Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-08-11
That Cameo Bracelet.

/ burgh.
Propose tonight" said Miss Demoine.
4 Tonight You don't want me to pro-
pose to a girl at a masquerade do you.
/ and when | don't even know her dis
/ guise!7
/ Marion unused a moment, her fine eyes
I bent 70 the floor 1t was no use evading
the question-her brother must marry
1 money, and here was the chance. Ii she
1 could only ger him to promise.
/ If give you hint, will you give me
1 your promise to do the right thing to-
! nightT she asked, with suppressed ca
| gerness.
| Jack Demoine hesitated Into hiss heart
! there came a sudden, sweet throb-the
memory Of q face and voice that he low
ed; but, as he had told himself hum
dred tunes, he could not afford to mar
ry' Margaret Sears, and it was his BUSH
ness to forget her.
Yes, | promise you I'll ask her tonight
to be my wife. Now for the directions
be brief
Marion knew her brothers temper too
well TO trifle with him now. He had
passed his word, and she could trust
him.
you know the bracelet of the cameo
intaglios that Miss Valkenburgh showed
us the other day? She will wear that on
her left arm"
When the time came, Demone threw O
cloak over his dress, and with his mask
in his hand be stepped into the carriage.
lie was late. As he entered the brilliant
drawing room his eyes began their search
for the wearer of the cameo bracelet. He
was going to have his task over directly.
He had come TO offer his hand to Jenny
Nalkenburgh. and the quicker it was
done the better
He did not look at ladies' dresses. He
looked at their arms and felt a sense of
relief at each one he saw which did not
bear what to him was the fatal bracelet.
He felt very mean, and he despised him
self lie was going TO ask woman
whom he did not love to marry him-he
wanted her money.
A waItz sounded from the band. Gilt
tering couples glided off down the room.
At that moment. as Demoine was lean
ing against the wall moodily watching
the forms that went past him, there came
graceful figure clad in some diaphanous
blue robe. He could only tell that il
was surprisingly lovely, and he did not
know what character was to be repre-
sented.
simultaneously with the feeling of adj /
miration that stirred in his heart he saw
on one fair, plump arm the coil of the !
cameo intaglios. There was no mis- I
taking them/ They were of too rare
workmanship for one to forget them.
He did not pause. Softly he made his
way after the blue mask, and the next
moment he had whispered to her:
MAKE this music still sweeter by
Waiting with me?"
The mask paused in seeming irresolu- T
ton. had she recognized him? He had
not tried in the least to disguise his
voice. He rather wished to ba known
by her, out her tones were evidently dis
guised as she replied and placed her hand
on his proffered arm.
In spite of his preoccupation Demoine
enjoyed that waltz, and, owing TO the
power that delicately appeals to the
senses, the young man found HIMSELF
thinking that so graceful a woman coulda
not be wholly bore as a wife.
"Now for itv' he said to himself as hd5
swung her out of the group and BENT
down his tail head as he asked her to cd
out of the crowd-it was so warm.
He coughed and stammered something
inaudible She begged his pardon-whati
did he say? ii
He plunged in. III
81 don't know how to DO the thing
gracefully, Miss Nalkenburgh, but III
make my words plain. Wal you be my
wife?"
There, it was done And Jack DemoinG
breathed long sigh and waited.
He fancied she was agitated. 1t was
q moment before she SPOKE, and jack
FASTENED to say:
1T is. not possible that you don't know
me?"
Il know you" she answered, and the
voice, no longer disguised, was like a
knife through Jack Demoine' s. heart.
lie tore off his mask and revealed a
deathly white face. Now the woman
was much more composed than he was.
She removed the blue silk covering from
her own face. Yes it was Margaret
Sears who looked % him. Her face alsd
was colorless, but it showed no emotoal
otherwise. II
''You should net ask such vital quest
tons at masquerade, Mr.. Demoine, cd
you should first take the precaution te
make sure of the identity of the lady,"
How calm her voice vas!
As for Demoine, his blood was on 6reAl
He uttered an inarticulate ejaculation
He caught the girls hands in his owl
| and held them to his heart; he poured
forth a torrent of passionate words; hi
called himself dot, jaekass, to hav{|
so degraded himself as to offer his hand
where he could not give his heart.
He could never remember how he ext
planned matters, but it was certain thai
he made Margaret Sears understand tina
he was thankful for the mistake an
that he loved her and no other.
Fifteen minutes later, when the twd
| carefully masked again, re-entered tn
ballroom, woman in gorgeous ffteent
century dress swept by them on the arr
OF a Louis XIII musketeer
"That is my Cousin Jenny" WHISPERED
Margaret How curious that at Il
last moment she should have chang
her mind and fastened the canoes on
armw
The next morning Marion, who h
gone home before supper, asked ID
brother:
| stDid Won nroDose TO the girl with a.