The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-05-07
her, Though to the latter / know no

istan0lnR at ner elbow.
'Ah, you thought / did not know
you. 1 should penetrate any dis
guise you wore. Besides, you have
forgotten to remove badge of recog-
nition."
She followed with her eyes his
downward glance, and saw that il
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.
"Since YOU know me, then" she
said, I'VE will not further play a
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 a
mask. Can men, think you, look
coldly on such beauty as yeu pos
sess? CAN"
Indignant and alarmed, she check
ed his further speech by starting
forward to escape him. His hand
closed on hers as in a vice. She
wrenched it from him, sprang among
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 and con-
triton. The morning sun, stream
ing into her room, awoke her.
With a shuddsr. she remem bered
the events of the past night. She
looked down at her hand-the hand
which had been polluted by anoth-
er's touch-as though in some way
she expected to find the contamina
ton branded on its soft white sur
face. 1t was all unmarried; but
she looked again-she rubbed her
eyes and looked-the color mean
while fluttering out of her cheeks,
and her pale lips quivering. as if her
heart seemed to stand still in sud
den agony of fear for from the third
tinges was missing the talismanic
ring.
When and where had she lost it,
and how could she now find the
courage to confess all to Gerald ?
She rose and dressed, revolving this
problem in her mind.
AT any hour. her husband might
return. For the first time she dread
ed to meet him-dreadsd to look in
to his kindly, handsome eyes and
read there all his incredulsus re-
proach, mingled perhaps with scorn
and anger.
The day wore on. Her friend,
Mrs. Martin, ran in to scold her for
her dssertion but her pale face and
trembling tones made good her plea
of sudden illness.
At nightfall Gerald arrived, She
threw herself into his arms in burst
of nervous weeping; but when he
wondsringly asked its cause, her
courage failed her.
Why was it she never imagined
that he might look stern until to-
day?
A week past, when one evening,
sitting in the twilight, a step sound
ed close beside. She looked up to
discover the count.
"Psrden !" he began, in ansv er to
her Indignant, questioning look.
"Why must you be so cruel? May
/ not now see you?"
"Sir, l command you to leave me.
/ am now under the protection OF
my own roof.
He was about to answer, when a
latch key was heard inserted in the
outside door.
In an instant he had sprung inte
some place of concealment, but the
fact that he was near lent to the
young wife a sudden courage, born
of the moments desperation. Her
husband, entering, approached her
but she motioned him back
Gerald" she said, 81 have Bit
ter confession to make. 1t is fitting
YOU should hear it now"
He listened, with arms folded
across his breast, while she told him
all the story of the fated night.
And is this all ?" he questioned
bitterly, when she had paused.
mo, not all" she continued, rails
ing her voice. MY confession has
another witness, who has forced hi:
hated presence again upon me. The
Count Belzoni is here again, Ger
aid"
As sine spoke she drew aside the
curtain; but the form she expected
to disclose was gone, the open win
dow attesting to its flight
Silently the husband drew pa
per from his pocket, and showed hel
a paragraph offering a reward fol
the arrest of thief and swindlel
known as The Count Belzoni.
"My darling" he said, my wifi.
has learned lesson she'll net forget
have known this story all the time
but have waited until you came to
tell it to me. l returned the nigh
of the ball, to take you with me
when l found you had gone. Imag
inc what / suffered, and my added
suffering when, arriving at the scen'
of enjoyment. where | had followed
you, 1 discovered who was you
companion. / stood near you, ane
heard the words he addressed to yor
heard with joyful heart your an
swer; saw you wrench. your hand
from his hold, and also saw wha
ysu did not, the sparkle of the RIM
be drew from your finger. Poor lit
tie girl l watched you hasten thro
the crowd, and knew that you hae
, already met your bitterest punish
/ ment. 1t has been through my el
: forts that the count has been traces
, and exposed. Only this morning
recovered your ring from the MAJ
} with whom he had pledged it as Sc