McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-06-05

siren to tempt men to their destruc-
tion," said voice close to her, "though
to the latter know no one more lifted. !"
"Sir!n she exclaimed Indignantly, rec
oenizing, as she spoke, the Count stand
ing at her elbow. "Ah! you thought
1 did not know you. should penetrate
any disguise you wore. Besides you
have forgotten to remove a badge OF
recognition She followed with her
ewes her downward 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 bad be-
trayed her. Denial was useless.
"Since you know me, then," she
said, tive will not further play part. !"
To the others we are masks; to our
selves we are ourselves.
"Ah, Madam" he whispered, "let us
rather say to the world we are our
selves, 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 a vice. She wrenched it from him,
sprang among a crowd of maskers, and
so made her way to the door. "Call o
carriage for me,n she directed.
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 contrition. 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 which had been
polluted by another's touch-as though
in some way she expected to find the
contamination branded on its soft white
surface. 1t was all unmarried, but
She looked again, she rubbed her eyes
and looked, the color meanwhile flut-
tering out of her cheeks, and her pale
lips quiverlng, as 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
courage to confess all to Gerald? She
rose and dressed, revolving this prob
lem in her mind. At any hour her
husband might return. For the first
time she dreaded to meet him-dreaded
to look into 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 de-
sertion; 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 its cause, her cour-
age failed her. Why was it she never
imagined that he might look stern I'M
til to-day?
A week passed when, one evening,
sitting in the twilight, a step sounded
close beside. She looked up to dis
cover the count.
'sPardon!" he began, in answer to
her indignant, questioning look.
"Why must you be so cruel? May l
not see you now?''
"Sir, command you to leave me.
am now under the protection of my
own roof" He was about to answer
when latchkey was heard inserted in
the outside door. In an instant he
had sprung into some place of con-
cealment, but the fact that he was near
lent to the young wife sudden cour-
age born of the moments desperation.
Her husband, entering, approached
her, but she motioned him back. s'Ger-
ald," she said, 81 have a bitter con-
fession 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 that
fatal night. ''And is that ALP" he
questioned bitterly, when she had
paused. "No; not ALL" she continued,
raising her voice. sMy confession has
another witness, who has forced his
hated presence again upon me. The
Count Belzoni 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 at
tested to its flight. Silent, the hus'
band drew a paper from bis pocket,
and showed her a paragraph offering
reward for the arrest of a thief ana
swindler known as the Count Belzoni
"My darling" he said, ''my little
wife learned lesson she will never
forget. [ have known this story all
the time, but have waited until you
came to tell it to me. I returned the
night of the ball to take you with me,
when found you had gone. Imagine
what suffered and my added suffer
ings when, arriving at the scene of en-.
joyment, where l had followed you, ]
discovered who was your companion.
l stood near you and heard the words
he addressed to you-heard with joyful
heart your answer; saw you wrench
your hands from his hold and also saw
what you did not, the sparkle of the
ring he drew from your finger. Poor
little girl! l watched you hasten
through the crowd, and knew that you
had already met your bitterest punish
ment. 1t has been through my efforts
that the count has been traced and ex.