Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-11-25
THE WEB OF LACE.

Some little while ago young Italian
couple who had come to Paris in search Of
fashionable life became customers of mine
,p nv capacity as broker and banker.
The husband was of very high birth, and
had resigned his commission as a captaii,
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. 1 met
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 str ,nge
look, that lady was waiting to see NE. A
lady9 could not guess who she was. My
clerk said she was young, elegantly dressed
and appeared vi5'lQgls 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
w. and, with her eyes filed with tears.
stretched out her hands to me.
Here you are at last" she said. 81
have been here so long-I was SO afraid
YOU would not come"
But, madame, what is the matter2
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 so terrible that if delay an
instant shall never have the courage to
tell you Yes, itis 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 a pre-
dicament?
"Oh, mon Dieur' heard her murmur.
GLOW can | make such confession?
would rather die. And yet my husband
my son.n She wrung her hands, and her
convulsed features expressed the most com
plete despair.
''But madame" | cried with emotion
"tell me at once, since you see in me 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 Danes
was arrested-for stealing,"
For stealing," repeated mechanically
SO absurd did the idea seem to me-
ayes, for stealing piece of lacer'
And that piece of lace"--
"Was found ON metz
"Why, some shoplifter, rearing to b,
caught herself must have slipped it intt
your jacket without your knowing it"
"No!"
The word fell like stone on my head.
looked with stupefaction at this we'll born
carefully nurtured girl, delicate and re
fined, who sat before me overwhelmed a
having to acknowledge that it was not b.
chance that the lace was found on her per
son.
"Why-why''-I stammered.
why, it was |, of course, who took it
! stole it-don't you understand" sh
cried, almost beside herself.
You, madame?"
"Yes, II How did it happenf l dom
know; but yet it is so.
Il had already made several purchases
paying for them all, when saw an exhi
bition of laces they had at the Magasins
ones, particularly a point d'Alencon, re
markably fine and high, of a royal design
and | stopped to admire it. Seeing thi
the clerk forced it on my notice, and sprea
1t before me, and carried away by an in
comprehensive impulse l sat down. II
unrolled it, twisted and turned it about
showed it off against the velvet, and l, IN
eyes fixed on the fine meanderings of th
harmonious design, gaZed as If fascinated
lno longer heard the honeyed and stupi
voice of the clerk; / was absorbed by tn
adorable lace. My reason was abolished
nothing remained of my instincts, taste
and ways, and in the vacuum of my min
found nothing but an intense desire
possess the precious tissue. l would hav
done anything to get it. felt that mus
nave it, no matter how, and that withou
delay. The clerk talked on and on.
heard him saying that it was an extrao
binary bargain; that the design was uniqu
and would never be reproduced; that ii
price was only 200 francs yard; that la,
year it would have been 1900; that onl
queens wore such lacel There seemed
De an accent of scorn in his voice, as If
were saying, Such marvels are not for a
ordinary woman like you.'
He added, We have some very chea
Nalencennes.' With a turn Of his han
ne rolled up the point d Alencon, and lea
ing 1T before me rummaged in the bi
shelves behind him, bringing out nun
oer or very pleasing patterns, and di
played them with as insinusting zeal
When he had been showing the maste
piece which he seemed to have forgotte
out which devoured, letting my eyes fea
en 1t constantly without being distract
oy anything, like wild beast patient
sa'cning its prey. just then he was call
W u fellow clerk, to whom he replied il
pat,ehtly, Don't you see that am bus.
But the other insisting, after excusi
himself to me he quilted his place for
moment m' That moment sufficed n
=, AZ eh he returned the piece of poi
A .'In was beneath my jacket.
his eyes seemed to me to fix themsely
vn my visage with sarcastic insistence. a
' dns tone of his voice changed. noted t
..ll Nh Had he OWNED that was
uei' He could not have seen me, as
ook The point d Alencon from beneath
e'aienciennes. and yet he NO longer urR