The occasion had been an undeniably cheerful one,
and it was close to midnight when we finally separated. Ellison went on
his way up-town and Indiman and I stood on the corner waiting for a
hansom, for as it chanced there was not a single disengaged one in the
rank before the restaurant. "Here we are," said Indiman, and raised his
stick as a four-wheeler was about to pass us. But the driver made a
negative sign and drove on. "He has a fare, after all," said Indiman,
with some annoyance. "But look, Thorp!"

The rolling shades at the doors had been closely drawn, but just as the
carriage came opposite us a sudden jolt displaced the spring catch of
the curtain and up it flew with a snap. There were two persons in the
cab, and the electric light from the corner shone full upon them. The
one nearest us was an undersized, swarthy-faced person who wore a
Turkish fez; his companion was a portly man attired in evening clothes
and having his head entirely enveloped in a bag of some dark material
gathered at the neck by a draw-string.

With an exclamation that might pass for a blood-curdling Levantine oath
the man of the fez seized the window-curtain and pulled it down; the
carriage rolled on.

"An extraordinary spectacle," I remarked. "There ought to be a big
story behind that."

"I admit," said Indiman, calmly, "that it is not usual for gentlemen to
drive about town with their heads done up in black bags. Nevertheless,
I doubt if there is much in the mystery worthy of a connoisseur's
attention. It strikes me as smacking of the made-up, the theatric; it
has something of the air commercial about it--an advertisement,
perhaps."

"Nonsense!" I retorted, warmly.

"Well, let the event decide. The cab's number--did you note it?"

"No."

"It was No. 872," said Indiman.

XI

The Philadelphia Quizzing-Glass

Knowing that the number of the four-wheeler was 872, it was not a
difficult matter to begin the inquiry. But to secure any real
information--that was different. The driver, a respectable albeit
somewhat thick-headed Irishman, could offer only vague recollections of
his business for the night of November 16th. He had been lucky enough
to secure several fares, but there had been nothing in the appearance
of any of his passengers to attract his attention. A gentleman in
evening dress with his head tied up in a black bag and accompanied by a
man wearing a red fez! Certainly he would have taken notice of anything
li