The Mask: A Story of Love and Adventure
conquered the world!
The old nurse held out a withered hand, and her eyes were moist with
tears as she said:
"Good-bye, Mr. Kenneth. A safe journey to you. Keep out of danger.
I'll be praying for the Lord to watch over you."
Helen turned away so they might not see her emotion. Kenneth laughed
lightly as he kissed the old woman's cheek, and then, slipping a bank
note into her hand, he said carelessly:
"All right, Mary, I'll be careful. I'll come back safe and
sound,--never fear, and I'll bring you something nice,--perhaps a big
diamond. Out in South Africa they pick 'em up like stones."
The old woman's eyes opened incredulously.
"Really, Mr. Kenneth?"
"Yes, really. Diamonds as big as apples. They're found every day.
When I come back I'll have all sorts of adventures to tell you about.
Who knows? I might even run across this twin-brother of mine.
Stranger things have happened."
"Diamonds as big as apples," she echoed. "Do you mean that, Mr.
Kenneth?"
He laughed.
"Indeed I do! Some of the gems are as big as cocoanuts. Didn't you
hear of that wonderful diamond we found the other day? It's worth a
million dollars."
The old woman opened her eyes and gaped with astonishment.
"A million dollars, Mr. Kenneth!"
"Yes, a million dollars. What's more, I'll soon be able to show it to
you, Mary. My trip out to South Africa is ostensibly for the purpose
of negotiating for more land. The real purpose of my journey is to
bring home this astonishing stone."
"But how will you carry it, Mr. Kenneth? A stone worth a million
dollars must be big as a house."
Kenneth laughed.
"No--no, Mary. It can easily go in my waistcoat pocket. But for
safety's sake it won't. I don't mind letting you into my confidence.
I'm to have a secret bottom made in----"
Before he could complete the sentence, Helen quickly clapped her hand
over his mouth, and he had not yet recovered from his astonishment when
she sprang to the door and opened it. The movement was so sudden and
unexpected that a man who had been leaning against it, fell all his
length into the room. It was Francois, the French valet.
"_Excusez_," he stammered, "I stumbled."
Kenneth stared first at the servant, then at his wife. Slowly he began
to comprehend. Turning to the Frenchman he demanded angrily:
"What were you doing behind that door?"
"_Excusez_. I came back to ask monsieur how many shirts I pack."
Thoroughly aroused, the promoter pointed to the door. Sternly he said:
"Get out of here--you fool! If you don't know your business, I'll get
some one else who does."
The Frenchman beat a rapid retreat. There was a malevolent look on his
face, but he murmured respectfully enough:
"_Oui, monsieur_."
Kenneth turned to his wife.
"What did he come back for?" he demanded.
"He was listening--behind the door," she replied calmly.
CHAPTER IV
The dirty, sullen waters of the harbor washed lazily against the black,
precipitous sides of the giant liner which, under a full head of steam,
vibrated with suppressed energy, straining at mighty cables as if
impatient to start on her long and hazardous voyage across the tumbling
seas. A raw, piercing northeaster, howling dismally above the
monotonous creaking and puffing of the donkey-engine, swept through the
cheerless, draughty dock, chilling the spectators to the marrow. The
sun, vainly trying to break through the banks of leaden-colored clouds,
cast a grayish pall over land and sky. A day it was of sinister
portent, that could not fail to have a depressing effect on sailor and
landlubber alike.
Yet unpropitious skies and chilly wind did not appear to keep people at
home. The steamer was crowded, both with those who were sailing and
those who were not. The gangways, staterooms were overrun not only by
passengers, but by all sorts of visitors curious to get a glimpse of
the luxurious liner. The first-class saloon, heaped high on all sides
with American Beauty roses and orchids, looked as gay and full of color
as a florist's shop.
"Isn't it perfectly stunning? How I adore ships!" exclaimed Ray, eager
to see everything.
Keeping close together, the two young women with difficulty elbowed
their way through the excited throng. They were anxious to rejoin
Kenneth whom they had left in the stateroom giving instructions to
Francois, and they began to be afraid they might lose him in the crush.
Delighted at everything she saw, Ray could not contain herself.
"Oh, how I wish I were going! Why doesn't Ken take me?"
Helen turned to her in mock despair.
"If you went, what would I do? Who would take care of me?"
"I would," said a masculine voice close by.
The women turned quickly.
A tall, fair man still in his thirties, had stopped and raised his hat.
"Why, it's Mr. Steell!" exclaimed Ray, her pleasure at the meeting
betraying itself in the tone of her voice.
"Do you doubt my ability to take care of you? Could any man wish for a
more congenial task?"
"Flatterer!" laughed Helen. Cordially she added: "I'm awfully glad to
see you. It was very good of you to come and see Ken off."
"Nonsense," exclaimed the newcomer. "I wanted to come--if only to make
sure he wouldn't change his mind. I'm as anxious to see those diamonds
as you are."
"Hush!" said Helen putting up her finger to her mouth while Ray's
attention was momentarily diverted elsewhere. "No one knows--not even
Ray. It's a great secret."
An anxious look passed over the young man's face. He hadn't approved
of this South African trip. It was wholly unnecessary. In his opinion
his old chum was taking a great risk.
"That's right," he muttered. "You can't be too careful."
In metropolitan legal circles Wilbur Steell was looked upon as the
coming man. His success in the courts had given him a wide reputation
before he was five and thirty, and his gifts as a public speaker, his
strong, aggressive personality made more than one political leader
anxious to secure his services. Already he was mentioned as district
attorney. Even the Governorship might have been his for the asking.
But he showed no liking for politics. His sympathies leaned more
towards the literary, intellectual life. Having all the money he
needed, he preferred to keep out of the social and political maelstrom,
leading a quiet life, following his own tastes and inclinations.
Match-making mammas saw in him a prize, but so far he had shown no
disposition to marry. He cultivated few people, in fact, was
considered somewhat of a misanthrope. Kenneth he had known all his
life. They were boys together, and the Traynors were among the few on
whom he called frequently. He made no secret of his attraction for
Ray, and the young girl liked him as well as she chose to like anybody.
He had qualities, not usually met with in successful men, that made a
strong appeal to her--fine ideals, and a purpose in life. She liked
his seriousness, finding him different in this respect from any other
man she knew. She felt he admired her, but he did not make love to her
and she was grateful to him for that. She liked his society and never
tired of discussing with him sociology and other subjects in which both
were interested.
"When does the steamer sail?" interrupted Ray anxiously, as if afraid
that they might go off with her on board.
"In half an hour," said the lawyer. "They ring a warning bell. There
is plenty of time. Where's Kenneth?"
"Down below in his stateroom--wrestling with baggage," replied Helen.
"He said he would join us here."
"Well, suppose we sit down a bit," he suggested.
"Yes--that will be jolly," exclaimed Ray.
The lawyer pulled up three steamer chairs and sitting down, they
watched the crowd which had already begun to thin out. The novelty of
the scene held both women fascinated. The constant bustle and
excitement, the going and coming of well-groomed men and women, the
little scraps of conversation overheard, interested them both beyond
measure. Helen studied each individual couple, wondering who they
were, how long married, if they were happy, where they were going to.
She wondered if that coarse, loudly dressed woman really cared for her
husband, or if this brutal looking man with insolent stare of the
libertine, illtreated his delicate little wife. She herself could not
understand marriage without genuine affection on both sides. Any such
intimate relation as the marriage tie involved must surely be repellent
and abhorrent to any self-respecting woman unless love were there to
sanction and sanctify it.
Ray glanced at her sister and laughed.
"Why so serious, Helen? He hasn't gone yet."
Helen sighed.
"But he soon will be. I wish he were here instead of downstairs."
Ray protested.
"Please be nautically correct. Remember we are on a ship. You don't
say 'downstairs'; you say 'below.'"
Mr. Steell turned round with a smile.
"I had no idea you were so well posted in sailor's parlance."
The young girl laughed.
"Oh, you don't know half my accomplishments. I'm cleverer than you
give me credit for."
The young man leaned half over the chair as he whispered:
"I wouldn't dare tell you how clever I think you."
"Why?"
"Because--of my own peace of mind."
Helen broke in on the conversation. Addressing the lawyer, she said:
"Now Kenneth is away, we shall expect you to come to the house very
often."
The lawyer bowed.
"It's always a pleasure to call."
"Be sure to come next Sunday evening. I expect some friends. We'll
have some music."
"May I bring someone?"
"Certainly. Any friend of yours is welcome."
"Who is it?" asked Ray impertinently. "Male or female?"
"I believe it's a male," smiled the lawyer. "It looks like a male and
talks like one." More seriously he went on: "His name is Dick
Reynolds. He has just passed his bar examination and is practicing
temporarily in my office. His people live out West and being alone
here, he is glad enough to have somewhere to go."
"Bring him by all means," exclaimed Ray. "Has he any
accomplishments--apart from being a male?"
"Yes--he plays the piano indifferently, and tennis admirably. He swims
like a fish, and can run like a hare. But his best accomplishment is a
gift that one seldom sees developed----"
"What is that?" exclaimed both his listeners at once.
"He is a born detective--a regular Sherlock Holmes in real life. I
have tested him several times with extraordinary results. I have given
him the most difficult cases to unravel. He has found the solution in
every one."
Ray clapped her hands.
"Oh, I love that," she said. "Don't forget to invite him. Only the
trouble is we have nothing to unravel."
"I have a skein of silk," interrupted Helen facetiously.
Suddenly the lawyer stopped speaking and quickly sitting up in his
chair stared intently in the distance at a face in the crowd which had
caught his eye.
"Who is it?" demanded Ray, her woman's jealousy aroused.
"I may be mistaken," he replied, "but I thought I saw your friend
Signor Keralio."
Helen looked up quickly.
"My friend?" she exclaimed. "He's no friend of mine. I wonder what
he's doing here. He can't be sailing."
"He's up to no good, I wager that," growled the lawyer.
"You don't like him either, do you?" smiled Ray.
"Does anyone?" he answered. "I don't see how Kenneth can have anything
to do with such a cheap type of adventurer."
Helen hastened to explain.
"Ken doesn't care for him at all, only they are both interested in the
same business deal--a silver mine in Mexico. Ken bought stock and
Keralio is the only man he knows connected with it. That's why."
The lawyer gave vent to a grunt of disgust.