Hearts and Masks

There never was a newspaper those days that hadn't a war-map in some

one of its columns; and when I had digested the latest phases of the

war in the far East, I quite naturally turned to the sporting-page to

learn what was going on among the other professional fighters. (Have I

mentioned to you the fact that I was all through the Spanish War, the

mix-up in China, and that I had resigned my commission to accept the

post of traveling salesman for a famous motor-car company? If I have

not, pardon me. You will now readily accept my recklessness of spirit

as a matter of course.) I turned over another page; from this I

learned that the fair sex was going back to puff-sleeves again. Many

an old sleeve was going to be turned upside down.

Fudge! The train was rattling through the yards. Another page

crackled. Ha! Here was that unknown gentleman-thief again, up to his

old tricks. It is remarkable how difficult it is to catch a thief who

has good looks and shrewd brains. I had already written him down as a

quasi-swell. For months the police had been finding clues, but they

had never laid eyes on the rascal. The famous Haggerty of the New York

detective force,--a man whom not a dozen New York policemen knew by

sight and no criminals save those behind bars, earthly and

eternal,--was now giving his whole attention to the affair. Some

gaily-dressed lady at a ball would suddenly find she had lost some

valuable gems; and that would be the end of the affair, for none ever

recovered her gems.

The gentleman-thief was still at large, and had gathered to his account

a comfortable fortune; that is, if he were not already rich and simply

a kleptomaniac. No doubt he owned one of my racing-cars, and was clear

of the delinquent lists at his clubs. I dismissed all thought of him,

threw aside the paper, and mentally figured out my commissions on sales

during the past month. It was a handsome figure, large enough for two.

This pastime, too, soon failed to interest me. I gazed out of the

window and watched the dark shapes as they sped past.

I saw the girl's face from time to time. What a fool I had been not to

ask her name! She could easily have refused, and yet as easily have

granted the request. At any rate, I had permitted the chance to slip

out of my reach, which was exceedingly careless on my part. Perhaps

they--she and her uncle--frequently dined at Mouquin's; I determined to

haunt the place and learn. It would be easy enough to address her the

next time we met. Besides, she would be curious to know all about the

ten of hearts and the desperate adventure upon which I told her I was

about to embark. Many a fine friendship has grown out of smaller

things.