The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-02-27
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A COSTLY BARGAIN.

Two lovely women, sitting in a room
that, in its luxurious adonmcnts and
furnishings, lis CHEEKY sunshine and
delicious faint perfume, was fitting
surrounding for is fair occupants, little
Mrs. Delmane, dark and bcwitching as
gypsy princess, in her pink cashmere
dressing-gown, with its big square but
teas of solid gold, and stately Myra
Bellairs, fair as blushing rose, with
her naughty red mouth and bewilder-
ing violet bIue-cycs that TO everyone in
the world were cold and serene, except
to Arthur Torrcns, 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 low
er just at this moment, but the object
Of their animated conversation lay care
fully displayed on the rose Silkcn couch,
u marvellously magnificent dress OF
foamy lace.
And only thirty pounds! 1t seems
incrcdibe.n
Mrs. Dclmaine caresscd it with her
fair diamond hand.
at was the greatest bargain | ever
heard Of" Myra said, in herlow, cxquis-
ite voice. II have always wanted
real lace dress, but certainly never eX-
pected to fad one so cheap and so mag
niliccnt as this. 1t is worth II hundred
and fifty pounds
ii think 50" Mrs. Delmaine return
ed. "How did you happen to secure
such wonderful bargain, dear?'
81 saw an advertisement in the
QHccn, saying that real lace dress
must be disposed of at great sacrifice,
So went to the address--a very re-
spectacle lodging house, in Blooms
bury, and found the dress and the own
era pale, misunderstanding creature,
but lady born and bred-and she had
been very beautiful once, | think
Mrs, Delmane listened attentively.
"What charming story! Do con
tinue, Myra, dear"
There is really very little to tell"
she said. 81 asked to be shown 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. Demaine laughed softly.
''Of course not"
"She told me it was the sole remain
ing relic of former wealth She said
she had parted with everything. They
had been wealthy French people, it
seemed-and really she was most re-
fined and ladylikc-but so i'll and weak
she could not speak much without
coughing, This" and Myra laid her
dainty, pearl kidded hand on the dress,
'was her wcdding-dreSs, and never
worn but once; cost two hundred pounds
when lace was not SO expensive as
now.n
"And you got it for less than a quar-
ter of its proper value. Myra, how did
you 90 it?'
Myra lifted her eyebrows in a COM
posed way.
Il simply told her what ! 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 garment in
the box
"Of course she was not foolish
enough to refuse il, but Myra it was a
tremendous bargain for YOU"
"Of course" Miss Bcllairs said. com
placcntly, "but people in reduced cir
cumstanccs must expect to make sacri-
fees, ! could have given her a hundred
pounds and still secured the dress cheap
ly; but | preferred to do the best l.
could
Her blue eyes rested in loving pride
on the dress.
"And only thirty pounds" sighed
Mrs. Dclmainc. Il am afraid am en-
vious, Myra! Why, the box alone is u
treaSuye-it is worth five pounds at the
least"
81 ratheradmire it, Myra said, COM
placcntly. "Dd you see the name on
the inner lid? 'Gr0c,cuSc De Lesley
ADec omoUr. Dteu roUS gorde.' Just
trifle romantic, isn't itP'
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. Demainc's deft-lingered
maid returned the dress TO its box.
al certainly feel very sorry for the
poor thing" she said, coldly, "but |
dare say the money will do her great
deal of good. hope Arthur will like
it,"
She went down to her carriage, beau
tiful, stately, high-brcd as some young
princess, and Arthur Towen's who was
as much at home in Mrs. Dclmaine's
house AS in his mothers, by virtue of
cousinship, took himself up from tho
lounge in the room adjoining that in
which his cousin and his bctrothed,
both profoundly unaware Of his prox.
unity, had discussed the purchase
Can it be possible, can it be posi-
Die that Of all women in the world, the
woman love is u grasping, unscrupu-
lous bargan.makcr and that. too,
toward u sister woman, sick and in
wantV Can 1t be possibePv
lie went up and down, up and down
the room, his rapid, cmphn,ic stems Mt
tracing Mrs Dclmaine's attention
"Arthur! Why, | did not Near Won
come in"