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DOraUSAT, FAGS AND OOMTUT
oarnival
joke jttiat led to arim reali-
CHAPTER I.
Wtf: •-%S.'. Csittfval.
Jachin Fell pushed aside the g)a
curtains between the voluminous over
^'draperies In the windows of this Chess
IH-'?/1"Sd Cbedtiri club, and ^ted:ont upon
x^^lthe^ riotous street* of New Orleans..
l^ic^Half an hour he had been waiting here
I j'i'^jin the lounge room for Dr. Cyril Ans
a middle-aged bachelor who had
/'^practiced in Opelousas for twenty
fe^^yea^ and had wme to the city
VTMtor- the Mardl Gras festivities. An-:'
other man might have seemed Irritated
the wait, but Jachln Pell was quite
unruffled.
He had much the air of a clerk. His
A''.features were thin and unremarkable
.1 his pale eyes constantly wore .an ex
t»ressl°n of wondering aloofness, as
though he saw around him much that
,he vainly tried to understand. In his
entire manner was a shy reticence. "He
l^^X^was'.no clerk, however this was evl
dent from his attire.
He was garbed
.from head to foot-In soberly blending
^Vjp3 shades of gray whose richness was
notable only at close view. One.fan
^•-vt-gcled-hlm a very precise sort of man, an
old maid of the wrong sex.
Doctor Ansley, An" Inverness flung
ii-v/vov©r Vs evening clothes, entered the
i\-. ^lounge room, and Fell turned to him
-with a dry, toneless- chuckled
You're the limit! Did you forget
we were going to the Maillards' to
night? However, we need not leave for
fifteen minutes yet, at least"
Doctor Ansley laid aside his cape,
stick and hat and dropped Into one of
:the
1
comfortable big chairs.
"You intend to mask for the Mall
lards'?" Ansley cast his eye over the
gray business attire of the little man.
"I never mask." Jachln Fell shook
his head. "I'll get a domino and go as
I am. Excuse me—I'll order a domino
now. Back in a moment."
Doctor Ansley followed the slight
figure of the other man with specula
five eyes. Well as he knew Jachln
Fell, he invariably found the man a
source of puzzled speculation.
During many years Jachln Feil had
been a member of the most exclusive
New Orleans clubs. He was even re
celved in the inner circles of Creole
society, which in itself was evidence su
preme as to his position. At this par
ticular club he was famed as a wizard
master of chess. He never entered
tournament, yet he consistently defeat
ed the champions in private matches-—
defeated them with a bewildering ease,
a shy and apologetic ease, an ease
1 which left the beholders incredulous
and aghast.
With all this, Jachln Fell was very
much of a mystery, even among his
closest friends. Very little was known
of him he was a lawyer, and certainly
maintained offices in the Malson
Blanche building, but he never ap
peared In the courts and no case of his
pleading was known.
Ansley knew him aS well as did most
men, aind Ansley knew of a few who
could boast of having been a guest in
Jachin Fell's home. There was a moth
er, an Invalid, of whom Fell sometimes
spoke and to whom he appeared to de
vote himself. The family, an old one
In the city, promised to die out with
Jachln Fell.
Ansley puffed at his cigar and con
sidered these things. Outside, In the
New Orleans streets, was rocketing
the mad mirth of carnival. The week
preceding Uardl Gras was at its close.
Now, as ever, was Mardl Gras sym
bolized by masques. In New Orleans
the masquerade was not the pale and
pitiful frolic of colder climes, where
the occasion Is but one for display of
Jewels and costumes, abd where' actual
•concealment of identity is. a farce.
Here in New Orleans were jewels and
costumes in a profusion of splendor
but here was preserved the underlying
Idea of the 'masque itself—that in con
cealment of identity lay the life of the
thing 1
When Jachln Fell returned and light
ed his cigar he sank into one'of the
luxurious chairs beside Ansley and In
dicated a newspaper lying across the
letter's knee, Its flaring headlines
standing out blackly.
"What's that about the Midnight
Masquer? He's not appeared again?"
"What?" Ansley glanced at him In
surprise. "You've not heard? Good
heavens, man! He showed up last
night at the Lapeyrouse dance, two
minutes before midnight, as usual 1 A
detective had been engaged, but was
afterward found locked In a closet,
bound with his own handcuffs. The
Masquer wore his usual costume—and
went through the party famously,
stripping everyone In sight. Then he
backed through the doors and van
ished."
Fell pointed his cigar at the celling,
and sighed.
MAh,
most Interesting!
The loot was valued at about a hun
dred thousand?"
"I thought you' said you'd not heard
of It?" demanded Ansley.
Fell laughed softly and shyly. "I
didn't. I merely hazarded a guess."
H. BEDFORD-JONES
"Wizard!" The doctor laughed ln
unison. "Tee, about that amount."
"The Masquer is a piker," observed
Fell, In his toneless voice.
"Eh? A piker—when he can make a
htmdred-thousand-dollar haul
"Dont dream that those figures rep
resent value, Doctor. They don't I All
the loot the Masquer has taken since
he began work Is worth little to him.
Jewels are hard to sell. Of course, the
crook has obtained a bit of money, but
not enough to be worth the rlisk.N
"Yet he. has got quite a bit," re
turned Ansley fhoughtftdly. «A11 the
men have money,, naturally we don't
want to find ourselves bate at some
gay carnival moment .1 I'd warrant
you've a hundred or so In your pocket
right now!"
"Not I," rejoined Fell calmly. "One
ten-dollar bill. Also I left my watch
at home. And I'm not dressed I don't
care to lose my pearl studs."
"Eh?" Ansley frowned. "What do
you mean?"
Jachln took a folded paper from his
pocket and. handed it to the. physician.
•"I met Maillard at the bank this
morning. He called, me into his office
and handed me this—he had just re
ceived it in the mail."
Doctor Ansley opened the folded pa
per an exclamation broke from him
"Eh? A Piker*—When He C«n Make
a Hundred Thousand Dollar Haul?"
as he read the note, which Was ad
dressed to their host of the evening.
"Joseph Maillard, President,
"Exeter National Bank, City.
"I thank you for the masque that
you are giving tonight I shall be pres
ent Please see that Mrs. M. wears her
diamonds—I need them.
"THE MIDNIGHT MASQUER."
Ansley glanced up. "What's this—
some hoax? Some carnival Jest?"
"Maillard pretended to think so."
Fell shrugged his shoulders as he re
pocketed the note. **But he was nerv
ous. He'll have a brace of detectives
inside the house tonight, and others
outside."
Ever since the first ball of the year
by the Twelfth Night club this Mid
night Masquer, as he was termed, had
held New Orleans gripped in terror,
fascination and vivid Interest During
the past month he appeared at least
once a week, now at some private ball,
now at some restaurant banquet, but
always In the same garb: the helmet
huge goggles and mask, and leathern
clothes of a service aviator. On these
occasions the throbbing roar of an air
plane motor had been reported, so that
it was popular gossip that he landed
on the roof of his designated victims
and made his getaway in the same
-manner—by airplane. No machine
had ever been seen, and the theory
was believed by some, hooted' at by
others.
Doctor Ansley glanced at his watch,
and deposited his cigar in an ash traiy.
"We'd best be moving, FelL You'll
want a domino?"
"I ordered one. ItH be here In a
minute."
"Do you seriously think that nQte ls
genuine?"
Fell shrugged lightly. "Who knows?
Fm not Worried.' Maillard can afford
to be robbed."
"You're a calm one!" Ansley'
chuckled. "Oh, I believe the prince Is
to be there tonight You've met him,
I suppose?"
"No. Heard something about him,
though. An American, Isn't he? They
say he's become quite popular In
town."
Ansley nodded. "Quite a fine chap.
His mother was an American—she
married the prince de Gramont an in
ternational affair of the past genera
tion. De Gramont led her a dog's life,
I hear, until he was killed in a duel.
She lived In Paris With the boy, sent
him to school here at home, and he
was at Yale when the war broke out.
He was technically a French subject
so he went back to serve his time.
"StlU, he's an American now. Calls
himself Henry Gramont, and would
VAW« IV B«I
*v
SEW UIU^I VUAAAWB IU A
drop the prineji stuff altogether If these
French people around here weald let
Mm."
A page brought the domino. Stoll,
discarding the mask, threw the Unmlwn:
aboiit his shoulders, and the two men
left the dub In company.
They sought their destination afoot
—the home of the banker Joseph Mail
lard The streets wire riotous filled
with an eddying, laughing crowd of
masquers and merrymakers of all ages
and .sexes ^confetti twirled through
the air,: horns were deafening, and
laughing voices rose Into sharp screams
of unrestrained delight
At last gaining St. Charles avenue^
wltli the Maillard residence a half?
dozen blocks distant the two compan
ions found themselves well away from
the main carnival throngs.
As they walked along thiey were sud
denly aware of a lithe figure apjjVoach«
ing from the rear with a running leap
and an exclamation of delight the fig
ure forced itself in between them,
grasping an arm of either man, and
a bantering voice broke in upon their
train of talk.
"Forfeit!" it cried. "Forfeit—where
are your masks, sober gentlemen? This
grave physician may be pardoned, but
hot a domino who refuses to mask!
And for forfeit yon shall be my escort
and take me whither yoirarexgolng."
Laughing, the two fellr into step,
glancing at the gay figure between
them. A Columbine, she was both
cloaked and masked. Encircling her
hair was a magnificent scarf shot with
metal designs of solid gold—a most
unusual thing. Also, from her words
It was evident that she had recognized
them.
"Willingly, fair Columbine," respond
ed Fell in his dry and unimpassloned
tone of voice. "We shall be most happy
indeed to protect and take you with'
us—"
"So far as the door, at least" Inter
rupted Ansley, with evident caution.
But Fell drily laughed aside this wary
limitation.
"Nay, good physician, farther!" went
on FelL "Our Columbine has an excel
lent passport I assure you. This gauzy,
scarf about her raven tresses was
Woven for the good' Queen Hoftense,
and I would venture a random guess
that clasped about her slender throat,
lies the queen's collar of Star sap
phires—"
"Oh!" From the Columbine broke a
cry of warning and swift dismay.
"Don't you dare speak my name, sir—
don't you dare!"
Fell assented with a chuckle, and
subsided.
Ansley regarded his two companions
with sidelong curiosity. He could not
recognize Columbine, and he could not
tell whether Fell was speaking of the
scarf afid jewels In jest or earnest
Such historic things were hot uncom
mon in New Orleans, yet Ansley never
heard of these particular treasures.
However, it seemed that Fell knew
their companion, and accepted her as a
fellow guest at the Maillard house.
"What are you doing out on the
streets alone?" demanded Fell, sud
denly. "Haven't you any friends or
relatives to take care of you?"
Columbine's laughter pealed oiut and
she pressed Fell's arm confidingly.
"Have I not some little rights in the
world, monsieur?" she said In French.
"I have been mingling with the dear
crowds and enjoying them,- before Fgo
to be burled in the dull splendors of
the rich man's house. Tell me, do you
think that the Midnight Masquer will
make an appearance tonight?"
"I have every reason to believe that
he will," said Jachin Fell, gravely.
Columbine put one hand to her
throat and shivered a trifle.
"You—you really think so? You are
not trying to frighten me?" Her voice
was no longer gay. "But—the jewels—
If they are taken by the Masquer—"
"In that case," said Fell, "let the
blame be mine entirely. If they are
lost,' little Columbine, others will be
lost with them, fear not I I think that
this party would" be a rich haul for the
Masquer, eh? Take the rich man and
his friends—they could bear plucking,
that crowd Rogues all."
"Confound you, Fell!" exclaimed
Ansley, uneasily. "If the bandit does
show up there would be the very devil
to pay!"
Some thrills await you in the
nex^installment
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Pope's Good-by to Cardinal Gibbon*
I cannot help recalling an instance
where a lady, a guest at the White
House et luncheon, asked the late Car
dinal Gibbons Whether he really be
lieved That the pope was infallible In
all he said. The cardinal smiled and
answered^ "I can only respond .to,
that, madame, by saying that when
the pope bade me good-by the last
time he said, 'Addlo, Cardlnale Jib
bones !'"—Maurice Francis Egan In the
Review of Reviews.
Circular 8lide Rule.
A circular slide rule that can be
carried In a coat pocket is the inven
tion of a Sen Francisco man, mag
nifying glass aiding in reading It
vvai
an American now. Calls tlon of a Sen Francisco man, mag-
nry Gramont, and would nifylng glass aiding in reading It •enur
ID UIC IUVVU'
jr
•t tapplha
N«w» Seniea.)
SHE JUMPED FOR THE LEGION
Mjlss Verna Weleh Plunges 1,000 Feet
In Parachute Prom Airplane at
Wiehlta Falls.
To climb out'^f an airplane cockpit
and dive headfirst toward the earth 8,
000 feet below on her second ride off
of terra firma required a good deal of
nerve. At least, the act made thou
Sfuida of spectators gasp for breath
and shudder lest the harness fall to
work and the parachute, which trailed
behind her, remain unopened.
Miss Verna Welch was creating the
The' spectators were the
.good citizens of Wichita Falls, Tex.,
Just Before the Flight
witnessing the American Legion's
aviation meet, one. of the biggest ever
held In the -SouthweSLc-
MIss Welch dropped like a dead
weight for several feet and then the
parachute very slowly opened and the
drop earthward became more gradual.
She hit the ground with a jolt but was
uninjured.
It was a proud young woman who
received the congratulations of the
hundreds who. crowded around her for
her daring act. But Miss Welch says
that she isn't sure that she. wants to
Jump from airplanes for a living. The
big aerial meet was staged to raise
money for a Legion clubhouse at
Wichita Falls.
ACTIVE IN LEGION AFFAIRS
Miss May Merritt, Indiana, Rises
From Auxiliary President to
National iCommltteewoman.
From the presidency of the first lo
cal American Legion Auxiliary unit
ad Oonnersvilie,
Ind., to the offic
of Indiana- na
tlonal committee
woman In lesi
than plx monthi
Is the's
1 11
story of the sud
den rise of Mlsi
May Merritt Mlsi
Merritt, as chair
man of. the Aui
lllary's national
emblem commit
tee and chair
man of the resolutions committee, hai
had much to do with formulating the
plans and policies of the organization
during the past year.
Aside from her work for the Legion
Auxiliary, Miss Merritt Is chiefly in
terested In better educational advan
tages for the children of Itoozierdom.
Lack of Patriotism.
Enraged because some of his own
countrymen refused to stand when
"Deutschland uber Alles" Was being
sung in the smoking room of a trans
atlantic liner, a young German offi
cer, son of a German general, created
a sensation by dashing his wine glass
to the floor and otherwise showing his
disapproval of the lack of patriotism
displayed by his German companions.
Clubhouse Over Oil Well.
To build their clubhouse over an
oil. well was the unique and profit
able experience of the American Le
gion men In Waynesboro, Tenn. Drill
ing was begun after oil was noticed In
a mud puddle In the back yard and
oil was struck at 200 feet The Le
gionnaires plan to erect a fine com
munity .clubhouse. from royalties.
Benefits Certain Ex-8erylee Men.
Certain ex-service men who are not
eligible for compensation under the
veterans' bureau are nevertheless
eligible for entrance Into the national
home for disabled volunteer sol
diers. Tills class consists of those
who passed the draft board but were
later rejected at the training camps
for physical disabilities.
Highest Commendation.'
A letter from Postmaster General
Work, expressing the "highest com
mendation of your corps" has been re
ceived by Major General Lejeune,
commandant of the marine corps, fol
lowing the withdrawal of the 2,000
marines who have been guarding the
malls over the country tor several
south'
01 over
-jgV
ONLY WOMAN MAJOR IN ARMY
Julia
O.
Stlmson,
Dmk
of iohool «f
Hurting, Served Chief Nurse
if R«l Cross, r"w,
l#'s
The superintendent of the army
Horse corps ind dean of the *rmj
Bchool of Nurs-
-ing, Is the only
woman major In
the United States
urmy. Maj. Julia
OL Stlmson served
ts chief nurse of
the American Red
Cross in Paris
and later as dl
rector of the
American expe
jdltionary forces
aurslng service,
with 10,000 nurses
under her control during tne World
war, before becoming superintendent
of the army nurse corps and head of
the school of nursing.
Major Stlmson was born In Worces
ter, Mass., and graduated from Vassar
when barely twenty years of age. She
first went overseas as chief nurse of
the St Louis unit, base hospital No.
21. She holds numerous awards and
citations for her services during the
war.
One of the major's most recent ex
periences was the honor of christen
ing the army transport Ohaumont
"General Pershing was there," Major
^imson said In speaking of the event,
I spilled champagne all over the
general's best uniform when I broke
the bottle over the bow."
FEW BUCKS NOW IN U. S. ARMY
Number of Trained Doughboys Has
Been Reduced,- Bringing Total to
Not More Than 20,000.
Doughboys—just plain buck privates
of Infantry—are becoming almost as
scarce in the regular army as shave
tails were some time ago. Every time
there is a reduction In the size of the
army, the number of buck privates is
very perceptibly cut down. At the
present time, it is said that there are
not more than 20,000 plain, unspecial
tzed "bucks" In the ranks of the
United States army. There are only
47,837 men in all branches of the foot
regiments while there were more than
63,000 enlisted men In the Infantry
when the war' started In April, 1917.
Impending additional reductions In
the size of the army will show ft
further drop In the number of pri
vates, officers say, and leave the in
fantry only a framework of highly
trained specialists with just a few
humble bayonet-wielding bucks here
and there to give a sketchy suggestion
of a wartime force.
This framework of specialists will
be maintained, the War. department
declares, so that in an'emergency the
army may be able (o quickly expand,
filling in the vacant ranks with raw
recruits who, with a few weeks' train
ing, will mtike our fighting forces a
highly trained machine.
PREFERS TO MARCH AS 'BUCK'
Brig. Gen. William V. McMaken,
Ohio, Has 8erved His Coun
try for Forty Years.
William V. McMaken of Toledo, O.,
who was a brigadier general in the
service to which
he gave 40 years
of his life, says
that he prefers
now to march as
a "buck" In the
rear rank at pa
triotic and metno
1 a 1 demonstra
tions since his
military career is
over. But this
modesty some
times causes him
a little embar
rassment. During the American Le
gion parade at the national convention
in Cleveland, In 1920, when Mr. Mc
Maken marched in the ranks, he re
ceived the "bawling out" of his life
from an erstwhile hard-boiled sergeant
who noticed that the former brigadier
general had failed to "dress right"
Mr. McMaken was a brigadier com
mander in the Thirty-seventh division
during the World war.
Carrying On With the
American Legion
A memorial to the marines who
were once students of the University
of Minnesota hasbeen unveiled on
the university campus.
An entire Island in the Maumee
river, 20 miles from Toledo, O., has
been bought by a Toledo Post of the
American Legion to be used as a va
cation resort.
Athletic and playground equipment
for seven playgrounds In Buck's coun
ty, Pennsylvania, has been presented
to each of as many communities by
the American Legion.
A special troop of boy scouts who
could not pay their entrance fees Into
the scout organization were organized
and given their uniforms and equip
ment by the American Legion at Ot
tumwa, la.
The |800,000 remaining unexpend
ed following the payment of the New
Jersey state bonus to former service
men may be used by the American Le
gion to provide hospital accommoda
tions for Incapacitated ex-soldiers.
'W:
W8W9WWWWWWW
The
Great Salvation
braces the world.
i*
By REV. C. P. MEEKER
Director Practical Work Coura*
Moody Bible Institute, Chleiffe,
TEXT—How Shall we escape tf we n«p
lect so great salvation?—Heb. 2A M**
The recent World war has spoiled
us for small things. Only world-wide
movements Inter-
est folks these
days. The gigan
tic scale Aset by
the war has no!
only set the
standard for po
litical, social, fi
nancial, but foi
religious move
ments as well
No h8 ng seem*
worth paying at
tention to these
days unless Its
program em
This very demahd
brings Christianity abreast of the
times indeed, It reveals the fact that
as always, it is ahead of the times,
and In7 this particular instance, not
less than 1900 years. For in the di
minutive land of Palestine, just out
side of the. city of Jerusalem, Jesus
Christ, the Son oi' God, died on a hill
called Calvary, as the Savior of all
t!.e world. After His resurrection, He
commissioned His disciples (beginning
at Jerusalem and reaching out in
every direction to the uttermost parts
of the world) to preach the Gospel to
every creature. Surely If bigness Is
demanded, Christianity has first claim
for attention. To what corner of this
earth has it not extended? What
island of the sea has it not touched^
To what people of the earth has it not
come with its swett message of peace
and hope, its witness of power In
^transformed lives, civilizing nations,
shattering systems of superstitions
and emancipating souls?
Of its many marks of greatness, a
few only can be selected.
It is great in respect to Its person
nel. We are in the habit of judging
the value and importance of an enter
prise by the character and reputation
of those who Indorse it. Usually when
a movement is launched, it gains ac-
ceptance and favor in just the pro
portion that the personnel back of it
inspires confidence and respect. The
Gospel has back of it a personnel be
side which all others sink into insig
nificance. For God the Father planned
it God the Son executed the plan
and God the Holy Spirit applies it to
the hearts of men..
It is great in respect to its plan.
-Here neither time nor extent is fig
ured in. Jesus is the Lamb slain b»
fore the foundation of the world. Tills
takes us beyond the beginning of time
In the ages to come, God is to show
unto us the exceeding riches of His
grace in His kindness toward u*
through Jesus Christ. This leaps the.
boundary of time again and extends
beyond the end. The plan, therefore,,
takes hold of the eternity past and
the eternity future, and spanning the
whole reach of time, binds them to
gether in one grand purpose of graces
Every other project has a»beginning)
and end in time, but not so the Gos
pel of the grace of God—It vaults
both.
It Is great In respect to its provi
sions. Again all boundaries vanish, na
limitations can be described. God is
able to make all grace abound, supply
all needs, bless with all spiritual
blessings, do exceeding abundantlj
above all we can ask or think.
It is great in respect to its purpose.
The greatest piece of property in the
world is the human soul. This great
salvation proposes to save that soul
from the penalty of sin, the power of
sin. and eventually the presence ol
sin forever. It embraces a perfect
plan of reconciliation to, and full re
instatement in the favor and family ot
God.
It Is great In espect to Its program
This embraces all nations. It takes in
every clime and country, all condi
tions and classes. Other religions are
rooted to the soil where they had
their beginning. To transplant them
Is to destroy them. Not so Chris
tianity. It is no exotic plant. It line
the elements of universality It thrives
wherever planted.
It is great respect to its price
Tbe. late war cost the entente nations
$219,000,000,000. It is hard for the
mind to grasp the immensity of these
figures. Tet, they are understandable
We can add to them, subtract fniie
them, multiply and divide them, unc
get an intelligiblo answer. But the
price of redemption is infinite. "The
blood ts the life," and the blood of
God's Son, the sinless One, purchaser
man's redemption, one drop .of which
is of more value than all the blood ot
bulls and goats since the
9
tf
beginning
Not by Accident
"Revivals never come by accident
They do* not descend out of the sky ix
an unexpected manner. They maj
come unannounced, but they never ap
pear when the people are not read*
for them. Great spiritual awaken
Ings come through the prayers of th«
faithfuL—Northwesters Ohr'sti in Ad
.vocatf
74
c§
I
4
*1
4
$
1*1
1
1
'-t
I
•I
'XI
ot
time until now.
It is great 'In respect to the plain
ness of Its terms. The simplicity ol
Gospel terms Is a stumbling block tc
many. It seems unbelievable'that sc
much can be obtained for so little. It
looks cheap. Can't something be done
to earn it or given in return for It
No, it is free, absolutely free—a free
gift.
"Relieve on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved, and tbj
house."
V38
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VV.
lit
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