Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-04-27

passed her, he went out from the room
and she heard his footsteps cross the
hall-heard him open the outer door
and descend the stairs.
In an instant all the GOODNESS van
ished from her face. Her hands in
stinctively locked themselves together,
until the jewels on her white fingers
cut into the flesh. Her lips met in one
firm line; her eyes blazed.
81 must know the TRUTH she MUIR
INJURED, half-aloud. 81 must find out
whether this story Henri d'Augmont
was so eager to tell me is true or false!
He was angry because my love for
Louis makes me ice to all other men.
1t is not fashionable so to love in
France, he says. Fashionable! AS if
ones heart could follow fashion! All,
if Louis and might go back to the old
garden, where all was true and where
we might love and be loved, without
| this cruel comment and criticism of
the world! But this story-that my
husband is devoted to another woman;
that he is the constant shadow of the
young Countess d'Aubigny; that, wea-
(ried of my beauty, he turns to her
darker eyes and midnight hair-no,
no! it is not, cannot be true! I will
not believe it! But I must see and
know her for myself. Why does Louis
shut me out from this world? All,
when 1 thought his love made me a
prisoner I was content; but now I
will break my bonds. I will demand
to go with him into his world, to re-
ceive recognition and Difference as his
wife. Then l can teach this countess,
beautiful though she may be, that Flor
ence Gervase, the wife, is no unworthy
rivalv'
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 a bird beating it's
wings against the bars of golden
cage.
How time went by she took no heed.
Her brain was in a turmoil. She had
walked miles upon the soft, yielding
carpet. unconscious of fatigue, until
Marie, respectfully drawing aside the
heavy portierre, asked if madame in.
tended to drive-that the horses were
waiting at the door.
''Yes. she answered, suddenly real
| iZing that the outer air would be CRATE.
full to her.
| Fifteen minutes later, gracefully re-
Ginning in her own luxurious victoria,
| coachman in front and fOotman behind
| her toilet irreproachable, her beauty
peerless and unrvalled-many an eye
followed her carriage, and many
heart heaved 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 than a
year.
I 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 his i'm
mediate presence became the world Of
her existence and desire.
But a new feeling was springing into
hydra-headed life-a feeling as intense
as her love, and born of her love, vet
which might convert it into loves own
shadow, hate-the feeling of jealousy.
AS yet it was but a spark, but al
ready the moment was at hand which
would fan it into fame.
Her coachman had turned his horses
homeward, and was slowly walking
them through the long avenue in the
Bots, 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, di-
rectly beside her own, a victoria with
a coronet upon it's door.
Within it were seated a woman and
man. The woman, young and strk-
ingly handsome, with eyes and hair
as black as night, and a skin colorless
as marble; the man-ah, it needed no
second glance to tell her who was the
man!
| lnvoluntarily, she leaned little for
ward, and his name escaped her lips.
Bending, with every mark of devo-
ton, toward his companion, he had
not seen her; but at the sound of her
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 a beautiful womanv ex-
claimed the countess. 'sWho is she?"
But he only shrugged his shoulders
in reply.
| ITO be cOntfnuedD