Published by Good Press, 2019

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      EAN 4057664653406

Table of Contents

       MASTERPIECES OF MYSTERY

       RIDDLE STORIES

       THE MYSTERIOUS CARD

       Cleveland Moffett

       I

       II

       THE GREAT VALDEZ SAPPHIRE

       (Anonymous)

       THE OBLONG BOX

       Edgar Allan Poe

       THE BIRTH-MARK

       Nathaniel Hawthorne

       A TERRIBLY STRANGE BED

       Wilkie Collins

       THE TORTURE BY HOPE

       Villiers de l'Isle Adam

       THE BOX WITH THE IRON CLAMPS

       Florence Marryat

       I

       II

       MY FASCINATING FRIEND

       William Archer

       I

       II

       III

       IV

       THE LOST ROOM

       Fitz-James O'Brien

MASTERPIECES OF MYSTERY

       Table of Contents

RIDDLE STORIES

       Table of Contents

THE MYSTERIOUS CARD

       Table of Contents

Cleveland Moffett

       Table of Contents

      Courtesy of the Author.

      I

       Table of Contents

      Richard Burwell, of New York, will never cease to regret that the French language was not made a part of his education.

      This is why:

      On the second evening after Burwell arrived in Paris, feeling lonely without his wife and daughter, who were still visiting a friend in London, his mind naturally turned to the theatre. So, after consulting the daily amusement calendar, he decided to visit the Folies Bergère, which he had heard of as one of the notable sights. During an intermission he went into the beautiful garden, where gay crowds were strolling among the flowers, and lights, and fountains. He had just seated himself at a little three-legged table, with a view to enjoying the novel scene, when his attention was attracted by a lovely woman, gowned strikingly, though in perfect taste, who passed near him, leaning on the arm of a gentleman. The only thing that he noticed about this gentleman was that he wore eye-glasses.

      Now Burwell had never posed as a captivator of the fair sex, and could scarcely credit his eyes when the lady left the side of her escort and, turning back as if she had forgotten something, passed close by him, and deftly placed a card on his table. The card bore some French words written in purple ink, but, not knowing that language, he was unable to make out their meaning. The lady paid no further heed to him, but, rejoining the gentleman with the eye-glasses, swept out of the place with the grace and dignity of a princess. Burwell remained staring at the card.

      Needless to say, he thought no more of the performance or of the other attractions about him. Everything seemed flat and tawdry compared with the radiant vision that had appeared and disappeared so mysteriously. His one desire now was to discover the meaning of the words written on the card.

      Calling a fiácre, he drove to the Hôtel Continental, where he was staying. Proceeding directly to the office and taking the manager aside, Burwell asked if he would be kind enough to translate a few words of French into English. There were no more than twenty words in all.

      "Why, certainly," said the manager, with French politeness, and cast his eyes over the card. As he read, his face grew rigid with astonishment, and, looking at his questioner sharply, he exclaimed: "Where did you get this, monsieur?"

      Burwell started to explain, but was interrupted by: "That will do, that will do. You must leave the hotel."

      "What do you mean?" asked the man from New York, in amazement.

      "You must leave the hotel now—to-night—without fail," commanded the manager excitedly.

      Now