The record-union., 1891-10-17
T" BOHEMIA" !"

! Written for the eREcoRD-UNIoN by Gale Braith
(Alice Robertson)]
In creed Of Priest and Statesman
Hypocrisy is rife.
The cloak and hood of devotee
! May hide a faithless wife,
Then no let Us tread a measure
With the world in it's swift mad spin.
With the free, wild sons of pleasure
/ Drink deep TO the Goddess ''Sin.'
VIII Combs
The champagne corks are popping
merrily, and to the accompaniment of
the music in the ballroom there is clat
ter and tap of dancing feet. The music
and colored lights are almost maddening,
whilst the sitting, warm, perfumed air,
mingled with cigar smoke, renders it
almost painful to draw an ordinary
! breath.
See! Varley has just emptied his glass,
and staggering past, clumsily overturns
the potted palm tree yonder.
Crash! smash go trayful of glasses in
the adjoining salon.
One side of the velvet portiere hangs
trailing heavily upon a single hook.
Someone in danger of falling has grasped
it. no doubt to steady his hayward feet,
and in SO doing torn it from its fasten-
| ings.
Upon the green-carpeted floor, pow
/ dered thickly with golden marguerites,
are here and there i few white and yell
! low roSebuds lying, their withered petals
scattered around them, favors fallen from
! some careless gallants button-hole, or
| likely from a fair ones breast or tresses,
/ now to be traInpled and crushed under
foot. At the entrance to the conservatory q
| dainty, white fan has been thrown upon
/ the floor, with its slender ivory handle
snapped in twain. Perhaps the owner in
a fit ofjealousy or rage has broken the
trail toy and then cast ii aside in the heat
| of passion.
TO the back of light willow rocking
chair, around which is trimmed and
| tinsled numerous yards of green and
| gold ribbon, a flimsy lace, wine-stained
handkerchief is loosely clinging.
Ia! footman is siyly slipping into
St Luce's hand note, which that gen
| tleman quickly conveys TO his inside
| pocket.
The young English diplomat, who is
laZily leaning against white marble
! pillar, remarks:
by joye! Natalie is growing careless.
! That was a dangerous move-actually
| passing billet-douX under her husbands
! nose"
His companion, portly, dark-faced
man, with an expansive ana immaculate
| shirt front, who is also bent upon diplo-
matte business, laughs lightly, and as
! lightly blows the ash from his half
| smoked cigar, puff. The husband is a
fool But you are wrong, however, for
! the note was not sent by our charming
| hostess. Can't you see what fury she is
III about it? Just watch her eyes. They
can almost read through her lovers
| pocket"
The two ambassadors laugh know
! ingly as their eyes rest upon Natalie,
lounging indolently upon low, dark
green divan. Natalie, with corSage cut
remarkably low which displays to good
advantage the snow-white breasts and
| shoulders; aud whose daintily crossed
! feet are showing little more ankle than
! is absolutely necessary, and resembling
| in her brilliant plumage Of green and
scarlet little, bright-eyed tropical bird.
! Montrose is by her side, as usual lately.
| This St. Luce knows without raising his
eyes, and a smothered curse escapes his
wreathed lips. She is laughing
now, and her laughter is the sweetest
thing on earth-so fresh, SO gay. st.
| Luce is growing desperate with jealousy.
The two diplomats still stand eying
alternately Natalie and the handsome.
reckless man at the gaming table.
! The young Eng1ishman adjusts his eye
| glass more firmly and remarks: 1.-The
husband is plucking him pretty clean to-
night There, you see, he has just forked
| over another l. o. T."
'Serves him right answers the other,
| who now casts aside his finished cigar
Ever since his arrival in Rome the fool
! has been squandering his fortune like
water, and only exists in Natalie's
shadow 1t is quite an old affair, you
! know. He wanted to marry her, but the
mother had higher views for her lovely
| daughter, and cleverly sold her to our
host yonder. At that time st. Luce was
DOOR as church mouse. But cruel fatei
| NO cHNnpr was Natalia Madame a I),i,,
cess, than an old uncle died suddenly
! leaving the whole of his immense wealth
! to this nephew, with but one clause he
must wed the old gentleman's orphan
ward, Marion de Rohan. This happened
some four years ago. His wife was
| schoolmate with my youngest sister, from
whom / have heard the most glowing
| praises, and from the description 1 con-
| clude she is strongly inclined to be de-
vout; and like all good women, trifie
! slow; she evidently possesses no charms
| for her husband, who neglects her openly
| for pretty, wicked little Natalie, here"
| The two men cease speaking, and with
a sudden, loud crash the music stops
| The dancers, tired but merry, come troop
ing in. Confusion follows, mingled with
! laughter and snatches of song. The
| black-coated attendants are nimbly fit
| ing hither and thither, bearing trays
| heavily laden with sparkling wines, ices
and fruits. The laughter becomes louder.
| With soft, quick footsteps Natalie ap-
/ proacheS the table. She passes st. Luce
| with smiling nod to pause beside his
| partner, where for moment she stands,
| then, bending her straight, subtle body,
she places her bare, white arms upon her
husbands shoulder, who, pleasantly sur
prised by such rare mark of wifely at
tention, tosses back his rumpled hair
from flushed and burning forehead to
lean his head for a moment upon her fair
bosom. st. Luce's eyes are filled with
sudden passion, and he grinds
an oath between his teeth. Why
does she do it? Why does she
torture him by fawning over that half
drunken sot-this beast who calls her
wife. He sits with knitted brows, and
the cards held losely in his nerveIess
signifies now. What matters to him if he
loses all? It came too late, too late. He
cares nothing for this money; it is her he
wants, and she mocks him. He is in a
reckless mood; reckless delight takes
possession of him.
Then, wild-eyed, haggard, with ashen
face, st. Luce suddenly arises and stag |
gers like drunken man from the card |
table, to make his way blindly outside to |
might cool his bursting temple. st. |
Luce sinks wearily into cushioned seat !
and rests his feet on the railing. Beneath |
him flight of white steps lead down into |
the garden. The sweet breath of the |
sleeping flowers are waited to him from |
below.
From his cigar-case he selects weed, |
and as he replaces it his hand comes in
contact with the note which the waiter |
handed him during the evening. Of |
course it is from Natalie, but with |
hlanlx look of diSannnintnd aStnniSh mont |