River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-04

ana was universally pfOpneSleu 10 ne
the most important similar affair of the
season.
On the evening when Letitia Bu-
chanan, robed in dress whose rich
ness of lace and needlework seemed
wholly indispensable, swept through
the yet vacant but brilliantly lighted
drawing rooms OF her splendid man
sion, pride lent a richer color to the
complexion, for which many a woman
would have spent thousands, and gave
perhaps more voluptuous swell to the
superb bust, whose wilderness cleaned
under sparkling diamonds and mist-like
point de Venice.
He loves me thoroughly she
murmurod in low, scarcely audible
tones. He has forgotten Florence's
love as though it had been the merest
unsubstantial dream. / possess him
utterly as my own. Then her lips
were silent for a second or two, grow
ing firmer as she continued. "And
yet for al that | am certain of his
entirely, sill mean to test it. shall
never rest until | receive that proof.
She was knocking at the door of her
husbands dressing room; presently
May | come in, Victorl You're
dreadful late.
He opened the door and stood, dress
ed in full evening costume before her.
+" am lost in admiration, Letitla,
he murmured. "No houri was ever
lovelier than you are now"
" And yet, Victor, have had a fancy
that my costume needs just one thing
to complete it.
"What's thatl'
She held up an arm faultless enough
for the Greek Phryne of old, saying:
"This needs an ornament of some
kind, Victor"
Pshaw you're joking, love- You
count your bracelets by scores. -
know it; but - her beautiful
/ lips were very close to his ear now, and
those marvellous arms of hers were
wreathing his neck "there is one
bracelet, Victor, that you will not give
me. / mean an opal bracelet, which
you keep up stairs in that great, old
fashioned cabinet. Shall l tell you
why you will not give me this"
am amazed, Letitia. You well
know it is because
Because you loved Florence better
in the old days than you love me now.
Don't deny it. know it, Victor.
She turned away from him and bu-
ried her face in her hands.
Victor Buchanan's face was very pale,
as he presently said
"Surely, Letitia, You have not for
gotten how Florence on her dying
bed
She interrupted him in tremulous
tones at this point, revealing her face
again, which looked agitated and pain
wrung. Criticised as mere slIillful
acting, her behavior certainly deserved
praise.
You have forgotten nothing about
Florence. You Will never forget. Oh,
no, Victor, cannot believe that you
love me as / wish to be loved until |
receive this proof Of it.
''You mean that must let You wear
the opal bracelet to-nightg'
Yes. =
"The monosyllable was pleadingIy
spoken, as with childish, impulsive
gesture sic placed both hands upon
his arm and let the dark filory Of her
| questioning eyes fall upon his face.
! He met the look with one that was
restless, anxious, uneasy-the sort of
glance by which man says, with all
the distnctness ofspoken words: "Do
not implore me, or must yield !"
Consent, Victor-please consent.
| only ask the favor of you for this sin
gle time. Afterward, l will return the
bracelet to the cabinet, and let it
remain there as long as you choose.
Consider, it will be like sealing our
love with a new and beautiful seal y
She could hardly disguise the smile
of feminine triumph that rose to her
| lips, when, after a moment of hesita-
ton, he murmured:
You know, Letitia, that / can re
/ fuse you nothing. Get the bracelet
since you are bent upon wearing it. I"
Leaving an eagerly given kiss upon
the lips, she hurried up stairs as fast
as her voluminous draperies would
permit.
yictoryl Victory!" voice was
whispering in her ears. Gle loves
You MS though Florence had never
been. He is all your own while life
lasts; and even in heaven, after this
proof of his devotion, Florence would
hardly dare to clam him.
Meanwhile Victor passed into his
dressing-room, and began pacing the
floor with impatient steps. He was
acting faithlessly, treacherously, to
the dead. He was Insulting poor Flor
ence's memory. He had even dealt
us own self respect and almost mortal
Glow. And yet
At this point his meditations were
SHARPLY broken by the sound of some
falling body ON the floor directly above
his chamber. He paused in the centre
of the floor, and turned white, as n
strange presentiment of unknown evil
flashed like lightning through his
mind.