The morning call., 1891-02-24
WON HER WAGER,
The Masked Countess.

Innumerable gas jets in the great hall of
+ the armory.- Hundreds of people in motion
Temperature tropical.
& murmur of voices mingling with the in
distinct strains of the waltz hurry the crowd
along.
The masks continually greet one another
after the stereotyped fashion, beginning
with, Il recognize you, Don JUAN or
How is yotir wife," and ending with some
stupid bit OF gossip.
10 Mr., Harry H this was no longer a
novelty. and lie felt tremendously bored as
he wandered through the rooms, swearing
at the crowd, the heat and the senseless
chatter on all sides.
Lost in his thoughts. he had almost gained
the door. and drew breath OF relief as he
thought of his comfortable bed and lmag-
ined himself in the arms of Morpheus-hIs
never failing friend.
But suddenly this ennuyed young man
was startled by the tap Of fan on his
shoulder
Before him stood pretty little figure in
|, soubrette costume.
Cant | amuSe your"
81 do not think it is in your power"
LET me try, at least. / love you'll"
I've heard these words often enough.
"But not from me-"
''Ah, of that l am not so sure!'
"You impertinent mani"
''Only to masks.
"Bnt you don't know me in the very
least"
"Wen, never expect myself to find out
impossible things" he said, suppressing q
gape.
THAT it is Impossible to actually know a
woman"
overwhelming diffculties?"
Yes, indeed it does"
Isn't it, however, worth the trouble TO
try to solve the riddle?" she asked archly.
'"Oh, never; It's riddle without any sat
iSfaetory solution"
Because you are not capable of finding
it out?"
j" Not so; mathematIcans have declared a
woman TO be like an agebraic problem,
where the result is cCntrad ctory-that is to
say, her worth is only negative quantity"
ooh YOU are -dreadfully tedious with ali
about something else.
- am at your service. What do you or
der me to talk about?"
:" viii you answer honestly all the ques-
tions l put?'
al will endeavor to-"
O." Have you ever been in loye?"
{" have been-l am-and shall continue
to be-"
with whom?
"Myself."
"Egotistw
. "Only-man."
Have you ever been truly loVedP"
yes"
.. by whom?"
by my dog Azor-my truest friend"
= EorloTn mani give you up-foreyer.
/ should never be able to change you"
Had you this intention, beautiful
maskY
perhaps"
But do you know me well enough in
Sufficiently well to-doubt"
"To. doubt me-or YOURSELF" he asked,
growing more and more interested In this
extraordinary Soubrette.
One, quite as much as the other"
when did this doubt come into your
mind? ?"
Within five minutes"
We'll, that's not a long time"
"No; but long ago it belonged to the
past"
% II is not worth while to talk of the past
that is last years snow" replied Henry.
You are mistaken-human life consists
OF two parts-the past and the future-and
the last depends upon the first, without
which it has no significance"
"And the resent?"
els an intanlibIe moment which has
slipped into the past before we note it."
"Well, really, mask, you begin to interest
me. Supposing we make up and sign a
treaty OF peace?"
"Peacei Why, have we been at war ?"
she asked looking straight into his eyes.
Naturally, is there not an everlasting
war going on between our rough sex and
you sweet women, which is only wholly
overcome in q few individual cases. where
they succeed In living at peace with one
another?"
"In war matters l am utterly inexpe-
-fa fore .la,,,
the conditions Of the peace you propose"
They are easily understood. The first is
to lay down arms"
(which means"
LAY aside the Masks"
"a somewhat dlsagreeable condition,
which / consent to only ii my opponent does
the same"
"Your opponent is not fighting 18th the
same weapon"
"Why, have you no mask?"
Only the one In everyday use."
Take it off,"
THAT is impossible. 1t would completely
disarm me-"
But then I will lay mine off alsO," she
said gayly."
The one you are wearing for the mask
ball?"
Isn't that sufficient2"
"Well, it depends"
"And / haven't your consent after all ?"
"Yes, yes; all right. Only who is to be
the first 10 dlSarn?
Naturally the stronger one."
(Which iS?"
You"
"Then do you allow yourself to be the
weaker?"
"Ohl then will begin"
II am all ear"
"In truth I'm no such egotist as appear
to be-"
"And do you love somebody beside your.
self?"
~ have loved"
Your AZor."
"A girl who was not worthy of my love-"
Was ste untrue to you?'
"She never loved me, therefore she could
not be false to me-"
And you have never loved anotherp"
never found another"
Whom it was possible for you to love Pr
"No, not that; but no one who was ca
pable of loving me unselfishly."
How do you paint to yourself such
loveP"
81 demand that the one who loves me
shall forget everything and sacrifice every
thing Tor me-her family, her ambition, the
whole world-all that is dear to her. l de-
mand that she shall be wholly absorbed in
this love and surrender herself to 1t unhesi-
tatingly, and even though it draw down
upon her only sorrow and suffering" said
he, growing more impassloned with each
word.
land what Will you offer her In return
Tor all this ?" she asked, scornfully.
Nothing"
Certainly that isn't much, and have you
ever asked yourself were you worthy OF
such loye?"
Ii L were worthy Of 1t then there would
DC no merit and no sacrifice In this love-"
Old not your beloved one consent to
these demands?"
I've already told you that she never
loved me-"
"Oh, long ago."
And hate her now?"
hate! that is too much-for her; she has