The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-09-18
her passionately, then bore her treas

ure away.
At the ball Mathilde was prettie
than all the others, elegant. smiling
n intoxicated with pleasure. AL
the men looked at her, asking he
name. and begged to be presented +
her. She danced with abandon, in tn
freshness of her beauty, in a sort o
cloud of happiness.
h left about 4 O'Clock iu the morn
q g Her husband threw over he
shoulders the wraps he had brought
modest garments of everyday life
which assorted but poorly with the ell
egance Of her ball toilet. She fell
this. and wished to escape without be
ing noticed by the other ladies, who
were wrapping themselves in rich furs
Her husband tried TO restrain her. bu,
she was already descending the stairs.
When they came into the street nc
carriages were visible. They walked
shlvering toward the Seine. At last
they found upon the wharf one OF
those old coupes. seen only after
nlghtfaHin Paris. 1t brought them to
their W door, and they entered
gloomily. For her it was all ended.
He was thinking that he must be at
his desk at 10 O'Clock.
She took the wrappings from her
shoulders before her mirror, that she
might see herself once more in her
glory. Suddenly she gave a cry and
turned to her husband IN distraction,
mere was no necklace about her
neck.
They looked in the folds of her
dress and cloak, in her pockets, every
where. They did not find it.
You are sure you had i. when Won
left the ball?n he asked.
Yes; had my hand on it in the
vestibule.n
.'lf you had dropped it in the street
we would have heard ii fall. II mnst
be in the cab.
Yes, that is most likely. Did you
n the numberp"
No; didn't you notice it?''
NO"
They looked at each other in con.
stcrnation and Leoisel began to dress.
II will go yer the whole distance
we walked" said he, Ito see if | can
find it,
He went out. She sank into a chair
and remained there in evening dress.
without fire, without strength TO go to
bed.
Her husband returned about z
o clock. He had found nothing.
lie went ou again, and she waited
an day in the same state of terror be-
fore this fearful disaster.
Leoisel returned at night with n
pale and hollow face. He had found
nothing.
you must write to your friend.n
said he, ..that you have broken the
clasp Of the necklace and have sent il
to he repaired. That will give us
time to turn around"
AZ the end OF a week they had lost
ailllope. Leolsel, looking five years
older, declared:
Eve must contrive to replace the
necklace"
The next day they took tho box
which had contained it, and went
from shop to shop, i'll with chagr1n and
anxiety, looking for a necklace like
the lost one. They found, at length.
a chaplet of diamonds which appear
ed to them exactly what they wanted.
1t was worth a. 600 francs. They
begged the jeweler not to sell it for
three days, and made the condition
that 1T should be taken back If the lost
one should have been found before the
end o. FebrnarY-Leoisel's father had
left HIM $4,000 francs. The rest he
would have to borrow. He obtained
LOCO francs from one man and 500
from another, 5 louis here and 3 louis
1hlrRl hn inaI1rra1 ,u,, -, IL,
with the whole race of usurers. He
risked his signature without the least
idea whether he would be able to hon
or it; and oppressed by anguish in
view OF The future, by the black power
~ he saw settling down upon them,
by the prospect OF physical privations
and mental fortunes, he called for the
new necklace. counting out to the
merchant ID, 200 francs.
When Nine. Leoisel took the neck
lace to Mime. Forester the latter said
with annoyance:
"4ou ought to have returned it
sooner; might have wanted it.
But she did not open the casket.
Mathilde now became acquainted
with the life of the necessitous. She
took up her share of the burden hero
really. She was going to help pay this
frightful debt. She dismissed her SER
and changed her lodgings for an
attic She learned to perform the
coarse aud odious tasks OF the kitchen.
She washed the dishes, and wore her
nails to the quick on the bottoms
greasy kettles. She washed tho
soiled linen and dried it on a cord at
the window. She carried the ashes
sWeeplngs to the street every
morning, and carried up water, stop
ping at each landing of the stairs to
She went to the grocer and
the butcher, her basket on her arm.
defending her miserable money, sou
BY sou.
Her husband worked evenings, clear
a merchants account, and often
did copying at five sous a page.
This life lasted ten years. At the
end of that time they had paid all,
with accumulated interest.
Mathilde looked old. She had be-
the rude, strong, hardened
of the poor with unkempt
lair, rough hands, and gown awry.
She talked loud and scrubbed the
ioors with great splashing of water.
But at times, when her husband was
,ut. she sat before the window and
ireamed of that ball, SO long ago.
where she had been so lovely and so
admired.
What would she have been had she
lot lost her necklacep Who can tell?
small a thing can make or mar a
One Sunday. as she was taking a
luiet stroll, she noticed a lady leading
child. 1t was Madame Forester,
TIL young and lovely. Should she
peak to her? Yes; certainly. And
ince IT was all paid she would tell her
he whole story. She drew near.