The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-08-27
ready been punished, "she whispered
to herself, as she stood for moment

to herself, as she stood for moment
alone in u quiet corner.
.You look more like a nun than 9
fairy-rather likeone who had fore
sworn the vanities of the world, than
siren to tempt men to their de.
struction," said q voice close to her
Though to the latter l know no one
more fitted"
aSir.pshe exclaimed Indignantly
recognizing as she. spoke, the count
standing at her elbow.
"Ah! you thought | did not know
you. | should penetrate any dis
guise you wore. Besides you have
forgotten TO remove badge ofrecog-
| milton"
i 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 bad betrayed
her.
Denial was useless.
"Since you know me, then" she
said, "we will not further play a
part. To the others we are masks /;
to ourselves we are ourselves"
"Ah, madame," he whispered,
f'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 you pos
sess? Can"
Indignant.and alarmed, she check
ed his further..speech by starting for
ward 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 streaming
into her room, awoke her.
With shudder, she remembered
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. Itwas all unmarried, but-she
looked again-she rubbed her eyes
and looked-the color meanwhile
fluttering out of her cheeks and her
pale lips quivering, as if her heart
seemed to stand still in sudden ag
ony Of fear, for from the third finger
was missing the talismanic ring.
When and where she had lost it,
and how could she now find the
courage to confess ali to Gerald ?
She rose and dressed, revolving the
problem in her mind.
At any hour her husband might
return. For the first time she dread
ed to meet him-dreaded to look in
to his kindly, handsome eyes, and
read there all his incredulous re-
proach, 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 into his arms in a
burst of nervous weeping, but when |
he wonderingly asked the 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, step sound
ed close beside her. She looked up /,
10 discover the count.
"Pardonw he began, in answer 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 sprang into
some place of concealment. but the
fact that he was near lent the young
wife a sudden courage, born of the
moments desperation. Her husband
entering, approached her, but she
motioned him back.
Gerald, she said, Il have bitter
confession to make. 1t is fitting that
you should hear it now"
He listened, with arms folded
across his breast, while she told him
all the story ofthe fated night.
And is this all ?" he questioned
bitterly, when she had paused.
No, not all,,' she continued, rails
ing her voice. My confession has
another witness, who has forced his
hated presence again upon me. The
Count Belzoni is here again, Ger
aid"
As she 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 q pa
per from his pocket, and showed her
a paragraph offering a reward for the
arrest of thief and swindler known
as Count Belzoni.
MY darling" he said, my little
wife has learned a lesson she will
never forget. | have known this
story all the while, but | have wait 1
ed until you came to tell it to me. |
returned the night of the ball to take
you with me, when found you had
gone. Imagine what suffered and
my added suffering when, arriving /
at the scene of enjoyment, where
had followed you, | discovered who
was your companion. / stood near
you and heard the words he ad-
\ f..1