Middletown transcript., 1881-08-26
MYRA's BARGAIN.

Two lovely women, sitting ina room
that, in its luxurious adornments and
furnishings, its CHEEKY sunshine and
delicious faint perfume, was fitting
surrounding for its fair occupants,
little Mrs. Delmaine, dark and be-
witching as a gypsy princess, in her
pink cashmere dressing-gOwn, with its
big square buttons Of solid gold, and
stately Myra Bellairs, fair as blush
ing rose, with her naughty red mouth
and bewildering yiolet-blue eyes that
to everyone in the world were cold and
serene, except Arthur Torrens, the
only man in the world who had ever
won her love, and who had won it and
held it, and made her absolutely happy.
But Myra and her chief friend, Lucy
Delmaine, were not discussing her
lover just at this moment, but the OBJ
ject Of their animated conversation
lay carefully displayed on the rose
silken couch, a marvelously magnifi-
cent dress Of foamy lace.
4" And only thirty pounds /! 1t seems
incredible"
Mrs. Delmaine caressed it with her
fair diamond covered hand.
8 1t was the greatest bargain / ever
heard of, = Myra said in her low, eX-
quisite voice. 81 have always wanted
a real lace dress, but certainly never
expected to find one so cheap and so
magnificent as this. It is worth
hundred and fifty pounds"
"I think So Mrs. Delmaine re-
turned. How did you happen to
secure such a wonderful bargain dear ?"
II saw an advertisement in the
Queen, saying that real lace dress
must be disposed of at a great sacrifice.
So went to the address-a very re-
spectacle boarding house in Blooms
bury and found the dress and the owner
"a pale, miserable looking creature,
but lady born and bred-and she had
been very beautiful once, think. .
Mrs. Delmaine listened attentiyely. |
What charming story Do con-
tinue, Myra, dear.
There's really very little to tell"
she said. & i asked to be show the
dress, and she opened the square cedar
box, lined with satin, that contained
it, and at once fell in love with it,
although | took care not to let her
know that. =
Mrs. Delmaine laughed softly.
"Of course not. =
g She told me it was the sole remain
ing relic of former wealth. She said
she had parted with everything. They
have been wealthy French people, it
seemed-and really she was the most
refined and ladylike-but so i'll and
weak she could not speak much with
out coughing. This,'' and Myra laid
her dainty, pearl-kidded hand on the
dress, "was her wedding dress, and
never worn but once cost two hundred
pounds when lace was not so expensive
as now"
{" And you got it for less than a
quarter Of its proper value. Myra, how
did you do it ~
Myra lifted her eyebrows in a COM
posed way.
~ simply told her what l would
give her, and although | knew she
would think it terrible sacrifice, she
would also know that thirty pounds in
cash was better than the useless gar
ment in the box"
"Of course she was not foolish
enough to refuse it, but-Myra, it was
a tremendous bargain for you.n
"Of course,'' Miss Bellairs said,
complacently, "but people in reduced
must expect to make
sacrifices l could have given her a
hundred pounds and still secured the
dress cbeaply but | preferred to do
the best | could.
Her blue eyes rested in loving pride
on the dress.
And only thirty pounds ~ sighed
Mrs. Delmaine. II am afraid I am
envious, Myra Why, the box alone
is a treasure-it is worth five pounds at
the least. ="
II rather admire it," Myra said,
complacently. Did you see the name
on the inner lid 'Gracieuse De Les
leg. AUec amour. Dieu Uous garde. =
Just trife romantic, isn't it ~
A look of womanly sadness was tenn
porarily in Mrs. Delmaine's bright dark
eyes.
And pitiful Myra.
Miss Bellairs arose to finish her call,
while Mrs. DeImaine's deft-fngered
maid returned the dress to its box.
certainly feel very sorry for the
poor thing said she coldly, but 1
dare say the money will do her great
deal Of good. hope Arthur will
like it.
She went down to her carriage
beautiful, stately, high-bred as some
young princess, and Arthur Torrens,
who was as much at home in Mrs.
Delmaine's house as in his mothers by
virtue Of cousinship, took himself up [
from the lounge in the room adjoining
that in which his cousin and his be-
trothed, both profoundly unaware Of
his proximity, had discussed the pur-
chase.
Can it be possible, that Of all
women in the world, the woman love
is grasping, unscrupulous bargain {
maker and that, too, toward a sister {
= q l,