Evening journal., 1900-03-16
THE SILVER BROCADE

It was so stiif it could literally stand
alone. The groundwork was as white
as alabaster. II was powdered with
argent dots placed so closely together
that the effect wac a shimmering. sill
very surface, indescribably beautiful.
Lady Betty Dufferin wore Il first at
one of George Tvs levees. Her por-
trait was painted in It. A cherry-lip-
ped, saucy-nosed. insolenteyed beauty
was Lady Betty, and a flame, it was
said. of His Royal Highness.
Her descendants brought Il to Vir.
ginia, where it was rustled through
many a stately minuet over polished
floors under the soft light of waxen
candles in sconce and chandelier. II
finally came into the possession Of the
famous Dufferin twins. who fought
desperately over it. and We're con
sumed with vexation because their
mother refused to allow either to ap-
pear in 1t, inasmuch as it was her hob
by to dress both these beautiful girls
exactly alike. and there was not
enough of the brocade to go round
One of Alva Dufferin's daughters.
however, wore Il at White Sulphur
Springs one summer in the sixties.
and created havoc wherever she
stepped She was the counterfeit
representation of her illustrious an
cestress. Lady Betty. and appeared to
have inherited many of the traits OF
that frolicsome dame Il was she
who, clad in the silver brocade. pulled
off her satin slipper and, filling It with
champagne. gave it to one Of her
adorers. while the rest nearly came
to blows over the question who could
secure the other tiny fiagon. Thus
Betty Dufferin had a flamboyant and
checkered career. The least said
about It here the better.
Her grandchild. an exquisite slip Of
girl. ran away with strolling actor,
a pictureque vagabond, and went upon
the stage. She made over the silver
brocade. which had fallen to her, into
a stage gown for society play. She
wore it with great eclat on the omen.
ing night, and the leading man walked
up the back breadths and tore IL of
the waist. Thereupon Miss Julia
Devereux tainted with vexation and
the curtain was rung down.
Next day, in a fret, the actress gave
the still beautiful fabric to her maid,
who promptly took II to a funny little
/ shop near Varicil sreet and concluded
I a U4A sam WIN a NANElA lAANA Vi Aol ufAs
And here Dick Fanshaw found t.
No one ever knew from what corner
OF the habitable globe came Dick
Fanshaw and his beautiful wife. They
spoke as familiariy of Monte Carlo
and Paris as they did of Mexico and
the Klondike. She had been used Ia
luxury-that was apparent-even II
now she did not possess it. She car
ried about her an air of faded splen.
dor, and the somewhat passe costumes
of the lovely woman always retained
a vestige Of elegance.
Mrs. Fanshaw was one OF thosa
splendid creatures for whom superb
dress would seem to have been invent.
ed. She was a veritable Juno, with
wonderful hair the exact tint of old
copper and eyes the exact tint of old
blue china. She was far more refined
in her manner and bearing than was
her husband. Her proud, sensitive
face grew often scornful and mutinous
as she regarded her swarthy, evil-look.
ing lord. That she barely tolerated
his presence was niain enough to see.
One could not blame her when ona
seriously studied the face Of Dick
Fanshaw. He had the air of a brigand
His hair was the coarse blue-black oi
the Orient, and his eyes were like
smoldering fires. frightful mus
tache. ocstentatiously and elaborately
curled, and a short, thick nose. added
to his forbidding and sinister appear.
ance. He was addicted to wearing
iashy jewelry when he could afford
it, and his slouch hats and vivid neck
ties were awful to behold.
But there was one thing about
Dick" Fanshaw that all the mer
agreed that sat at the card table with
him. He had the true gamblers nerve
He was just as cool and selfcontainec
when he was losing as when he was
winning In fact, his apparent indif
ference to money was magnificent
One watching his inscrutable face
and coldblooded manner as he shuhlec
and dealt a hand that meant defeat
for him would have said why
money means nothing to this man
He is playing merely for the fun o
the thing"
But in Fanshaw's circle It was quit,
we'll understood that the gambler wal
in desperate straits. For months HI
had lost steadily, recouping now anC
then enough to keep him still in thu
game.
Inc FduSudWS ndu uOueSl apart
ments half way up town, in a neigh
borhood of not unblemished reputa
tion. They lived-Heaven knows how
There were frequent quarrels between
the handsome. hish-spirited woman
and the heavy-browed, fery-eyed hus
band. Mrs. Fanshaw often carriel
traces of tears upon her face ant
sometimes a red mark upon her cheek
as from five angry fingers. The gos
,, sip of the house ran that men cam
to the apartments as much to look a
! the beauty as to play cards with tn
beast.
, At all events, the Fanshaws be
! longed to that strange intermediar
world where everyone lives by hi
wits. That the husband was ran
! adyenturer II needed no profound sa
! gacity to discern. That the wife wa
. a beautiful. unhappy woman. immeas
urably his superior. was also apparen
at a glance.
Night after night Mrs. Fanshaw sa
in her tiny sitting room watching
group of gamblers through the Gu
r tanned doorway that led into her hu: