The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06
THE WEB OF LACE.

LIE w LID UT LAOE.
Some little while ago a young Italian
couple who had come to Paris in search of
fashionable life became customers of mine
In my capacity as a broker and banker.
The husband was Of very high birth, and
had resigned his commission as a captain
of cavalry at his marriage. The wife was
very pretty, very rich and the daughter Of
great railway contractor. Their estab-
lishment was luxurious, sober and serious
The husband used TO speculate on the
Stock Exchange, but with prudence. Imet
them at Trouville. dined with them in the
winter and hunted with the count on his
grounds near GOetz. One day about two
months ago ] was returning to my Office
after the last board when my clerk
stopped me and told me, with strlnge
look that a lady was waiting to see NE. A
lady? ] could not guess who she was. My
clerk said she was young, elegantly dressed
and appeared violently agitated and afraid
the police would come. / was startled,
but would not let my clerk suspect it.
walked boldly forward and found my
charming Italian countess. She rose quick
", and, with her eyes filed with tears,
stretched out her hands TO me.
Here you are at last" she said. 81
have been hero so long-I was so afraid
you would not come"
But, madame, what is the matter?
What procures me the pleasure'-
She made feverish gesture and said in
, tense voice:
"Do not speak-listen to me. What |
have to say is 50 terrible that if | delay an
instant | shall never have the courage TO
cell you. Yes, tits cruel, but must speak
Only you Can save mer
save your
Yes DO not look at mel shall have
more force to tell you what you must be
told"
We exchanged alarmed looks. listened
In horror. What could this woman, proud,
Intelligent, accustomed to every situation
snd protected by all possible safeguards,
have done 10 be placed in so terrible a pre-
dicament?
ooh, mon Dieu!" heard her murmur.
"Tow can / make such a confessions |
would rather die And yet my husband
ny soun' She wrung her hands, and her
convulsed features expressed the most COM
plete despair.
tell me at once, since you see in me a pos
sible savior. Do not leave me in doubt
What has happened? What have they
done to your
She grew deadly pale, and from her trem-
bling lips fell the avowal:
1.-TWO hours ago at the Magasins-at the
lace counter of the Paradis DIES Dames-I
was arrested-for stealngl'
tt1ynr etoo1ip,,f'' I ,o,,oataI
so absurd did the idea seem to me-
Yes for stealing piece of lace!'
"And that piece of lace''-
"Was found on mer'
"Why, some shoplfter, fearing to he
caught herself, must have slipped it into
your jacket without your knowing it."
"Now
The word fell like a stone on my head. |
looked with stupefaction at this well born,
carefully nurtured girl, delicate and re
fined, who sat before me overwhelmed at
saving to acknowledge that it was not by
chance that the lace was found on her per-
son
"Why-whyr- l stammered
"Why, it was ], of coarse, who took it,
j stole it-don't you understands" she
cried, almost beside herself.
"You, madameg'
Eyes, Il How did it happen? don't
know; but yet it is so.
Il had already made several purchases.
paying for them all, when / saw an exhi-
bltion of laces they had at the Magasins
There were some marvelously beautiful
ones. particularly point d'Alencon, re
markably fine and high. of a royal design.
and | stopped TO admire it. Seeing this
the clerk forced il on my notice, and spread
st before me- and carried away 10y an in
comprehensive impulse | sat down. He
unrolled it, twisted and turned il about,
showed it off against the velvet, and !, my
eyes fixed on the fine meanderings of the
harmonious design, gazed as if fascinated.
| no longer heard the honeyed and stupid
voice OF the clerk; was absorbed by the
adorable lace My reason was abolished,
nothing remained of my instincts. tastes
and ways, and in the vacuum Of my mind
found nothing but an intense desire TO
possess the precious tissue. 1 would have
done anything TO get it. ] felt that | must
have il, no matter how, and that without
delay. The clerk talked on and on. |
heard him saying that il was an eNtraor-
binary bargain; that the design was unique
and would never be reproduced; that the
price was only 200 francs yard that last
year X would nave been ZOO. that only
queens wore such lace, There seemed 10
be an accent of scorn in his voice, as if he
were saying, Such maryels are not for an
ordinary woman like YOU
"Iie added, We have some very CHEAP
ValencienneS' With turn Of his hand
he rolled up the point d'Aleucon. and leav-
inC il before me rummaCed IN the big
shelves behind him, bringing out num-
Der OF very pleasing patterns and dis
played them with rs insinuatinG zeal as
WHEN he had been showing the master
ptscr which he seemed to have forgotten.
bur which Geyoured, letting my eyes feast
on il constantly without being distracted
by anything. like wild beast patiently
watching It's prey. Just then hewSs called
by a fellow clerk, 20 whom he replied i'm
patieu ~. Don't you see that am busy"
"But the other insisting, after excusl1g
himself 10 me he quilted his place for
moment. That moment sufiiced he
when he returned the piece of point
d'Alencon was beneath my jacket
His eyes seemed 70 me 10 fix themselves