The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-31

''Have you not something else?'
Suddenly she discovered in a black
satin box, a magnificent chain of dia-
monds. and her heart began to beat
with immoderate desire. She seized
it with trem bling hands. She clasped
it around her throat, oyer her high
dress, and looked at herself in costa
cy. Then she asked, hesitating, full
of trouble:
"Can you lend me that, only tkatP"
"Why, yes; certainly"
She rushed to her friend, embraced
her passionately, then bore her treas
ure away.
At the ball Mathilde was prettier
than all the others, elegant, smiling,
and intoxicated with pleasure, All
the men looked at her, asking her
name, and begged to be presented to
her. She danced with abandon, in the
freshnessof her beauty, in sort of
cloud of happiness.
She left about o'clock in the morn
ing. Her husband threw over her
shoulders the wraps he had brought,
modest garments of every day life,
which assorted but poorly with the ell
egance of her ball toilet. She felt
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, but
she was already descending the stairs.
When they came into the street no
carriages were visible. They walked
shivering toward the Seine. At last
they found upon the wharf ono of
those old coupes, seen only after
nightfall in Paris. 1t brought them to
their own 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 cry and
turned to her husband IN distraction.
There 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 it when you
left the ballp' he asked.
Eyes; had my hand on it in the
eff you had dropped it in the street
We would have heard it fall. 1t must
,e in the cab"
yes, that is most likely. Did you
axe the numberP'
mo; didn't you notice itP'
mo"
They looked at each other in con-
formation and Leoisel began to dress.
81 will go over the whole distance
1e walked" said he, ito see if can
nd it..
He went out. She sank into chair
nd remained there in evening dress,
'ithout fire, without strength to go to
ed.
Her husband returned about z
clock. He had found nothing.
He went out again, and she waited
u day in the same state of terror be-
IRE this fearful disaster.
Leoisel returned at night with
ale and hollow face. He had found
othing.
you must write to your friend"
id he, shat you have broken the
asp of the necklace and have sent it
be repaired. That will give US
me to turn around"
AT the end of week they had lost
hope. Leolsel, looking five years
der, declared
1--WE must contrive to replace the
,cklace."
The next day they took the box
hich had contained it. and went
om shop to shop, ill with chagrIn and =
xiety, looking for a necklace like
e lost one. They found, at length,
chaplet of diamonds which appear
to them exactly what they wanted, I
was worth $4,000 francs. They
eyed the jeweler not to sell it for
rec days, and made the condition
at it should be taken back If the lost
g should have been found before the
d of February-Leoisel's father had
t him $4,000 francs. The rest he,
uid have to borrow. He obtained
90 francs from one man and 500
I'M another, 5 louis here and louis
re, he incurred ruinous obligations
III the whole race of usurers. He
ked his signature without the least
a whether he would be able to hon
it; and oppressed by anguish in
W of the future, by the black power n.
he saw settling down upon them, XII
the prospect of physical privations III
mental tortures, he called for the
v necklace, counting out to the
reliant $4,000 francs.
When Nine. Leoisel took the neck
g to Nine. Forester the latter said
b annoyance:
You ought to have returned it
ner; might have wanted it.
Tut she did not open the casket. g
lathilde now became acquainted
h the life of the necessitous. She
k up her share of the burden hero
ly. She was going to help pay this
.htful debt. She dismissed her SER iii
t and changed her lodgings for an VI
C. She learned to perform the
rse and odious tasks of the kitchen.
washed the dishes, and wore her
! nails to the quick on the bottoms
greasy kettles. She washed the
ed linen and dried it on a cord at
window. She carried the ashes
sweeplngs to the street every n
ninU and carried IN water stOn- |