Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-04-27

| passed. her. lie went out from the room
and she heard his footsteps cross the
| ha:t-heard him open the outer door
and descend the stairs.
LII an instant all the coldness van
ished from her face. Her hands in
stinctiveiy locked themselves together
until the Jewels on her white fingers
cut into the flesh. Her lips met in one
| firm line; her eyes blazed.
Il must know the TRUTH she mur
| INJURED, half-aloud. Il must find out
whether this story Henri dAugmont
was so eager TO tell me is true or false
He was angry because my love foI
Louis makes me- lee To all other men
1t is not fashionable SO TO love IN
| France, lie says. Fashionable. As II
ones heart could follow fashion! All
| II Louis and might go back TO the old
gart.en, where all was true, and where
We might love and be loved. without
this cruel comment and criticism OF
the wori!' Bur this story-that my
husband is devoted 10 another woman;
that he is the constant shadow of the
young Countess dAubigny: that. wea-
ried OF my beauty, he turns TO heI
darker eyes and midnight hair-no,
no! it is not, cannot be true! | will
not believe 1t. But | must see and
know her for myself. Why does Louis
shut Inc out from this world? All,
when | thought his love made me n
prisoner | was content; but now l
VIII break my bonds. | will demand
TO go with him into his world, to ~.
ceive recognition and Difference as his
wife. Then / can teach this countess,
beautiful though she may be, that Flor
ence Geryase, the wife, Is no unworthy
riyalr'
She rose as she finished speaking her
own scarcely acknowledged thoughts,
and. passing from the room into the
drawing room beyond. paced up and
down it's length, as bird beating its
wings against the bars OF n golden
cage.
How time Went by she took no heed.
Her brain was In Il turmoil. She had
walked miles upon the soft, yielding
carpet, unconscious of fatigue, until
Marie. respectfully drawing aside the
heavy portierre, asked il madame in
tended to drive-that the horses were
waiting at the door.
"Ges! she answered. suddenly real
izing that the outer air would be CRATE.
ful 70 her
Fifteen minutes later. gracefully re.
ciinlng in her own luxurious victoria,
coachman in front and footman behind
her toilet irreproachable, her beauty
peerless and unrivalled--many an eye
followed her carriage. and many a
heart heaveG with envy at her SEEM
ingly enviable lot.
The September day was lovely. and
the Partisan tide was turning home
ward, as the number of elegant estab-
lishments taking the same direction as
herself denoted: but though anxious
and interested glances flashed toward
her from their occupants, there was
no Interchange Of smile and bow.
Louis Gervase's wife possessed few
friends, indeed. in the city which had
been her home for little more tran a
year.
Now and then some gentleman raised
his hat to her with marked and court.
eous Difference; but in all Paris she
possessed no woman friend.
For the first time, this afternoon,
this fact fact weighed upon her. Here.
tofore her devotion to her husband
had so absorbed her as to shut out all
else. The world. bounded by mis- i'm.
mediate presence became the world of
her existence and desire.
But new feeling was springing into
aydra-headed life-a feeling as intense
as her lOve,and born of her love. yet
which might convert it into loves own
shadow, hate-the feeling Of jealousy
AS yet it was but spark, but al
ready the moment was at hand which
would fan 1t into flame.
Her cOachman had turned his horses
hOmeward, and was slowly walking
them through the long avenue in the
Bois, up and down which an endless
stream OF carriages were likewise NOV.
ing slowly, that each might have op-
portunity to recognize their neighbor
when, lifting her eyes. she saw, Ill.
rectly beside her own, victoria with
a corOnet upon it's door.
Within ii We're seated woman and
man. The woman. young and strik.
ingly handsome. with eyes and hair
as black as night, and skin colorless
as marble; the manS-lh. it needed nc
second glance to tell her who was the
man!
Involuntarily. she leaned little for
ward. and his name escaped her lips
Bending, with every mark of deyo
ton. toward his companion. he had
| not seen her: but at the sound of hel
voice, he raised his head, and a dark
scowl came over his face, unchased
away by any smile. as he gravely and
stcrnly lifted his hat.
What beautiful woman" ex
| claimed the countess. "Who is she?'
But he only shrugged his shoulder
in reply.