The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-09

q
SHE POURED SEVERAL DROPS OF
SOME CoLoRLEss FLUID INTO ONE
OBJ THE GLASSES.
only was visible, but in that way the
perfection of her 1.-the figure was most
apparent This. the sombre loveliness
of her features, the contour of her neck
and shapely head and her attitude and
gestures formed most beautiful pic
ture, Which her occupation gave an in-
tensely tragic interest.
She seemed TO pause. to hesitate for an
instant; she looked towards me, and
passed her hands before her eyes, then
she seemed to form n sudden resolution.
She took the glass into which she had
poured the drug, and dashed its conf
tents over the floor, filed it again with
wine, and came around and handed it to
me.
arose and bowed to her, and saying:
'To your happiness" drank the spark
ling contents ut one swallow. Then,
as put down the glass remarked: II
fear there is poison in 1t. but If there rs
II IL too late"
"Poison!" she exclaimed. "Wlat do
you mean?" and ihe soft whiteness Of
her face became crimson.
THE poison Of your glance" said.
'The reflection Of your eyes in the wine,
which no man can brave rDharmed."
She looked Mt me for moment with
q curious, questioning glance, and then
smiled In bold, daring way.
II am ready now, Herr Baron. to r,,n
away with you; that Is to say, IL you
still adhere to your resolution. have
only to change my gown to travelling
suit, and I will be with you. Walt for
me here
Saying this, she swept out OF the
room, giving me backward look over
her shoulder as she passed through the
door. in which there seemed to be
mixture OF archness and Of malice.
Left to myself, I, of course, tried 10
think the affair out, but, as may be
readily imagined, ! found IL very Sc
rious problem. When WIS first intro
duced into the presence of the prin-
cess ] thought, as / before remarked,
that the whole matter was joke. 1t
was in this way that ! justified myself
for permitting the lady TO take mo for
the baron. IL / was the subject OF a
hoax, i was certainly right in enter
ing into the spirit of the thing and thus
making the scheme recoil in some meas
urc upon the heads OF its inventors. I
thought of Bakbarah, the barber's sec
ond brother In the arabian Nights"
the youth who was entiecd by the old
woman into the palace Of the grand
vizier. where he was AT first petted and
bamboozled, then huffeted and pinohed
by the beautiful lady and her slaves.
In the words OF the barber. "He knew
not, poor fellow, that the ladies Of our
great and powerful lords amuse them
selves by making such fun Us this with
any young man who Is silly enough 70
trust himself in their hands" The case
Of the barber's brother and myself
seemed analogous, and IL occurred to
me that / was certainly at liberty 10
humor my eccentric hostess. and that
IL behooved me. at the snme time, TO be
upon my euard. legt ] should be over
taken with misfortunes similar to those
OF the unluclsy Bakbarah.
] had now been with the princess
for an hour. and her manner, her words
and her actions had operated a COM
plete change In my ideas. / no longer
thought that my reception was huge
joke. I saw that she was serious and
in earnest, and I reasoned IL out in my
mind, something In this fashion: That
the princess had been In some way in
dicreet, that the scoundrcl OF a baron
had got some hold upon her. and that,
through threats, or undue pressure, the
unfortunate and lovely creature had
been induced TO make runaway match
with him. There was only one flaw In
my chain Of reasoningl she had never
seen him. IL is true. but she had tnlked
with him at tha masked ball How was
IL that. after hearing my voice. she could
still suppose me TO se the baron?
blessed the luck which had brought
me to the door In the Ivrgerschlact wall
before him, and resolved that IL was
my duty TO aid her in every way In my
power. and never 10 leave her side till
she was free from his machinations.
The best procedure, as ~ seemed TO me.
was 10 humor her Present ccslO2 OF cioD-