Louisiana capitolian., 1880-01-03
TEMPTATION.

ayes, know" returned ,he customer,
rather impatiently; "only the price is
Objectionable 10 me-"
"I'he mantle is worth every dollar we
ask for it," persisted he other. ''rhere
are not three like it in the city; and be-
sides, any garment 50 carefully made, of
such costly material and rich embroidery
can never become questionable. Will
you lake it, madame"
Mrs. Editla Aldrih gazed Thought
fully and lonsi"sly upon the elegant
garment that, sa;in-lined, was of the
finest cloth, beautifully wrought with
heavy silken embroidery, Of which every
stem and leaf and ilower suggested less
the mimicry of artistic necdlework than
an establishment Of real foliage and
blossoms carbonizcd by some process
upon the lusterless background of the
handsome fabric.
eff you will kindly put il aside for
me, think l shall take it," laliered ;l,e
lady irresolutely, as she toycd with the
deep soft fringe that fell in cool, shining
masses over her pretty lingering hand.
every well. When viii! madame call
for itW inquired The saleswoman, obse-
quiously.
"To-moTow," besitatcd Mrs. Ailric1,
adding with sudden, polite waiiness,
if | do not come very early you will
know that | have decided not totake it,"
"You will come," was the confident
assertion OF the other.
Smiling rather doubtfnlIy, Editha Al
dricll turned and left tho great empo-
rum of fashion, mentally determining,
however, to become the envied possessor
of ;he coveted embroidered mantle if she
could.
II want ii so mrch," she medi'ated;
"and II would harmonze so nicely with
my Pew amethyst silk. But fifty dol
lars is II great deal Of money 20 James
and me jus' now"
There was something like ~ pout on
her pretty pink lips as she continued her
mental speculation.
'It is just the amount that James has
given me to keep for what he calls "a
rainy day" and that may never come.
If should use it and then replace it by
some effort Of my own, | am sure he
would be pleased, not angry. ! Isupposc
! might paint something for The picture
stores if should Try, and so earn : neal
income. I lam sure l can do those little
gems on shell o. wood quite handsomely;
but l shall try masterpiece on canvas
first"
Just then the little lady who aspircd
to be an artist, for monetary rccompense
alone, reached the big brick structure,
the second flat of which was her home.
The rooms were exceedingly pleasant,
and furnished not only comforiab but
rather luxuriantly, considering that Ed
itha's young husband commanded but a
moderate salary.
In the small, pretty parlor tho youth
full wife laid aside her neat bonnet and
light shawl, and sat down in an easy
chair by the window to watch for the
coming of her adored and indulgcnt
cOnsOrt, and to think also of the desired
and marvellous embroidered mantle.
An appetizing odor came from the
dining room beyond, and across the
way some one was playing an old love
melody more somnifc than exciting, and
away down the quiei street the rumble
of wheels and roar of steam came to her
in dreamy confusion of sounds.
"Jamcs is late," she murmured, and
then her thoughts wandered toward the
great picture she meant to paint, the
subject of which she had already chosen.
She would portray passionate, white
browed Hero, vague but statuesque,
clothed in clouds of starless mist, stand
ing on the coast of stormy Hellespont
watching TIC death struggles of the
fearless but doomed Leander. The I'M
known color of the fatcd Leander's
locks had become cOnflsedly tangled
with the shiny, silky black fringe of the
embroidered mantle when her young
husband appeared shifting with the
smiling, supreme satisfaction of a, tired
and hungry man, the aroma Of Bohea
and the odor'of palatable viands.
But somehow the meal was oddly un-
satisfactory. James was singnlarly ST.
lent, and Edith could think of nothing
Mt that marvellous mantle that she had
determined to possess OH the coming
morrow.
But when once she had exchanged
their modest little horde for the wonder
ful garment, she was not happy. Beau
tiful as it was wrapped abou, her pretty
shoulders, it seemed, to press against
her heart like a burden filing her soul
with unrest and reproaches-a sense of
gull and duplici,y and unpaid debt,
than which nothing can he more humil-
iating when the creditor be The best and
most trusting of all the world.
But when her conscience troubled her
most, Editha turned to her picture for
comfort.
Her work did not progress very en-
couragingly, however. She was not
quite sure whether The waters of the
Hollespont were golden or purple, azure
or black, nor whether Hero should stand
Oh the precipitous cliff or level beach,