Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-07

rang out the hour of midnight, but for
the first time in her life light and gayety
were distasteful. A hundred times she
wished herself at home.
81 will tell Gerald. [ have already
been punished" she whispered to her.
self, as she stood for a momont alone IN
a quiet corner.
ssYou look more like a nun than
fairy-rather like one who had forsworn
the vanities of the world than siren to
tempt men to their destruction" said
voice close to her, ''though to the latter
know no one more fitted.
"Sir!" she exclaimed Indignantly,
recognizing, as she spoke, the Count
stanGing at her elbow.
"Ah! you thought / did not know
you. / should penetrate any disguise
you wore. Besides, you have forgotten
to remove badge of recognition.
She followed with her eyes his down
ward glance, and saw that it rested on
her hand, ungloved, as in better accord
with the exigencies of her costume.
Involuntarily she drew it away, with
the ring which had betrayed her.
Denial was useless.
ssSince you know me, then" she said,
"we will not further play part. To
the others we are masks; to ourselves we
are ourselves.
"Ah, madame, he whispered, 'let us
rather say to the world we are ourselves,
| to each other we are masks. Can men,
think you, look coldly on such beauty
as you possess? CAN"
Indignant and alarmed she checked
his further speech by starting forward
to escape him. His hand closed on hers
as in wise. She wrenched it from him.
sprang among a crowd of maskers, and
so made her way to the door.
"Call a carriage for me-" she di-
rected.
Ten minutes later she was within her
own home. Her first impulse was to
tear off the hated costume which had
caused her such trouble her next to
throw herself on the bed and sob out her
excitement aud contrition. The morn
ing sun, streaming into her room, awoke
her.
With shudder she remembered the
events of the past night. She looked
down at her hand which had been po-
luted by another's touch-as though In
some way she expected to find the con-
tamination branded on its soft white sur
face. It was all unmarried, but She
looked again, she rubbed her eyes and
looked, the color meanwhile huttering
out of her cheeks, and her pale lips
quivering, at if her heart seemed to
stand still in sudden agony of fear, for
from the third finger was missing the
talismanic ring.
When and where had she lost it, and
how could she find the courage to con-
fess all to Gerald? She rose ard dressed,
revolving this problem in her mind,
At any hour her husband might re-
turn. For the first time she dreaded to
meet him-dreaded to look into his
kindly, handsome eyes and read there
all his incredulous reproach, mingled,
perhaps, with scorn and anger.
The day wore on. Her friend, Mrs.
Martin, ran in to scold her for her de-
sertion; but her pale face and trembling
tones made good her plea of sudden i'll
ness.
At nightfall Gerald arrived. she
threw herself into his arms in burst
OF nervous weeping; but when he won
deringly asked its cause, her courage
failed her.
Why was it she never imagined that
he might look stern until to. day?
4 week passed, when one evening, sit
ting in the twilight, step sounded close
beside. She looked up to discover the
Count.
'sPardon!" he began, in answer to her
indignant, questioning look. "Why
must you be SO cruel? May I not now
see you?'
''Sir, command you to leave me. I
am now under the protection of my own
roof"
He was about to answer when 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 sud
den courage born of the moments des-
peratlon. Her husband, entering, APP
preached her, but she motioned him
back.
s'Gerald," she said, ST have bitter
confession to make. It is fitting you
should hear it now."
He listened, with arms folded across
his breast, while she told him all the
story of that fated night.
"And is this alp" he questioned,
bitterly, when she had paused.
s'No, not all, - she continued, raising
her, voice. ''My confession has another
Witness who has forced his hated pres
ence again, upon me. The Count Bel
zoni is here again, Gerald"
AS she spoke she drew aside the cur
tain, but the form she expected to dis
close was gone, the open window attest
ing to it's fight.
Silently the husband drew paper
from his pocket, and showed her par
agraph offering reward for the arrest
of a thief and swindler known as, the
Count Belzoni.
"My darling" he said, 'my little wife
has learned a lesson she will never for
get. / have known this story all the
time. but have waited until YOU came TO