Hearts and Masks
ves and stuffing them into a pocket. "As a friend of mine used to say, it is the unexpected that
e didn't. The gentleman was very nice and obl
re, "I beg of you, Mr. Comstalk, I beg of you not to move or to become unduly excited. Physici
d him soundly in my mind. William's bulging side-pocket convinced me
rogue admiringly. "A gentleman always recognizes his opport
witty, too, sir,"
pale and rigi
want?" I dema
down to dine with a lady without having washed his face. The coal-dust does not a
e expressed indescribabl
struggling to repress the almost irr
e outdone, "we are often thoughtless in regard to
Mr. Comstalk. You have the true spi
ainly ha
has a merry time of it indeed. To have the perfect s
risk in offering me the
In what
d is at the club." I do not know wha
t as he can. He passed here ten minutes ago in the patrol, lickety-clip! He wishes to warn all p
sum, sir,"
oes to you, my good
sir," repl
gues I never
well, sir, to hast
nty of time
irl, her terror slipping from her, "simply t
am!" cried the rogue, tak
s, sir, but as you do, it seems t
his charming young lady sc
mean that." William leaned against the
ghted a cigarette a
will you join me?"-proffe
p well before this girl if I died for it. I blew a cloud of smoke at
for you increases each m
andsome case belong?" I a
rusted friend: how these often tumble down our beautiful edifices! Yes, I am a scamp, a thief, a rogue; but not because I need the money. No,"-with retrospec
this life? Drugs? Pah! Oh, I have given Haggerty a royal chase. It has been meat and drink to me to fool the cleverest policeman in New York. Till yesterday my face, as a criminal, was unknown to any man or woman, save William here, who was my
r and flung it on the table. I made a
t, sir," warned
cles r
," said the girl, smiling bravely into my ey
p the ring and rolled it
ey sparkled, scintillated, glowed; thousands in the whitest of stones! How he ever had got his fingers on them is something I shall never learn. "Aren't they just beautiful?" he asked na?vely. "Can you blame me for coveting them?" He set the ruby on top of t
mechanically
turning his shining eyes upon me, while his
I replied, tossing
op you carelessly exhibited a wallet that was simply choking to death with long yellow
argue. So I drew out my wallet. I extracted the gold-bills and made a neat l
Most men would have flun
ver you doubt it, sir,"
n change," I suggeste
ed something to pay for this little supper and the fare back to New York." My bills disappeared i
m snig
inquired. The comedy was beginnin
ed, his sardonic smile returning. "It is so lon
cow
t of view only. I admit we would not b
o this day of some broken, fantastic dream,