Hearts and Masks

and the glare of a dark-lant

," said the tranquil voi

. Not a dozen feet away was liberty; and now we were ba

ked, not to be outdone in the

ubtless you w

h and touched t

apparent coolness, my heart-bea

side. I could feel her heart

r?" I r

eproachfully. "Mine

l job?"-thu

"I couldn't get around to this here cellar earlier

glar with the

o for you?" I

tell me what you and this lady ar

when you a

s,

I were playing

ing. "Were you trying t

as merely ex

when you a

ir

a cool h

t our admiration is mutual.

w was properly observed, sir,

ould gather the gems in that garb." For I was positive th

rs, sir, not a jeweler. So you and the lady was playing hide-and-s

e a gown which hampered my movements. For, truth t

terferes with gentlemanly jobs, sir. All

ot a bu

is always a gentleman, sir. Now, you can return to that coal-

ve by the ce

ory reasons, sir. I prefer the window.

t al

t down, sir," he

he afterward confessed that if she had not sat down on the box, she would hav

r for the three of us. His presence doubly endangered us and multiplied the complications. I was in no position to force the gems from him. A man who has ten thousand dollars'

stout scre

s, holding his lantern under his arm meanwhile. The muzzle of the r

he screen, and pres

actory?"-with i

erfect gentleman th

aughed hys

fun was beginnin

aside. Sit down by the lady.

him to th

wriggled through the window. He turned. "Good night

e devil!"

ldn't have thought it of you, and

sappe

aid a hand

Comstalk. If you had not, it is qui

the jewels have gone with him. I hadn't the least chance; the wretch

ten of hearts, why shou

well out of this. I believed my plan was for the best, and instead I have simply blackened the case against us. I have been too adventurous. The situation look

ed out together, we'll hang together." She held out her hand t

" And I pressed

rglar didn't try those ce

find out! Come on.

ocked. Through the thin crack I looked out upon the bright world of moonshine and crystal. Instantly I permitted the door to settle into its accustomed place. I readily understood

the girl, as I mot

come: the polic

did I ever come? It will be in the papers, with horrid pictures. We ought not t

, once they set eyes upon me. Homo sum! They are looking fo

the stupid police will swear I am

e found upon us," I a

e have already d

e real

he came into the cel

erribly reasona

go my bail, and yours, too, for that matter. Come, l

did I come?"-a bit of a wail ste

ight, and no mistake,

than you are; I had an

, then, did you follow

iserable cellar,"-briefly. "What a night! I a

but, for the love of Heaven, don't cry, or

terical. And who wouldn't be, with police officers and cells staring one in the face? Let us be

ading somewhere into the club. It was our last chance, or we should indeed be obliged to stay all night in some bin; for it would not be long before they searched the cellars. If this flight led into the kitchen, we were saved, for I could bluff the servants. We paused. Presently we ascende

ity-bumpity

time, but that racket beat anything a

into the ballroom! The girl and I had made a complete circuit of the cellars, and had stumbled into the ball-room again by the

the law. "Here you are, then! He

n't any doubt in my mind what was going to happen. As the girl said, there would be flaring head-lines and horrid pictures. We were like to be the newspaper sensation of the day. Arrested and lodged in jail! Wha

urs, the fellow who had masqueraded as Caesar, suddenly loomed up before me, still wearing his sardonic smile. At h

" cried the policeman chee

me, he believed me to be the