The daily gazette., 1880-02-27
cafe still open. Follow me; win pro-

cure HACK LuoF6.
The Countess submitted. Her httls
feet encased iH white satin slippers, mus
| wade through the snow. Trembling
with cold and exhaustion, she entered
the cafe, where she sank down in Q
swooD. The domino was much con
cerned for his companion.
"Madam, you cannot go home In thit
situation. You must take something. Yoe
must refresh yourself. Allow me to pre-.
| scribe for you; pray be my guest. Waiter
tle bill Of fare. Two bottles Of cham.
pagne."
Charlotte tried to refuse; her gen
erous protector would not hear Q
| word.
ave viii sup together, madam. then
will order q carriage and you can Ro
quietly home."
The Denavior of the domino was 80
amiable and gentlemanly that Charlotte
Submitted TO the gentle power OF his
eloquence, and believed him TO be a gen.
tleman. They spoke Of the uproar at
the theatre. He was all Indignation.
In his anger he consumed trnffiss, pas
try,. baked fowl and vegetables-the
best the bill of fare afforded, and this he
washed down with a bottle of cham
payne. The poor Countess tasted the
viands, not to seem unthankful. He
finished his repast in half an hour. VI
.H"How do you feel, madam ?" inquired
he.
"I am better, thank you,n
very well, 1 will order q carriage"
sir ?"
"By refusing to believe that have
placed you under the elig htest obligation;
any gentleman would have done the
same IN hike circumstances.r
"oh, then, crown your magnanimous
conduct by getting me a carriage in
"By the time you take cup Of tea 1
clke."
The cominio laid down his napkin
and hastily left the room. Charlotte
waited ten, tweniy-minutes-a Lalf hour
he did not return. Other masks came
in and called for refreshments. The fear
that her husband might return home be-
fore her; decided the Countess to wait
no longer"
"The stranger cannot find hack ,"she
Thought; he will forgive me FIVE never
meet again.
She wrapped herself in her domino
preparatory to leaving The waiter came
"My friend" whispered she, off the
| gentleman In the domino returns, please
say to him that beg his pardon for my
abrupt ueT artur6."
Consider it done adam; hut please
settle with me befare yoR leave.n
The Countess was shocked: she remem
bered she had no money with her. as
Hermine had undertaken the whole of
the arrangements.
Here Is the bill, !" continued the wait
er; "as the gentleman went out he refer
red me to you"
"To me?"
"My wife will attend In u ba soid IN
me-" - ' W
IT the lower part of the Countess, face
had not been hidden by her mask, the
walter would have seen how the blush of
shame mantled her cheeks, as she found
she had fallen into the hands of an ad-
venturer, who had had most excellent
supper at her expense. The bill was six
| ty-hve francs. 1 he room was fast filing
with masks. The waiter eyed her suspic.
| iously.
"Take this, take this, said she, as,
with trembling. fingers, she unclasped
one Of her bracslets. "To-morrow
morning l will pay the bill and get the
| trinklet,"
| Charlotte drew long breath as she
found herself in the open air. A large
| group Of hacks stood before the Opera
| House, in which the gayety was at its
height. She entered carriage, and was
driven to her door, where the porter
paid the driver. Scarcely had she enter
ed her own room when the Count arriy-
ed; she knew 1t was he by the opening
and shutting of certain doors. After all,
did she know whether or not he had at
tended the mask ball? She spent a mis-.
erable night. Early next morning Her
mine came to see after her friend, Char
| lottes told her adventure, ,and begged her
accompiice Gas she did n It wish to trust
| third person) 20 go for her bracelet
dermtne took the account, and left. In
an hour she re-entered the room of the
detected Countess.
"Where is my bracelet" ..
"The waiter said, wonderingly, 20 me,
that the gentlemen who ordered the
supper there last night, had about an
hour before redeemed bis wife's brace
let with sixty-hve francs"
The Countess grew pale--she had lost
bracelet worth /, 800 francs; but as she
wished the adventures of the evening to
remain unknown she had to bear her
loss In silence.
"These are the fruits of Jealousy ,'cried
she.
A few days later she learned that on
that same evening the coant had lost
1000 francs at play in his club.
"Jhat was an expensive night" said
HerInine, as the news was related to
her. +.
al pay 1t cheerfully," answered Char
lotte "for know now that the hand
some pasha was not my husband"
Neither the black domino nor the
hracelat wafa avar haard nf auoip