The Indianapolis journal., 1885-09-13
said. HE will not stop long away from me-

wrought herSelf up TO make sucn a Sacr1nce, Sucn
an atonement it was pitiable to find Gerald no
better than the rest of his sex! She sank upon
a chair longing for release yet dreading to hear
the step which would herald it.
Half an hour passed. Mdlle Carlotta whiled
| it away by emptying a glass of champagne,
smoking a cigarette. and making comments on
Geralds prolonged absence Presently, she
| cried. "Ah, mademoiselle, this is dull for you
| see, will dance to you," and therswlth sne
raised herself on her toes and went pirouettng
round her captive, humming the while an air OF
| Offenbach's Her dress was long but she man
aged it with marvellous Skill and Eugenia whilst
loathing, could not help watching her with
sort of fascination. She was as agile as pan
| ther-every attitude was full of grace, every
| gesture aliuring
Suddenly she stopped short Her great eyes
| sparkled even more brightly. She glanced at
her victim. Hist" she said. 81 hear him.
| know his STEP He comes!'
| A moment afterwards the door was tried.
| Eugenia covered her face with her hands. She
knew not what the woman meant to do or to
say, but she felt that her crowniDg shame was at
hand; Yet her heart beat at the thought Of see
| ing Gerald once more, aud a wild idea of for
| glveness on either side passed through her.
Mdlle. Carlotta turned down the gas, unlocked
! the door, and. AS it opened, threw herself into
the arms of the new conner. Eugenia heard the
| sound of kisses given and returned, and her
| heart grew like stone.
"Geraldo, mon ami, she heard the dancer say,
in passionate tones, ''ds moi, que tn maimes-
| que t1 malmes toujours"
'Je ladore ma belle-tu es ravissantem
''Tel me in your own dear barbarous tongue
! Swear it to me in English"
II swear it, my beautiful gypsy love you"
"Me onlyP'
"You only" and Eugenia heard him kiss her
| again and again.
Ibis done, my Geraldo You love me more
| than the pale-faced miss who scorned youF He
laughed wild, unpleasant sounding laugh.
"Why not? You can love or say you can love
| nc nhat,rr 1la tfhs, fhn
glorious Southern sun. She was ice-you are
| fire. Better be burnt to death than to die of
cold and starvation. Men have worshipped you
men have died for you. love you"
They came into the room. His arm was
round her. Her radiant face rested on his
shoulder. Again and again, he kissed those
beautiful lips His eyes were only for her and
| saw not Eugenia.
her marble prototypes She might have passed
out unobserved by Gerald; but Mdlle Carlotta
| was on the watch. She pointed to her, and
| Gerald turned and saw Eugena.
| He had but time to realize it was no vision
| then she was gone. With wild cry he turned
to follow her, but the woman twined her arms
around him and restrained him. She was strong,
and for some moments detained him. Her
resistance ma1dened him. With fierce oath,
! he crasped her round the arms and tore them
| from his neck throwing her away with such
force that she fell upon the floor. Then he
| rushed after Eugenia
| She was walking swiftly along the road He
| soon reached her side; but although aware of
| his presence, she neither spoke nor looked at
| him.
What brought you here2" he said hoarsely.
| She made no reply-ony walked the faster.
Tell me why you Gomez" he said. II will
| never leave you until you answer me-"
She turned and looked at him. Fresh from
| that sceneSn the studio-with those words still
| ringing in her ears-even the great change she
| saw in his face did not move her to pity.
Il come" she said, ION the eve of my mar
riage, to ask forgiveness of a man whom l fan
| cied had wronged. am glad | came found
| him happy, and in society after his heart. !"
| Her voice was cold and contemptuous. He
| quivered beneath her scorn. At that moment a
| cab passed. Eugenia called it.
Leave me, she said to Gerald. Leave me.
| Our paths in life shall cross no more"
| He grasped her wrist. do you dare to re
proach me? You! Eugenia, told you it was
| life DEATH"
| Life or DEATH" she repeated. death at any
| rate seems made very sweet to you"
Still holding her wrist, ne looked into her eyes
| in strange, hopeless way. He saw nothing in
| them to help him. He leaned down to her ear
Yes, DEATH" he said in solemn whisper
| 'but the moral and spiritual death comes first y
| His hand left her wrist He turned and, with
| out word, strobe away. Whther2 Even as
| Tanhauser returned to the Venusberg, so Gerald
| Leigh returned to his studio and Carlotta.
| Eugenia wept all the way home. Wept for
| herself and Gerald Wept for the shame she
had endured. Wept for the uselessness of the
| contemplated atonement Wept for the life
| before her. and for mans future and career
| wrecked by her weakness.
The next week she married Sir Ralph Norgate.
| The ceremony was surrounded by betting
| splendor Yet even at the altar, Gerald Leigh's
| pale passionate face rose before her. and she
| knew it would never leave her thoughts She
| loved him still.
On her wedding morning she received manv
| letters She had no time to read them, so took
| them with her and perused them as she went
north with her husband. Among them was one
| in a strange handwriting; it ran thus:
| For your sake he struck me, Carlotta. But
| he came back to me and is mine again. Him
forgive; not YOU We 20 abroad together to
| warm sunny lands. Some day we shall quarrel
and part. Then shall remember you and take
my revenge. How? That husband, for whom
You deserted Gerald shall take fromyou"
| Eugenia's lip curled. She tore the letter and
| threw the pieces out Of the carriage window
Two years afterwards Lady Norgate was list
| lessy turning the leaves of society journal
Although she was a great and fashionable lady
she Was often listless, and found life rather a
dreary proceeding. She read to-day, among the
theatrical notes, that Mdlle Carlotta, the divine
| opera bouffe actress engaged TO appear
next month at the "Frivoity" Although the
woman's absurd threat was unheeded if not
| forgotten. her name recalled too vividly the
most painful episode in Lady Norgate's life
| She turned to another part of the paper and
read that the gentleman who committed suicide
under such distressing circumstances, at Monaco
| had now been identified. He Mr. Gerald
| Leigh, the sculptor, whose first important work
attracted so much attention two years ago. 1t
was hinted that his passion for well-known
| actress was the cause of the rash deed.
| Lady Norgate dropped the paper and covered
| her face with her hands. He had spoken truly
| Her love meant life or DEATH
| Had she believed or troubled about the con
cluding paragraph of the notice, had she ventured
to tell herself it was true that Gerald had forgot
| ten her, and Carlotta was responsible for his
death, her mind would soon have been set at rest.
| Like courteous foe who gives fair warning
| Mdlle Carlotta wrote once more:
HE is dead. He died for your sake not mine.
| Your name. no. mine, was on his lips. Look to
yourself. l am coming to London"
No doubt, Carlotta meant this letter as a first
blow toward revenge. She would hardly have