Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-04-02
drew it away, with the ring which
had betrayed her.

UISW II away WIKI stC tAA6 W'ASA
had betrayed her.
Denial WAS useless.
''Since you know me, then, shf
said, tive will no further play =
part. To Others we are masks &c
ourselves, we are ourselves
"Ah, madame," he whispered
.'let US rather say to the world we
are ourselves, to each other we sTe
mask. Can men, think you, look
coldIy on such beauty as you pos
sess? Can"
Indignant and alarmed, she
checked his further speech by start
ing forward 10 escape him. His
hand closed on hers as in vice.
She wrenched it from him, sprang
among a crowd of maskers, and so
made her way to the door.
"Call carriage for me-" she di-
rected.
Ten minutes later she was within
her own house. Her first impulse
was to tear off the hated costume
which had caused her such trouble ;
the next to throw herself on the bed
and sob out her excitement and con-
triton. The morning sun, stream
ing in her room, awoke her.
With a shudder she remembered
the events of the past night. She
looked down at her hand-the hand
which had been polluted by an
others touch-as though in some
way she expected to find the con-
tanination branded on the soft,
white surface. II was all unmarried,
but-she looked again-she looked
away and back-she rubbed her
eyes and looked-the color mean
while fiuttering out of her cheeks
and her pale lips quivering, as if
her heart seemed to stand still in a
sudden agony of fear, for from the
third finger was missing the tails
manic ring.
When and where had she lost it,
and how could she now find the
courage to confess all to Gerald ?
She arose and dressed, revolving
and re-revolving this problem in
her mind.
At any hour her husband might
return. For the first time she
dreaded to meet him-dreaded to
look into the kindly, handsome
eyes, and read there all his incredu-
lous reproach, mingled, perhaps,
with scorn and anger.
The day wore on. Her friend,
Mrs. Martin, ran in to ScOld her for
her desertiOn but her pale face and
trembling tones made good her plea
of sudden illness.
At nightfall Gerald arrived. She
threw herself in his arms, in burst
of nervous weeping; but when he
asked its cause, her
courage failed her.
Why was it she never imagined
that he might look stern until to-
day?
A week passed, when one even
ing, sitting in the twilight, a step
sounded close beside her. She
looked up to discover the count.
"Pardon I" he began, in answer
to her indignant, questioning look
''why must you be so cruel? ?' May
| now see you ?"
"Sir, command you to leave me.
am now under the protection OF
my own roof"
He was about to answer, when q
latch key was heard inserted in the
outside door.
In an instant he had sprung into
some place of cOncealment, but the
fact that he was near lent to the
young wife sudden courage, born
Of the moments desperation. Her
husband, entering, approached her,
but she motioned him back.
Il Oh, q T.
ter confession to make. 1t is fitting
you should hear it now"
He listened, with arms folded
across his breast, white she told him
all the story of that fated night.
"And this is all ?'' he questioned,
when she had paused.
mo, not all, she continued, rails
ing her voice.
"My confession has another wit
ness. who has forced his hated pres
ance again upon me. The Count |
Belzoni is here again, Gerald"
AS she spoke she drew aside the |
curtain; but the form she expected
% disclose was gone; the open win
low attested to its flight.
Silently the husband drew a paper |
rom his pocket and showed her a
offering a reward for the
lrrest of thief and swindler known
IS the Count Belopzi.
"My darling," he said, ''my little
wife has learned a good lesson she
will never forget. | have known |
his story all the time, but have
waited until you came to tell it to
ne. I returned the night of the
)all to take you with me, when |
ound you had gone. Imagine what
suffered and my added suffering
when, arriving at the scene of en-
oyment, where l followed you, |
discovered who was your cOmpan-
on, ] stood near you and heard
he words he addressed to you, heard
With joyful heart your answer; saw
you wrench your hand from his
grasp, and also saw what you did
lot, the sparkle of the ring which
ne drew from your finger. Poor
title girl! / watched you hasten
the crowd, and knew that
you had already met your bitterest
1t has been through
ny efforts that the count has been
raced and exposed. Only this
I recovered your ring from
he man with whom he pledged it
Is security. Once more l place it
,a your finger. But remember,
larling, it is only the outward
charm. A wife's true talisman is
Ter husbands honor, which no
hief may steal, unless he adds
assassination to his crime and buys
t with her hearts blood"