Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-07

her horror at the mere thought
Madame" she began, THAT is quite
impossible"
Madame flashed a suile from her lin
pid gray eyes and white, irregular teeth.
Nonsense, Fifine! There Is no need
of any deception between US. You know,
as well as I do, that between French
cooking and late hours the freshness Of
my complexion is gone"
Driven to bay, as 1t were, Fifine ad-
mitted that there was . certain prepara
ton compounded with wax, said to have
been used by the Empress Eugenie, that
possessed rare virtues for restoring the
complexion, that she could prepare. Not
that there is any need, she stoutly as
serted, but if madame wisheS-'
Madame interrupted her lying loquac-
ity.
~ must keep il on my face twenty four
hours, you say. Very well; prepare IT at
once and we will apply 1t tonight. / can
be through with it In time for the Rus
sian princes ball"
At f2 O'Clock that night q man wearing
a black mask over his face stepped eau
tiOusly through the window of Mrs. Deer
ing's boudoir from the little balcony out
side.
Let them catch me II they csu," he
muttered, as an awkward motion of his
foot nearly overturned a chair. LET
them, say. I've been in hard luck 50
long, that it's neck or nothing with me
now"
He turned the light Of the dark lantern
he carried into the room and looked
around. A low fire smOldered in the
CRATE and cast q dull, red glow over the
tiled hearth and messy carpet, rich with
the softened colOring Of oriental dyes.
Low Egyptian couches and chairs, with
ebony frames carved with Sphinxes'
heads and lotus leaves, and upholstered
with satin damask wrought in gold,
stood about the room.
A dressing gown of dull color, trimmed
with filmy yellow lace, hung over a chair,
beside bed arched with handwrought,
silken canopy. Rings and bracelets lay
on the dressing table, and in a velvet
case left carelessly half open glittered a
diamond necklace.
The burglars eyes fastened on the jew
els. He had been hungry and cold for
many days, and animal wants are merci-
less.
He reached out to grasp the necklace,
when his eyes happened to turn toward
the bed.
MY God, Felicia, dead!'
She looked so white, so corpse like in
her transparent, waxen mask that Jack
Mohr turned away the light Of his lantern
a sickening sense of suifocation almost
OverpOweripg him, for he was weak from
hunger and exposure.
A soft voice broke the silence
Jack, is it your
Eyes" in half whisper. To save his
life he could not have spoken loud.
Good night, dear. can not open my
eyes Fifine has SO covered my face with
this cosmetic preparation. Don't try to
kiss me, it's quite impossible" "
There was a sound Of some one stirring
in the next room. Nevertheless JACK
Mohr fingered long enough to step for
ward, kneel by the bed, and touch his
bearded lips to the warm dimpled hand
lying on the counterpane.
"HOw sentimental you are, Jack; do
you know for one moment as your lips
touched my hand was back in that hor-
rid old mining village in Colorado. l saw
the gulch with the miners camps, the
rows of struggling shanties, and that
awkward Tillie with the freckled face,
who used to wait on our table; and that
ridiculous Jack Mohr, who was so fond of
me. l could even hear the rustic of the
dead leaves on the branches as the night
wind swept through the trees Odd,
wasn't it,''
The sweet voice died away in a drowsy
murmur. Jack laid down the jewels and
softly stole from the room
At the princes ball next night, Felicia
was greatly admired, and had the honor
of dancing with Prince Versakopf him
self
At pause in the dance the prince
said: That was a sad story in to-day's
journal of the young American who shot
himself in front of your palace, last night,
madame"
Felicia stood in the full blaze of the
chandelier, and the nervous tremor that
shook her from head to foot broke the
rays Of light from her diamonds into a
thousand rainbow colOred fragments
Prince Versakopf followed the direc-
tion of her eyes toward an open doorway,
but saw nothing.
But Felicia saw there as plainly as she
saw the handsome prince by her side, her
old lover, Jack Mohr.-Julia Mills Dunn
in Boston Traveller.