The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-06
The Empress Lace.

4 Far down below in the street a hand
| organ was grinding out 'McGinty," which
| classic was then in its prime
The marquise, who sat propped up In
| a big chair, smiled family. but did not
| open her eyes.
art thou very tired, my dearest? ask
| ed the old man, anxioHsly, pulling the
coarse thread with a jerk through the
cloth.
1T is the spring air. Anatole."
The marquis looked ar her with tear
| prismed eyes. 1T is the hunger. ne
| thought.
| After a pause, the narquise asked:
Hast thou no lesson today, Anatole?
only one. mis- great heat is too much
! for rich people, dear" He suoke with
| quite UNCONSCIOUS irony. Il must go now.
| Do you think yon could eat Hteie rag
! out when I come home?
| She hesitated. "If-I could only have a
| little sweetbread timbale,' she said, long
| ingly. But, yes, my friend, ragout
| will be charming
| He kissed her goodbye with trem-
bling mouth, and, carefully drawing on
his old gloves, went out.
Hello, Mr.. Pol" cried little girl,
| CARRYING an extremely fat baby. Moth
er was took up this morning, SO I've got
| ter take care of all of en- But I'll go IN
and see Mrs. Pol, just the same. They
took her off in the Black Mriar. 1t took
| four nen 10 hold her." finished the child,
proudly.
When the u1aronis reached home that
afternoon strange girl met his eyes.
| The marquise sat as usual in her big
| chair, but her shabby dark gown was al
most entirely hidden by a delicate MIN
| of beautiful lace. "Sapristi'' calculated
| the old man.
His wife laughed. ''I showed it to Su-
zette but she did not even know who
| Napoleon was" she said.
A pretty color was in her faded cheeks
as she looked I'D at him.
Now, dear. If you will put the lace
away / will not put it on again; it
| makes me hofnesick. oh, Anatole! Paris!
| The Bots, today If We were in car
| rage driving down the Champs Elysees!
And see the lights budding out in the
| sweet smelling dusk! And then, dear,
wed go to a restaurant and have tim
| bale de-riz-deveau, and a salade, and a
| little Chablisi Oh, Anatole, it is dread
| full to be old, mon anil
| She put her head down on his shoulder
and they both cried.
Someone was playing ''McGinty'' on a
concertina, and the air smelt OF cab
bages.
Mrs. Morris Devereux was just rubbing
her beautiful nose with a lot of cha
mois skin dipped in fuller's earth, when
a footman announced that Mr.. De St.
Pol wished TO see her. Tell him I'm ex-
tremely sorry, James, but I'm going out
to dinner"
"If you please, madame" answered the
| servant, hesitatingly. Il think something
is wrong with the old gentleman"
"Oh! Very well. I'll come"
The marquis was standing by little
table, on which lay a package.
Madame" he said, bowling low as she
entered, Il have taken the liberty to pre-
sent myself before you with some lace
which-h MI should like to SELL
Mrs. Devereux's face lighted up. I'm
always glad to see lace" she answered.
He broke the string of the package with
nervous hands, and with an artistic in
stinct flung the lace over the back of a
dark velvet chair.
"Ohy exclaimed Mrs. Morris Devereux.
The marquis watched her anxiously.
1T was given to my wife's grandmoth-
er by the Empress Josephine" he said.
"Oh!" cried Mrs. Devereux again. "Of
course, 1 will. buy it." she added, touch
ing the frost-like fabric lovingly But
a family treasure
The marquis cleared his throat MA
dame, / will be frank. There are occa-
sions when ones family feelings must be
set aside he said in French. "Circum-
stances cause me to part with this tribute
from sovereign"
'I am very grateful to you, Monsieur
De st. Pol for giving me such an oppor-
tunity. And now-the priee?"
A slow blush mounted the old mans
face
much? There are ten meters"
1.-The laeee IS worth $500. If you will
wait for one minute" she added, some
instinct adding the. words, Il will give
you the money to save you going to a
bank"
Five minutes later $500 in bills were
buttoned away in the threadbare coat
of the marquis and mis- white head bent
over Mrs. Devereux's hand.
Madame I thank you," he said. cal
low me- and he kissed her fingers.
The next evening Mr.. and Mrs. Deve-
reux gave a dinner.
Mrs. DevereuX was very beautiful in
a black gown covered with lace. ~
bought it of the old Frenchman we all
read with last winter. You remember,
Molly?"
Mrs. Peter Bispham looked at her en-
viously. Il suppose nothing would induce
you to part with it?"
Mrs Devereux set down her champagne
glass with a smile.
Nothing on earth" she answered
Just then James, the sympathetic foot
man, whispered TO his mistress:
Mr. De St. Pol is there tagain, mad
anne. He told me to ask you to come
for Gods sake"
Excusing herself hastily, Mrs. Devereux
left the room.
Madame" cried the old man. as she
entered the drawing room, 81 must have
it again. 1t is killing her" Tears rolled
down his cheeks.
= don't understand. who2 what is
killing her?'
The lace. ma femme" He held out a
roll Of banknotes with a trembling hand.
''She IS very ILL., We are pOor--oh, 50
poor. And she wanted a tirnbaIe de rig
de-veau-and she needed wine and medi-
cine. I had no more pupils, and III stole
the lace and sold it to YOU I have spent
500 and now she is crying for the lace.
and can't comfort her. Madame, I VIII
work. win pay you the rest. Oh, mad
anne, she is old-we are both so old"
An hour and a half Letter Mrs. Devereux
entered her own drawing room IN a. LARK
street dress and hat
Y beg everybody's pardon she said.
L vas calIeQ away sHNasA4S, ana lao
no time 20 explain. Morris, do you think
they'll forgive me?'
Her husband iaughed "I trust 50. But
where were your
That Is secret But have cried
are ny eyes red?"
a little"
And you needn't envy me my lace any
more"
"Vo. butts going back to Paris next
week
Gentility.