might uot withstand much
atormlog. And she bad no wish to add
this Irretrievable folly to the original
blunder. She was afraid.
No; tbey must go tbelr separste wsys
till the end. With a sigh she rose aad
went Into the room. Kitty was busy
with the finishing touches of her toilet.
The older woman kissed ber fondly.
"And do you realise that you are tke
moat beautiful woman la the world?"
asked Kitty.
"Little flatterer!"
"And if I were a man" Kitty paused
"I'd fall In iove with you and marry
you." '.
- La Slgnorina looked Into tbe mirror.
TO BB CONTINUED
NURSERY STOCK
For bis. well matured apple trees, atandint
from i to 7 feet In row. Newtona and Spits, sail
or writa
S. W. HEPPNER
Two Miles West of Town
Duffy & Zimmerman
freob Bread, pieo
and Cakes daily
tJancy and Wedding Carta
HTada to Order
, Model Bakery
Successors to T. B. Williams
REAL ESTATE!
If you want
Portland City Property
or
Willammette Valley
Lands
you can get the best on
best terms by writing
or visiting
ZD. N. Byerleo
8t Johns, Oregon-
Begin tbe new year right by buying tbe
Lot for your iSotne before prices ad
vance. I bave tbe beot Reoidence loto
in tbe city. HIbo Industrial Siteo and
Bueineso Lot9.
J. f. Batcbelder
Phone 70
To Those Who believe In Patronizing Home Industry
When you lay in your winter '-'
supply of Flour and Feed, aak for
CUPID FLOUR
HOMEMILLED FEED ;
v - , -. r y
. If your dealer does not want
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CUPID IS STILL MADE FROM OLD WtlBAT !
. - - . tm
Kood Riuer fTCiffmg Company
DEAN ST SHAW
H. R. Banking & Trust Bid,?.
HOME PHONE 3 HOOD RIVER, ORE.;
BUY YOUR
"
WOOD & HUGO INS
THE SPOT CASH GROCERY
The largest stock to select from. Our large trade
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WOOD & HUGGINS
Phone 7
jMZXXX.Sr X J. AAJ.1.JTAAAAA t AAA AAA A AAlA . Mj
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Shop
it 1-IIVtHl I II
rUHNIIUnt SIUHL
Dreeserer
Carpets
Art Squares
Linoleums
ALSO BUILDING MATERIAL
S. E. BARTMESS
215 Cascade Avenue
iN I
GROCERIES 3
FROM ' 9
tct mc iicoiicsk giruua ai
a specialty of fancy
Bailbv
W.I.OUT
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Electric Wlrloi and Flitirts
All kind, of Electrical
Supplies at Moderate fries
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Phone 222-R
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S-f "f -b-aaaaaxk3