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.