THE HOOD RIVER NEWS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1910
6
The Lure of
the Mask
By HAROLD MACGRATH
CeprrUbl. IM. by Ik Baska-
Merrill Ce.
(CONT1NUED1FROM LAST WEEK)
CHAPTER XIII.
HAHT NAPOLEONS.
MEIUtlllLW sighed with per
fect couteut. Tt pretty wo
wail sitting opooslte nulled
at tilin tenderly, and be
smiled back abstractedly, as a man
sometime will wlieu bis mlud trlea to
rather lu comprehensively a thought
aud a picture wblcb are totally differ
ent Before blui In Meat little lustrous
stacks stood 7.UK) francs lu sold, 350
effigies of "Napoleon tbe Little" 7,000
francs, fl.40U, more tbau half tbe
sum of bin letter of credit!
lie counted off ten coins aud placed
tbe in on tbe second dozen. Tbe ball
rolled Into No. 23. He leaned back
again wttb a second sigh, and tbe pret
ty woman smiled a second smile, and
tbe wooden rake p untied tbe beautiful
gold over to him. He was playing a
system, one bet In every three turns
" of tbe wheel In stakes of HO and $80.
To be sure, be lost uow and then, but
tbe next play be doubled and retrieved.
Oh, tbe American Comic Opera com
pany should be well taken care of
Two more bets and then be would
pocket his wtnuInK and go. He laid
40 francs on No. 20 and 400 on black,
leaned upon bis elbows and studied the
pretty woman, who smiled. If she
spoke English be scribbled tbe ques
tion on a scrap of paper aud pushed It
across tbe table, blushing a little as
be did so. She read It, or at least
she tried to read It, and shook her head
with tbs air of one deeply puzzled.
Be sighed again, reflecting that there
might have been a pleasant adventure
bad he only understood French.
Twenty-six, black and even!
Merribew slid back his chair and
rose. He swept np the gold by the
handful and poured It Into bis pockets,
casually and unconcernedly, as If this
was an everyday affair and of minor
Importance. But as a matter of fact
bis besrt was beating fast, and there
was a wild desire In bis throat to yell
with delight. Eighteen hundred dol
lars, 0,000 francs! A merry music they
made In bis pockets Jingle, Jingle,
Jingle! And then be ssw Hillard com
ing across tbe ball. Instantly be
forced the Joy from bis face end eye
and dropped bta cbln In his collar. He
became In that moment the picture ef
desolation.
"Is It all overr asked HUIard gravely-
"All over!" monotonously.
"Come over to the cafe, then. I've
something Important to tell you."
"Found them?" with rouBlng interest.
"I shall toll you only when we get
out of this pluce. Come."
HUIard put out a friendly hand.
"I am sorry, boy. I wanted you to
win something. Cheer up!' We'll
shake the dust of this place In tbe
morning."
"Ob, fr a vacant lot and a good old
w hooper-tip! Feel!" cried Merribew,
touching bis side pockets.
"What la Itr asked HUIard.
"Whit la It? It is 450 napoleons r
"What?" sharply, even doubtfully.
"That's what! Eighteen hundred
dollars! My system will have no
funeral tonight."
He caught Hillard by tbe sleeve and
fairly ran blm over to the cafe.
"Nearly two thousand!" murmured
Hillard. "Well, of all the luck!"
"It does seem too good to be true.
I say. what's the matter with your
cravat r
Hillard looked down at the flutter
ing end and reknotted it carelessly.
"I ssw Kitty tonight" be said.
To Merribew It seemed that all tbe
clatter about him bad died away sud
denly. He breathed deeply. "Where is
she?"
"I'll explain what baa happened."
Merrlhew llxtened eagerly.
"And why did you bother about tbe
Italian?" be Interrupted. "Why didn't
you bold on to Kitty?"
"1 confess It wss stupid of me, but
the gentleman with tbe scar was an
unknown quantity. Besides, why
should Kitty nin away from me of all
persons? And why, when I spoke to
them lu the casino, did they Ignore
me completely?"
"It's your confounded prima donna.
She's at the bottom of all this, take
NURSERY STOCK
For bis. well matured apple treea, etandtns
from i to T feet In row. Nawtona and Bplta. call
or writ
S. W. HLPPNER
Two af Ilea Wat of Town
Taft Transfer Co.
Draying. ..
Wood Yard
HAY, HOUR and PEED
For Sals
Ofllce Fhoaa S Reaidenee Mt-M
"AdvrrtlHliiK Itrlnira aiicceaV If
whnt you advertise bonre out your
advertisement.
my word for It Something's desper
ately wrong. Persons do not wear
masks and hide lu this manner Just
for a lark. W by didn't you knock blm
down?"
"I wanted to, but it wasu't the psy
etiological moment. You can't knock
man down when be practically sot
renders."
"You're too particular. But what's
the matter with Kitty? I dou't under
stand. To see you was to know that
I waa round somewhere. Bbe ran
away from me as well as from you.
What aball we do?"
"Start the bunt again or give it up
entirely. There are some villages be
tweeu here and Nice. It must be in
that direction. They were about to
board tbe car for Nice. If you hadn't
been gambling, if you bad been sensl
ble and stayed with me"
"Come, uow, that won't wash. Too
know very well that you urged me to
piy.-
"You would have played without any
urging."
"And who U this Italian anyhow?"
asked Merrlhew. "And why did be
run after your prima donna?"
"That is precisely what I wish to
find out," auswered Hillard.
"I'm afraid that Kitty has fallen
among a bad lot. I'll wager It is
He tvejtt up the gold by the handful.
some anarchist business. They are
always plotting tbe assassination of
kings over here, and tbla mysterious
womsn is Just the sort to rope in a
confiding girl like Kitty. One thing. If
I come across our friend with the
csr"
"You will wisely cross to tbe oppo
site side of tbe street. To And out
what this tangle Is it is not necessary
to Jump head first Into it."
"A bad lot."
"That may be, but no anarchists, my
boy."
HUIard was a bit sore at heart. That
phrase recurred and recurred: "A
lady? Grace of Mary, that ia droll!"
The shadow of disillusion crept into
his bright dresm and clouded it to
build so beautiful a castle and to see
It tumble at word! Tbe Italian bad
spoken with a contempt based on more
than suspicion.
'Kitty doesn't wish to meet us,"
Merribew bitterly observed. So we'll
light out for Venice in the morning.
I'm not going to be made fool of for
tbe best woman alive."
Iu the meantime the lamps In the
casino bad been extinguished. In the
harbor the yachts stood out white and
spectral. Tbe tram for Nice shrieked
down tbe incline toward tbe promon
tory. At tbe foot of tbe road which
winds up to tbe palacea tbe car waa
signaled, and two women boarded.
Both were veiled. They maintained
singular silence. At Vlllefrancbe they
got out. Tbe women stopped before
tbe gates of a villa and rang tbe por
ter's bell. Ouce in the room above,
tbe alienee between tbe two women
came to an end.
'Safe! I am so tired. What a night!"
tbe elder of tbe two women sighed.
"What a night truly! I ahould like
to know wbat It has all been about,
To run through dark streets and alleys,
to bide for hours, aa if I were a thief
or a fugitive from Justice, is neither to
my tsste nor to my liking."
"Kitty," she began sadly, "in thla
world no one trusts as wholly. We
must know why. Loyalty must have
reasons; chivalry must have facts.
You have vowed your love and loyalty
a hundred times, and still when a great
crista confronts me you question, you
grow angry, you complain, because
my reasons are unknown to you. It
was blind terror which made me run.
I counted not tbe consequences. I
shall tell you why I am lonely, why
the world, bright to you, Is dark. I
am proud, but I shall bend my pride."
With a quick movement she lifted her
head high, and her eyes burned Into
Kitty's very heart. "I am"
"Stop! No, no! I forbid you!" Kit
ty put her bands over her ears. She
might gain the secret, but she knew
that she would lose tbe heart of the
woman It concerned. "I am wrong,
wrong. I have promised to follow you
loyally, without question. I will keep
that promise. I am only angry be
cause you would not let me apeak to
Mr. Hillard. He la very handsome,"
Kitty added thoughtfully, "ne Is
It ron g too."
'Strong and cruel as a tiger. How
I bate blm! But thsnk you, Kitty;
thank you. Sooner or later, if we stay
together, I must tell you. Tbe confi
dence will do me good." Kitty ap
proached, and Ij Slgnorlna drew ber
close. "I have wrought harm to no
one. But ou my aide they will tell you
that I have been terribly wronged.
.nd all I wlnh Is to be left alone,
sMue. It was cruel of me to forbid
you to speak to Mr. Hillard. But I
wish blm to recollect me pleasantly,
as a whimsical being who came Into
bis life one night aud vanished out of
it In two hours."
"But supposing tbe memory cuts
deeply," ventured Kitty. "Men fall
lu love with less excuse thsn this."
"Nonsense!" La Slgnorlna opened
the window to air the room. She lin
gered, musing. "You are very good to
me. Kitty."
"I can't help being good to you, you
strange, lovely woman, for your sake
aa well aa for mine. Now I am going
to write a letter."
La Slgnorlna still lingered by tbe
window.
Merrlhew waa pocketing currency In
exchange for bis gold when HUIard
passed an open letter to htm:
My Daar Mr. Hillard Do not soak us.
It will be uaelea If Mr. Merrlhew is
with you. tall him that some day I wUl
explain away the mystery. But this
pleaae make plain to him If he insists
upon searching tor ma he will only double
my unhappineaa.
KITTT KILLIGREW.
Merrlhew soberly tucked tbe letter
away. "I knew it," be said simply.
"She is In some trouble or other, eorae
tangle, and fears to drag us into it
Who left a letter here this morning?"
be asked of the concierge.
"A small boy from Vlllefrancbe."
"Just my luck," aald Merribew. "I
aald that it would be of no use to
bunt in the smaller towns. Well, we
had better take tbe luggage back to
tbe rooms. I am going to Title-
francbe."
"You will be wasting time. After
wbat happened last night I am certain
they will be gone. Let ua respect their
plans, bard as It may seem to you."
"But your
"Oh, don't bother about me. I nave
relegated my little romance to the gar
ret of no account things, at least for
tbe present" said Hillard, with an
enigmatical smile. "Make up your
mind we have only twenty minutes."
"Oh, divine afflatus! And you lay
down the chase so readily as tbla?"
Merrlhew was scornfully Indignant
'I would travel the breadth of the
continent were I sure of meeting thla
woman. But she baa become a wlll-o'-the-wlsp,
and I am too old and like
comfort too well to pursue Impossibil
ities."
'But why did she leave you that
mask?" demanded Merrlhew. "She
must have meant something by that."
True, but for tbe life of me I can't
figure out what"
"But I don't like the Idea of leaving
Kitty this way without a final effort
to rescue ber from the clutches of thla
fascinating adventuress."
'I admit nothing, my boy, aave that
the keenness of the chase is gone. Aa
for Kitty, she's a worldly little woman
and can take good care of herself.
Her letter abould be sufficient."
"But It isn't A woman's 'don't of
ten means 'do.' If Kitty really expects
me to search for ber and I do not she
will never believe in me again."
"Perhaps your knowledge of women
Is more extensive than mine," said
Hillard.
But tbls flattery did not appeal to
Merribew. "Bosh! There's something
you haven't told me about that makes
you so Indifferent."
This was a shrewd guess, but HU
Iard bad his reasons for not letting his
friend see bow close be bad shot. "A
lady? Grace of Mary, that Is droll!"
He could not cast this out of his
Bugs dl Ban GlovaunI and the Bio dl
Bau Polo.
Out Into tbe Grand canal again. As
they swept uuder the last bridge before
coming out into the hotel district HU
Iard espied a beggar leaning over tbe
para(et. Tbe moonlight shone full In
bis face.
"Stop!" cried Hillard to Achilla.
The beggar took to his heels, and
wheu HUIard stepped out of the gon
dola the beggsr had disappeared.
"Who was itr asked Merrlhew In
differently. "Glovsnul!"
TO BE CONTINUED
Oregon
ShotLine
amd Union Pacific
TIHE TABLE
Effective Sunday, Sept. 12, trains
will arrive and depart at Hood River,
Oregon, on the following schedule:
WEST BOUND
No. 6. Oregon Waahincton Limited 6:50 A. U.
No. . Portland Expraaa (M "
Na. i. Soo-Spoluuw-Portland 6:45 "
No. 11. Pacific Expraaa .... J20 P. M.
No. 7. Portland Spatial M5 "
Train Na 11 makaa all atopa, betwean Hood
River and Portland.
Train Na 6 will atop only at Wrath. Caaeadc
Locks. Bonneville. Bridal Veil, Trootdale. Pair
view. Columbia Beach. Latourelie and Corbet ta.
Trains Na 8. No. 6 and Na 7 will make no itopa
between Hood River and Portland.
EAST BOUND
Na 12. Atlantic Expraaa. 10:25 A. M.
Na 8. Chicago Special 1146 "
Na 6. Oree-on A Washing-ton Limited 8:35 P. M.
Na 4. Soo-Spokane-Portland 9:00 "
Na 10. Salt Lake Expraaa 1026 "
Na 12 atopa at all atationa eaet of Hood River.
Na 10 atopa at Moaier. The Dal lea. Celilo, Dee
chute. Rufua, Arlington. Umatilla, Hermiaton,
Stanfield. Echo and other way atationa.
Na ( and No. 1 atop only at The Dai lea. Umatil
la. Pendleton, Gibbon. LaGrande and Baker City.
Na 8 will only handle paaaensera for Nampa,
Idaho, and point eaat thereof.
Paaaena-era for local potnta aaat of Hood River
must take train Na 12 or train Na 10 to points at
which they atop.
J. H. FREDRICY, Agent.
W. J. BAKER
Real Estate
Loans
Insurance
APPLE AND STRAWBERRY
LAND A SPECIALTY
Correspondence Solicited
Duffy & Zimmerman
fresh Bread, pies
and Cahco daily
?ancy and Wedding Carta
Mlad a to Order
Model Bakery
Succeaaora to T. H. Williams
A. W. ONTHANK
NOTARY PUBLIC
Dealer in CITY PROPERTY
Legal Papers carefully drawn.
Money loaned on First Mortgages
Fire Insurance in best Companies.
Surety Bonds of all kinds.
Stenography and Typewriting.
Business promptly attended to.
306 Oak Street
Hood River
I L. B. STEVENS & CO. 2
Ulllard espied a beggar leaning over the
larapct.
thought. He floated between this
phrase and Mrs. Sandford's frank de
fense of ber girlhood friend.
Time flies," be warned. "Which Is
It to ber
"We'll go on to Venice. It would be
folly for me to continue tbe hunt
alone."
At 7 that eveulng they stepped
out of tbe ststlon In Venice tbe blue
twilight of Venice that curves down
from tbe hollow hvarena, softening a
bit of ugliness here, accentuating a bit
of loveliness there. Here Merrlhew
found one of his dreams come trus,
and his first vision of tbe Grand canal,
with lis gondolas and bargee and queer
tittle bobtalled skiffs, was never to
leave blm. Hillard hunted for bis old
gondolier, but could not find him. 80
be chose one Acbllle, No. 154. With
their trunks, which they bsd picked
op at Genoa, and small luggage In the
hotel barge they bad the gondola all
to themselves.
Instead of following the Grand canal
Acbllle took the abort cut through tbe
A riNB LIN I OP
I Cigars, ejc6acccs,
Smelters' Supplies
2 Confectionery, Stationery,
IF 1PJ9 t?m W& W.W w 9 Wm fM V
Notions, Etc.
Stop in at "The Peaatime"
On the Heia-hta
CP. SUMNER
Lavatories
Toilcto
Sinho
PLUMBING
Sewer ill Drill
TILE
c
f
i
i
for Sale
Finest Residence Corner on State Street.
This lot has never been on the market be
fore. ' Fine view of Mt. Adams and River.
For full particulars see
J. f . Batcbelder
Phone 70
125 Cascade Avenue
GET YOUR MILK
FROM .
The Payson Dairy Supply Co.
MOUNTAIN CLEN FARM
Pure, Wholesome, Healthful, from Cows and Stables
that are SANITARY.
H. N. PAYSON, City Salesman THOS. CALKINS, Dairyman
Phone 281-X
Don't Leave the Hood River District
WITHOUT INVESTIGATING
Mosier Valley
Natural advantarea for fruit crowinc
unexcelled. Land pricaa haro doubted in
two ream but are not half that aaked
for aimilar land ia other section Buy
now before speculators add their profit.
Commercial Club of Mosier
MOSIER, OREGON
6 Miles East of Hood River, Oregon
ABSTRACTS, LOANS, CONVEYANCING,
SURETY BONDS, FIRE, LIFE, ACCIDENT,
PLATE GLASS, LIABILITY, BURGLARY
INSURANCE.
ALL WORK GUARiXTEED
Waucoma Abstract & Investment Co. (Inc.)
First Door South of Hood River News Office
H. L HOWE, U. S. Commissioner. Land Office Practice
DEAN & SHAW
Electrical fvfrurnisfiers
H. R. Banking & Trust Bldg.
HOME PHONE 3
HOOD RIVER, ORE.
To Those Who believe in Patronizing Home Industry
When you lay in your winter
supply of Flour and Feed, ask for
CUPID FLOUR
HOMEMILLED FEED
If your dealer doe9 not want
... to supply it, come to Ua . . .
CUPID IS STILL MADE FROM OLD WHEAT
Kood RiDcr HTi(ling Company
i- it ITHT Ifiu rft r(
H. H. Bailit
W. E. Colst
r 3 nil
- i-e WSS
BAILEY & COLBY
Electric Wiring and Fixtures
All kinds of Electrical J.
Supplies at Moderate Prices ffi
y Room at 117 Slat Street
4