Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-03
THE WEB OF LACE.

THE WEB OF LACE.
Some little while ago a young Italian
couple who had come to Paris in search OF
fashionable LIE became customers of mine
In my capacity as a broker and banker
Haie husband was OF very high birth, and
had resigned his commission rs a captair
OF cavalry at his marriage. The wife was
very pretty, very rich and the daughter OF
great railway contractor. Their estab
hshment was luxurious, sober and serious
The husband used to speculate on the
Stock Exchange, but with prudence. Imet
them ut 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 a str lnge
look, that a lady was waiting TO see ne. A
lady? L could not guess who she was NV
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 nv
charming Italian countess. She rose quick
iy, and, with her eyes filled with tears,
stretched out her hands to me.
Here you are at last" she said Il
have been here so long-I was so afraid
you would not come"
But, madame, what is the matter9
w hat procures me the pleasure''-
She made Il feverish gesture and said in
a tense voice:
DO not spcak-listen to me What |
have to say is SO terrible that if DELAY an
instant shall never have the courage to
tell you. Yes, it's cruel, but must speak.
Only you can save mel
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
and protected by all possible safeguards,
have done to be placed in so terrible pre-
dicament?
oh, mon Dieu!' heard her murmur.
How can | make such confession? |
would rather die. And yet my husband
my son" She wrung her hands, and her
convulsed features expressed the most com
plete despair
tell me at once, since you see in me DOS
sible savior. Do not leave me in doubt.
What has happened? What have they
done to you?"
She grew deadly pale, and from her trem-
bling lips fell the avowal:
Two hours ago at the Magasins-at the
lace counter Of the Paradis dies Dames-I
was arrested-fOr stealingr'
For stealingr' repeated mechanically,
so absurd did the idea seem to me.
Yes, for stealing piece of lace!"
And that piece of lace''-
WAS found on me.'
why, some shoplifter, fearing to be
caught herself, must have slipped it into
your jacket without your knowing it,
''No"
The word fell like a stone on nv head /
looked with stupefaction at this well born.
carefully nurtured girl, delicate and re-
fined, who sat before me overwhelmed at
having to acknowledge that it was not bv
chance that the lace was found on her per-
son.
'Why-why"-I stammered
why, it was |, OF course, who took it.
l stole it-don't you UNDERESTIMATE" she
cried, almost beside herself.
You, madame?"
Les, l. HOW dld IL happen? ! don't
know; but yet it is so.
Il had already made several purchases
paying for them all, when saw an exhi-
bitlon of laces they had at the Magasins.
There were some marvelously beautiful
ones, particularly a point d'Alencon, re-
markably fine and high, of a royal design.
and | stopped to admire it. Seeing this
the clerk forced it on my notice, and spread
before mo and ial L..
comprehensive impulse | sat down. He
unrolled it, twisted and turned it about
showed it off against the velvet and |. nv
eyes fixed on the fine meanderings of the
harmonious design, gazed as if fascinated
i 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. | would have
done anything to get it. / felt that must
have it, no matter how, and that without
delay. The clerk talked on and on.
heard him saying that it was an extraor-
binary bargain that the design was unique
and would never be reproduced; that the
price was only 200 francs yard; that last
year it would have been 2,oOG; that only
queens wore such lacel There seemed to
be an accent of scorn in his voice, as if he
were saying, Such marvels are not for an
ordinary woman like you
"He added, we have some very cheap
Valenciennes' With turn of his hand
he rolled up the point d. Aleneon, and leav-
ing it before me rummaged in the big
shelves behind him, bringing out num-
Der OF very pleasing patterns, and dis
played them with as insinuating zeal as
when he had been showing the master
piece which he seemed to have forgotten,
but which devonrsd, letting my eyes feast