Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-17

the evening before, and demanded zexplana-
tious She eluded the former, and replied In
IN evasive manner to the latter; yet always
after 50 witty q 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
cheeks, and softly kissed my forehead. She
chatted and chatted in q pretty mockjng
way-in a style at once elegantly polished
and yet familiar, and although like 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.
1t was indeed q charming and handsome real
woman-a veritable warehouses whom l
found beside me Poor student Of seventeen
There was more than enough to make one
lose his head, 50 lost mine.
'And Monster le Marquis. on the wall up
there-what will he saya"
He win not say anything" replied the
marchioness, laughing heartily. ''Do you
suppose he ever sees anythingi Besides, even
should he see, he is the most philosophical
and inofensive husband In the world Do
you love me, little oneF'
Indeed, l do-ever so much-ever 30
much"
But morning dawned, and the marchiones
returned to her tapestry.
The day seemed TO me frightfully long
At last evening came. All happened as on
the evening before The marchioness be
tame more and more adorable; and this state
AZ affairs continued for a long time. As
never slept at night. wore q somnoent ex-
preston in the daytime, which did not augur
well for me with my uncle. He suspected
something; he 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 TO her
place on the tapestry He was followed by
a tapestry hanger, with pincers and ladder
He looked at me with q shrewd and severe
expression, which convinced me that he
knew all
"This Marchioness de BeIlerive IL Ger
tainiy crazy; what could have put it into her
head to fall in love with brat like thatT'-
muttered my uncle between his teeth-"she
promised &c behave herselfp
Jean, take that tapestry down; roll It up
and put 1t in the garrett"
Every word my uncle spoke went through
my heart like poignerd thrust.
Jean rolled UP my sweetheart Omphale-
otherwise the Warehouses Antoinette do
Marquis de Bellerive, and carried the whole
thing off to the garrett could not restrain
my tears Next day my uncle sent me back,
In the B. diligence, to my respectable
parent-to whom, you may feel assured, l
never breathed word OF my adventure.
Ny uncle died. his house and furniture
were sold: probably the tapestry was sold
with the rest But long time afterward,
A. - 49, kv,.< L,.n<
merchant in search of oddities, l stumbled
over great dusty roll Of something covered
with cobwebS
"What is thatr' 1 said to rhe Auvergnat.
''That is a rocco tapestry representing
Nine Omphale and NJ Hercule; 1t is genuine
/ Beauvais, worked in silk and in an excellent
state Of preservation Buy this from me for
/ your study; will not charge you dear for
it, since it is you"
At the name Of OmphaIe all my blood
rushed to my heart.
"Unrou that tapestry" I said to the mer-
chant in q hurried, gasping voice, like one
| In fever.
It was indeed shei I fancied that her
mouth smiled graciously at me, and that her
eye lighted up on meeting nina.
''How much do you askF'
swell, l could not possibly let you have It
for less than five hundred francs"
II have not that much with me now;
will give It and be back In an hour"
returned with the money; but the tap
sstry was no longer there An Englishman
bad bargained for it during my absence, Of
| fered GOO francs for it and taken it away
with him.
After all perhaps it was best that 1t should
have been thus and that l should preserve
this delicious souvenir intact They say
one should never return to a first love, or
look at the rose which one admired the even
ing before.
And them am no longer so young or so
handsome that tapestries should come down
from their walls to honor me.-Translated
from the French Of Theophile Gautier by
Lafcadio Hearn for The Argonaut