Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-02

had been under tho impression that I wns !
only dreaming, l felt very much astonished; /
for was certain that they had been closed
when went to bed.
As soon rs Baptiste left tho room, I ran to
the tapestry, felt it all over; it was, indeed,
real WOODEN tapestry, rough TO the touch
like any other tapestry. Omphalo resembled
the charming phantom Of the night only as a
dead body resembles a living one. lifted
the hangings; the wall was solid through
out; there were no masked panels or secret
doors. | only noticed that few threads
were broken in the ground worksof the tapes
try where the feot Of Omphale rested. This
afforded me food for reflection.
All that day | remained buried in the
deepest brown study imaginable. l longed
for evening with mingled feeling Of anxiety
and impatence retired early, resolved on
learning how this mystery was going 20 ond.
got into bed; tho marchioncss did not keep
me waiting long-she leaped down from the
tapestry in front of the pier glass, and
dropped right by my bed; she seated herself
by my pillow, and the conversation com
menced. | asked her questions as l had done
the evening before, and demanded explana-
tons She eluded the former and replied in
an evasive manner to tho latter; yet always
after so witty fashion that within quarter
Of an hour felt more charmed than ever.
While conversing she passed her fingers
through my hair, tapped me gently on the
checks, and softly kissed my forehead She
chatted and chatted In a pretty hooking
way--in a style at once elegantly polished
and yet familiar, and although like a great
lady-such as have never since heard from
the lips Of any human being. She was then
seated upon the easy chair beside the bed.
II was indeed a charming and handsome real
woman-a veritable marchioness whom
found beside me. Poor studento OF seventeen
There was more than enough TO make one
/ lose his head, so lost mine.
"And Monster le Marquis, ON the wall up
there-whnt will he sayf'
SHE win not say anything replied the
marchioness, laughing heartily. 40 You
suppose he ever secs anythingi Besides, even
should he sec, he is tho most philosophical
and inofTensive husband in the world. Do
you love me, little oneF'
"lndeed, l do-ever so much-ever so
muchm
But morning dawned, and the marchioness
returned 20 her tapestry.
The day seemed 20 me frightfully long
| AT last evening came All happened as on
the evening before. The marchioness be-
came more and more adorable; and this state
| of affairs continued for n long time. As /
never slept at night. wore a somnolont ex-
/ preston in the daytime. which did not augur
well for me with my uncle He suspected
something; ho probably listened at the door
and heard everything; for one fine morning
he entered my room so brusquely that An
toinette had scarcely time TO get back 20 her
place on the tapestry. He was followed by
a tapestry hanger, with pincers and a ladder
He looked at me with a shrewd and severe
expression, which convinced me that he
know all.
"This MarehioneE de Bellcrive Is GER
tainly crazy what could have put IL into her
bend to fan in love with brat like thatg'--
muttered my uncle between his teoth--'she
promised 10 behave herselfln
jean, take that tapestry down; roll It up
and put it in the garrett
Every word my uncle spoke went through
my heart like poignard thrust
jean rolled up my sweetheart Omphalo-
otherwise tho Marchioness Antoinette dc
Bellerive-together with Hercules, or the
Marquis de Bellerivs, and carried tho whole
thing of 70 tie garrett could not restrain
my tears. Next day my uncle sont me back,
in the b. diligence, 70 my respectable
] ,
never brcnthcd a word OF my adventure
Ny uncle died; his house and funitur,
were sold; probably the tapestry was sold
with the rest But a long time afterward,
whilo foragng the shop Of hric-a-brac
merchant IN search Of Oddities / stumbled
over q great dusty roll OF something covered
with cobwehs.
"What is thatln said TO the Auvergnat.
"That is n rocco tapestry representing
Nine Omphalo aud A. Hercule; IL is genuine
Beauvais, worked in silk and In m excellent
state Of preservation, Buy this from me for
your study; l will not charge you dear for
it, since it is YOU
At the name Of omphale all my blood
rushed 70 my heart.
"Unroll that tapestry said to the mer-
! chant in a hurried, gasping voice, like one
in fever.
It was indeed she fancied that her
i mouth smiled graciously at me, and that her
eye lighted up on meeting mine.
GLOW much do you aslIln
"Wol, could not possibly let you have it
for less than five hundred francsn
IL have not that much with me now; I
win give it and be back in an hour.p
! returned with the money; but the tap
estry was no longer there. An Englishman
had bargained for il during my absence, of
fered COO francs for it and taken it away
with him.
After all perhaps IL was best that it should
! have been thus, and that ] should preserve
this delicious souvenir intact. They say
one should never return to a first love. on
look at the rose which one admired the even
ing before.
And them I am no longer so young OF so
/ handsome TINT tapestries should come down
from their walls TO honor e-Trarslated
from the French Of Theophile Gautier by
Lafcadio Hearn for The Argonaut.
A Voice OF Too Bright Color.