Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-06-29

"lou fear to look upon your work,
Madame Florence!' he Kissed. You
thought to bury all traces with this
hour. You thought the Prince Cara
mach would give his name and title to
Louis Gervase's -"
So low he Missed the last title of III
fanny that it reached her ear alone.
Her hands fell from her face. She let
her eyes rest on the fearful wreck and
ruin of his once god-like beauty, and a
smile wreathed her lips. Suffer as she
would. the weakness which could
cause it's betrayal for the worlds gloat-
ing had passed.
Duke she murmured, turning to
the pallid nobleman whose arm she
still held. 1.-The prince does not come.
Will you take me back to my car
riage:'
But. like Il grip of steel, Gervase laid
his hand upon the bare, quiverlng
flesh OF her exquisite wrist.
You are mine" he Kissed. "My
property! Have l not bought and paid
for YOU: Did you not set the seal upon
the bargain when YOU refused to trans
fer it TO another! And if yet the price
paid must be the altar, cOmc-the altar
awaits us 1t is only Il change i'll bride
%roomS. DO you heSitate?
She wrenched. with proud. imperious
gesture. her arm from his contaminat-
ing touch. She looked around upon all
that assembled multitude as the stag
might look. proud. dauntlcSs. knowing
that his death-hour had arrived. but
his defeat more kingly than the tri-
lmph Of the bloodhounds in pursuit.
The gaze Of al that throng was Oh hel.
With his old courtly. polished grace,
Gcrvase turned toward them. his terri
bic Disagreement unconccalel, undis-
guiscd
My friends he said. in the strange
ly-nuSical voice. whose magic he had
never yet exercised in vain-low. vet
Sc perfectly distinct that no single syl-
l:'blc was loSt-"SOmc explanation is
due you of this scene. Only this morn
ing | learned that this marriage was to
take place" Che uttered the falsehoou
with every accent of truth.) Il could
not let so cruel an imposition be i'm
posed upon one of Your order and of
mine. and 1 FASTENED to the prince to
tell him who was the woman who
would Wear his corOnet. You have
heard of last years tragedy in France.
It's victim stands before YOU. Thus,
on Louis GervaSe. this woman Wreaked
her vengeance-this it's signet" (and
he for an instant bowed his head as if
ut once masking the cruel reality and
shrinking from the gaze he directed
towards himSelfD You know now
why l stand here in the place OF one
whom her fatal beauty would have
made the dupe of the adveturess-F1or-
encr Nane!"
\ murnur of pity ran from lip to lip.
All sympathy was with the man. hor
rni for the woman. But. of all he had
said. only two words had struck like
Il knife to her soul. They We're the ut
terancc of her old name-Florence
Nanr. the name of her girlhood. now
blaZonrd with ShAme'S stigma But
even Yet she gave no sign.
Suddenly she felt her arm dropped
by the nGblemap on whom she leaned.
Pardon, madame" he said, With icy
courtesy.
She stood alone. This man had
dined at her table. whispered his flat
torres in her ear. hung on her smile.
But he had believed her of his order
then. Now-ah. she understood the
deadly insult of the act.
Again she swept the thron@ WITH ncf
imperial gaze. Whose face did she cX-
pect to see? Whose support did she
look for? The face. the support which
never yet had failed her. but which
now We're absent-Arkwright was not
a witness to her degradation.
Alone. then. she turned and swept
down the aisle. her cheeks blanched.
but her step firm. and her head. with
the diamond star blazing in its ripping
golden waves proudly, haughtily erect.
At the church door her lackeys wait
cd. and one of them, bribed by the Ger
vase gold. shouted in the ears of all
the gathered gaping, curious crowd:
"Thc carriage of Madame Florence
Nane.'