Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-31

Sl=s-a--0 the grand mafqueeS set aside for the marshal and for, his guests. They were 12 in number, gayIy deco rated as far as decoration could be ob- tained in the southern provinces of AL geria and had, Arablike, in front of each the standard of the tricolor. Be fore one were two other standards also-the flags of England and Spain. Cigarette, looking on from afar, saw the alien coIors wave in the torchlight flickering on them. '"That is hers," thought the little one, with the mourn ful and noble emotions of the previous moments swiftly changing into the vio- lent, reasonless, tumultuous hatred at once of a rival and of an order.
 She had 1t in-her, could she have had the power, to mercilessly and brutally destroy this woman's beauty, which was so far above her reach, as she had once destroyed the ivory wreath; yet. as that of the snow white carving had done, so did this fair and regal beauty touch her, even in the midst of her fu- ", with Q certain reverent awe, with dim sense of something her own life had missed. She longed to do as some girl of whom she had once been told by an old invalide had done in the 1TS9-a girl of the people, q fisher girl, who had loved one above her rank. q noble, who deserted her for woman of his own order, beautiful, soft skin- ned, lilylil1e, scornful aristocrat, with the silver ring of merciless laughter and the Ianguid Iuster. of sweet con- teuiptuous eyes.
 She held her peace, and the Terror came, and the streets of the city by the sea ran blood Then she had her vengeance. She stood and saw the ax fall down on the proud snow white reck that never had bent till it bent there, and she drew the severed head into her own bronzed hands and smote the lips his lips had kissed q cruel blow that blurred their beauty out and twined fshhooS in the long and Clistening hair and drew it, laughing as she went, through dust and mire and gore and over the rough stones of the town and through the shouting crowds of the multitudes and tossed it cut on to the. sea.
 That horrible story came to the memory of Cigarette now as it had been told her by the old soldier who in his boyhood had seen the entry of the BIarseillaise to Paris. She knew what the woman of the people had felt when she had bruised and mocked and thrown out to the devouring waters that fair and fallen head.
 T could do it-I could do it." she thought, with the savage instinct of her many sided nature dominant, leay- ing uppermost only it's ferocity, the same ferocity as had moved the south. ern woman to wreak her hatred on the senseless head of her rival. Now she acted on her impulse-her impulse of open scorn of rank, of reckless yindica- tion of her right to do just whatsoever pIeasured her, and she went boldly for ward and dashed aside with no gentle hand the folds that hung before the entrance of the tent.
 The action startled the occupants of the tent and made them both look up. They were Venetia Corona and Le- vantine woman, who was her fayorite and most devoted attendant and had been about her from her birth. Vene- tia hesitated moment in astonish- ed wonder; then, with the grace and the courtesy of her race, rose and ap- proached the entrance Of her tent, in which that figure, half a soldier, half a child, was standing with the fitfui reddened light behind. She recognized whose it was.
 .Is it you, little one?" she said kind Iy. "Come within. Do not be afraid'-
 She spoke with the gentle considera- ton of q great lady to one whom she admired for her heroisn, compassionate ed for her position and thought nat urally in need of such encouragement. The one word unloosed the spell which had kept Cigarette speeches.. The one word was an insult beyond endur- ance, that lasiled all the worst spirit in her into flame.
 ..Fearr' she cried, with camp oath. 'tFearI You think I fear you, the dar- ling of the army. who saved the squad ron at Zaraila. who has seen q thou sand days of blocdshed, who has killed as many men with her own hand as any lancer among them all? Fear you, you hothouse flower. you paradise bird, you silver pheasant. who never did aught but spread your dainty colors in the sun and never earned so much as the right to eat 9 piece of black bread, if you had your deserts. Fear you-i! Why, do you not know that I could kill you where you stand as easily as I could wiring the neck of any one of those gold winged orioles that flew above your head today and who have more right to live than you, for they do at least labor in their own fashion for their food and their drink and their dwelling? Do you think would check for moment at dealing you death, you beautiful. useless, honeyed, poi soned, painted exotic, who has every wind tempered to you and think the world only made to bear the fall of your foot?"
 The fury of the words was poured cut without pause and she darted with one swift bound to the side of the rival she loathed. with the pistol half out of her belt. She expected to see the one she threatened recoil. quail, hear the threat in terror. She mistook the na- ture with which she dealt. yenetia Corona never moved. never gave a sign of the amazement that awolle in her, but she put her hand out and clasped