The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-09

dsaHSC hlm; from time to time he
turned chalky. ghastly white. His
lips were as thin as line drawn by a
paint brush: his eyebrows met In {, DER.
petual frown.
AN nour winged by. freighted with
5esting, confessions and laughing
words; smiles and diamonds flashed !:
the magic OF the deep mirrors reflected
In an inhnitude Of blue distance every
gesture, every candle fame. Cantal
and sank into reyerle. The coffee
was smoking in It's transparent cups;
Cantal. with a Havana between his
lips. was wrapping himself in blue
rings, like demigod in cloud. Baron
Won H.. with half closed eyes, q
glass OF champagne in his pale hand,
leaned back on a diyan. He seemed to
be following closely tho magical modu-
iations of the nocturnal duet In "Tris-
tan and Isolde" played with muc,,
feeling by Susannah. Antonio and Clio
sho Fair. with locked hands. listened,
radiant, to the music.
l listened, too. looking the while at
our three GraceS. All wore velvet that
night. Antonio. Of the violet eyes. was
in black. Against the severe line Of
the decoiletage her throat and. shoul-
ders rose like veritablc Carrara She
had a narrow gold ring on her little
finger, and three sapphire cornfowers
Ghone In her chestnut hair that fell in
two soft bralds far below her waist.
Clio the Fair. IN exquisite blond, with
brown cycs-the goddess Of imperti-
nence. n [iscnchanted young person
whom Prince Soltikoff had baptized by
pouring champagne foam OH her hair
wore we'll nodded green velvet gown
and ruby necklace. This young Gre
ole Of go was quoted rs the model Of
all the reprchensible virtues. She
would have bewitched the profoundcst
philosopher Of Greece or the austerest
mctaphysician of Germany. Susan
nah Jackson. the Scottish Circe, with
night black hair, In red velvet, looked
like n dark lily-the meaning Of her
name, by the way, in Hebrew, she told
me. A red, green or black mask hung
from each belt
When Susannah left the piano took
bouquet from the table and offered it
to her with q jest: "You are diva!
Wear one Of these flowers for the sake
Of unknown admirers" She gracious
iy fastened n spray Of hortensia in her
bodice. "I don't rend anonymous let
ters!" she said. laying the rest OF my
"salaem" on the piano.
"Ah. cold Susannah" cried Cantal,
laughing. "You have come into the
world merely to show us that snow
burns"
At this moment Joseph entered car
rying bowl of iced punch, for we had
resolved to drink like lords. Baron
Saturn seemed restless. saw him pull
out h!s watch. draw ring OH mis- Iin-
ger and give 1t to Antonio and rise from
his seat
Lord OF distant regions" called
out to him, between two puffs Of q
cigar. "you mustn't think Of leaving us
for an hour yet. You'll pass for mystic
rious. and that's the worst of taste"
accept my apologies" he replied.
''bnt duty that l cannot ignore and
that brooks no delay calls inc away.
Pray believe that am hopelessly in
your debt for the charmed hours spent
here"
"Is it really a, duel. then? asked An
tonIe nervously.
fStay with US and save cold. Look
ut us; listen and decidel" said Cantal.
Gentlemen" said Baron Saturn. 81
will confess that I am blind and deaf
as often as God permits
This incomprehensible speech Dlung-
q cE :ato thS T1ost absurd eonjectures.
We looked at each other with an awk-
ward smile. not knowing what to think
OF this Jest, when suddenly 1t flashed
across me where had first seen the
man. For space OF q second every.
thing about me seemed bathed In q red
sight-a light that came from our guest.
Approaching the foreigner. whispered
In his ear; s;
'Monai6lr. pardon me if am wrong,
hut l. belieya l. had the pleasure Of
meeting yc;: nvo OF six years ago at
Lyons, at a o'clock one morning. "a a
public square
. SaSurn salsed his head and looked at
me intentIy. "AhW he said. 'Is 1t pos
sible7' -sssisist
: eyes" 1 went on. looking at him in.
xently. esWait q bit--in that; square
there $1,000 a melancholy object thatI
was dragged to sec by two student
friends ana TINT I've sworn never to
look on again." So.
''Indeedp' observed Saturn. ..And
what was this object. If I am not in
discreet In aSkingY''
"a scaGold; guillotine, monsieur,
II my memory serves me. Yes, 1t was
the guilfotine. Now I'm sure OF ity'
These words had passed In very
low tone between ts. CantaI and the
ladies stood talking near the piano.
"That's 1t! Il remember" added,
raising my voice. WHAT do you say
to my memory? Although you drove
by very quickly, your carriage, de.
lnyed q moment by mine, let mo catch
O glimpse OF you I'm the torchlight. The
circumstance stamped your face on
my mind. You had absolutely the
same expression then as now"
"Ah. ahr' he replied. at Is true.
You speak with great accuracy, l ad.
nit" And his strident laugh gave me
the feeling of a pair Of blunt scissors
saving a lock of hair.
Zone detail among others impressed
y s. xgra..