Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-10
Continued.


broidery, such as have been handed
down from generation to generation
through hundreds of years. AS an
example of this, the Duchess 0.
Marina's cloth of gold train, stitched
with small rubies and seed-pearls, had
formerly belonged to the family OF
Lorenzo de Medici. Such garments
as these, when they are part of the
property of a great house, are worn
only on particular occasions, perhaps
once in a year; and then they are
laid carefully by and sedulously pro
tected from dust and moths and
damp, receiving as much attention as
the priceless pictures and books Of i
famous historical mansion. Nothing
ever designed by any great modern
tailor or millineI can hope to compete
with the magnificent workmanship
and durable material of the fiesta
dresses that are locked previously
greatest Italian families-dresses that
are beyond valuation, because of the
romance and tragedies attached to
them, and which, when worn, make
all the costliest fripperies of today
look fiimsy and paltry beside them.
like the attempts of servant to dress
as tastefully as her mistress.
Such glitter of gold and silver, such
sclntlllatiOns from the burning eyes
OF jewels, such cloud-lika wreaths of
hoatlng laces, such subtle odors of
rare and exquisite perfume, all things
that most keenly prick and stimulate
the senses were round me in fullest
force this night-this one dazzling,
supreme and terrible night, that was
destined to burn into my brain like n
seal of scorching fire. Yes; till Z
die, that night will remain with me as
though it were breathing, sentient
thing; and after death, who knows
whether it may not uplift itself in
some tangible, awful shape, and con-
front me with it's flashing mock-lus-
ter, and the black heart of it's true
meaning in it's menacing eyes, to take
its dread place by the side of my aban-
dSned soul through all eternity! | re-
member now how l shivered and start
ed out of the bitter reverie into which
l had fallen at the sound of my wife's
low, laughing voice.
You must dance, Cesare," she said,
with mischievous smile "You are
forgetting your duties. You should
open the ball with mel"
[ rose at once mechanically.
What dance is it?" l asked, fore
ing smile. Il fear you will find me
but a clumsy partner"
She pouted.
ooh, surely not! You are not going
to disgrace me-yOu really must try
to dance properly just this once.
1t will look sc stupid if you make any
mistake The band was going to play
a quadrille; | would not have it, and
told them to strike up the Hungarian
waltz instead. But [ assure you
shall never forgive you if you waltz
badly-nothing looks so awkward
and absurd"
| made no answer, but placed my
arm round her waist and stood ready
to begin. l avoided looking at her as
much as possible, for it was growing
more and more difficult with each
moment that passed to hold the mas
terry over myself. l was consumed be-
tween hate and love. Yes, love!-of
an evil kind, | own, and in which
there was no shred of reverence-filled
me with a sort of foolish fury, which
mingled itself with another and man
lier craving, namely, to proclaim her
vlleness then and there before all her
titled and admiring friends, and to
leave her shamed in the dust of scorn,
eespised and abandoned. Yet | knew
well that were | to speak QUITO de-
clare my history and hers before that
brilliant crowd should be accounted
mad, and that for a woman such as
she there existed no shame.
The swinging measure of the slow
hungarian waltz, that most witching
OF dances, danced perfectly only by
those of the arm-blooded southern
temperament, now commenced. 1t
was played pianissimo and stole
through the room like the futtering
breath of a soft sea wind. / had al
ways been an excellent WALTER, and nv
step had fitted in with that of Nina as
tremendously as the two notes of a
perfect chord. She found it so on this
occasion, and glanced up with a look
OF grained surprise as I bore her
lightly with languorous, dream-ike
ease of movement through the gilt
tering ranks of our guests, who watch
ed us admiringly as we circled the
room two or three times.
Then-all present followed our lead,
and in couple of minutes the ball
room was like moving flower-garden
IN full bloom, rich with swaying
colors and rainbow-like radiance:
while the music, growing stronger.
and swelling out in marked and even
time, echoed forth like the sound of
clear-toned bells broken through by
the singing of birds. My heart beat
furiously, by brain reeled, my senses
swan as | felt my wife's warm breath
on my cheek; I clasped her little
gloved hand more firmly She felt
the double pressure, and, lifting her
white eyelids fringed with those
long dark lashes that gave such a
sleepy witchery to her eyes, her lips
parted in smile.
AT last you love mel" she whis-