CHAPTER XVII
_Mi-Careme_
A nameless gentleman from the effete North was enjoying for the firsttime the privileges of a guest card at the Chess and Checkers. In asomewhat perplexed manner he approached the secretary's desk andobtained a cigar. Then he paused, listening to the sounds of revelrywhich filled the club, and which came roaring in from the city streetsoutside.
"Say!" he addressed the secretary. "What's this Mi-Careme I've beenreading about in the papers, anyhow? I thought everything was tight as aclam down here after Mardi Gras! It's still the Lenten season, isn't it?Mardi Gras doesn't come more than once a year? Then what's all thecelebration about?"
The secretary smiled.
"Certainly, sir, it's still Lent. But the French people have what theycall Mi-Careme, or Mid-Lent, and they certainly give it a bigcelebration! You see, it's a night halfway through Lent, when they canenjoy themselves to the limit--let off steam, as it were. We're havingseveral dinner parties here in the club to-night, for the occasion."
A slightly built little man, who had much the air of a shy clerk--had itnot been for his evening attire--approached the desk. He signed a checkfor a handful of cigars, which he stowed away.
"Please provide a fresh box of the El Reys later," he said to thesecretary. "Most of my party is here, I believe."
"I'll send them up, Mr. Fell," answered the secretary, quickly. "Yes, Ithink the dining room is all ready for you, sir. By the way, Mr. Gramontwas looking for you a moment ago--ah! Here he comes now!"
Jachin Fell turned. Gramont was plunging at him, a yellow telegraph formin his hand, excitement in his eyes.
"Look here, Jachin! This wire just came in from Hammond--you know, Ileft him in charge of things down at Bayou Terrebonne! Read it,man--read it! They've struck oil-sands at five hundred feet--and sandsat five hundred, with these indications, mean a gusher at a thousand!Where's Lucie? Have you brought her?"
"She's upstairs. Well, well!" Jachin Fell glanced at the telegram, andreturned it. "So oil is actually found! This is certainly going to beone big night, as Eliza said when she crossed the ice! Come along. Let'sfind Lucie and tell her about it----"
The two men turned away together.
After them gazed the man from the North, not a little agape over what hehad chanced to hear. Before the wondering questions in his eyes theassiduous secretary made haste to enlighten him.
"That's Mr. Gramont, sir. They say that he used to be a real prince,over in France, and that he threw it up because he wanted to be anAmerican. Mr. Fell is having a dinner upstairs--it's Mr. Gramont'sengagement, you know--and the Mi-Careme ball afterward----"
"Oh, I know, I know," and the man from the North sighed a little. "I wasreading all about that in the paper. Fell is one of the crack chessplayers here, isn't he?"
The secretary smiled.
"Well, he plays a very fair game, sir--a very fair game indeed!"
THE END
THE COUNTRY LIFE PRESS GARDEN CITY, N. Y.
Transcriber Notes:
Passages in italics were indicated by _underscores_.
Small caps were replaced with ALL CAPS.
Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents ofthe speakers. Those words were retained as-is.
Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not correctedunless otherwise noted. For instance, scarfpins was sometimes hyphenatedand some times not.
On page 49, a quotation mark was placed after "You'd try blackmail,would you?"
On page 99, "hundered" was replaced with "hundred".
On page 124, "geting" was replaced with "getting".
On page 156, "asurance" was replaced with "assurance".
On page 156, "he" was replaced with "be".
On page 296, "I am not be arrested." was replaced with "I am not to bearrested."
The Mardi Gras Mystery Page 17
