Hearts and Masks

We made the club at exactly ten-thirty. Fortune went with me;

doubtless it was the crowd going in that saved me from close scrutiny.

My spirits rose as I espied Teddy Hamilton at the door. He was on the

committee, and was in plain evening clothes. It was good to see a

familiar face. I shouldered toward him and passed out my ten dollars.

"Hello, Teddy, my son!" I cried out jovially.

"Hello!"--grinning. Teddy thought it was some one he knew; well, so it

was. "What's your card?" he cried, as I pressed by him.

"The ten of hearts."

"The ten of hearts," repeated Teddy to a man who was keeping tally on a

big cardboard.

This sight did not reassure me. If they were keeping tally of all the

cards presented at the door, they would soon find out that there were

too many tens of hearts, too many by one! Well, at any rate, I had for

the time being escaped detection; now for the fun. It would be

sport-royal while it lasted. What a tale to give out at the club of a

Sunday night! I chuckled on the way to the ball-room: I had dispensed

with going up to the dressing-room. My robe was a genuine one, heavy

and warm; so I had no overcoat to check.

"Grave monk, your blessing!"

Turning, I beheld an exquisite Columbine.

"Pax vobiscum!" I replied solemnly.

"Pax . . . What does that mean?"

"It means, do not believe all you see in the newspapers."

Columbine laughed gaily. "I did not know that you were a Latin

scholar; and besides, you gave me to understand you were coming as a

Jesuit, Billy."

Billy? Here was one who thought she knew me. I hastened to

disillusion her.

"My dear Columbine, you do not know me, not the least bit. My name is

not Billy, it is Dicky."

"Oh, you can not fool me," she returned. "I heard you call out to

Teddy Hamilton that your card was the ten of hearts; and you wrote me,

saying that would be your card."

Complications already, and I hadn't yet put a foot inside the ball-room!

"I am sorry," I said, "but you have made a mistake. Your Jesuit

probably told you his card would be the nine, not the ten."

"I will wager--"

"Hush! This is a charity dance; no one makes wagers at such affairs."

"But--Why, my goodness! there's my Jesuit now!" And to my intense

relief she dashed away.