The Iola register., 1901-12-27

sought to check her. He dared not ar d
continued to content her, bu. ,stg SOL n
came the time when he could ao s8 o
more.
1t was on the occasion OF pwrit tul
to which she was to 20. 81 Nad order.
ed from Paris marvellous J9wu thlt|
became her to perfection. s .ll sh- Waq
not satisfied. Some days b 'Urt, 'n thc
showcase of the Esost fash uaJe iew
eler OF the city, n diadem had Qt "a
revolution ail the fenini iuagina.
tiors; a superb jewel of iquo style.
set In silver gilt, of 81 rry panor.
where the brilliaLts setsl q dr1ps OF
fame. Gemma wished to ave u a.d
indeed It would be difficl to mad a.
face adapted to the aim st religion
richness of that jewel m Je than le
snowy profile of an angel ncstasy
Ten thousand francs wa the price o.
that jewel, and Marchis aid not have
them. Mute, immovable, his hear %
pressed. he listened to Gemma's words
as she described II to him. How could
he tell her, how could he ever tell her,
that he had not the 10000 francsl 1t
was terrible. To another woman who
should have had that caprice one might
have proposed to have. her own dia-
monds reset after that model or per-
haps even to have an imitation diadem
made. No one would have suspected
1T. But he felt that the danger lay in
confessing his powerlessness. Yet It
must be done. And he made an effort
ut courage.
Cemma had seated herself beside
hirl throwing back and bending lit
tie to one side her blond head with that
irresistible feminine movement which
displays the white throat, the pure
line descending from the slender neck
to the full bloomed bust, down to the
round and flexible waist.
IL would like TO have It. 1t seems to
Inc that | should look well. Don't you
think so? l haze great wish to be
beautiful. If you knew whyY
She laughed now deliciously, with
the air of her roguish hours. lie was
silent for moment. Then, fixing a
vague look upon the delicate designs
of the oriental carpet, pallng as if from
an inward wound. he murmured:
'The fact Is that do not know-I do
not really know whether-whether 1
shall be able to buy it for you
"Whyw
She had quickly raised her head,
much surprised, uneasy, looking mt
him. Such a thing had never happened
to her.
Marchis wiped his forehead and re-
sumed his discourse.
"The fact is-you see, in bank like
ours there are moments that-certaln
moments In which one cannot-in
which il Is impossible"
What was impossible for him in that
moment was TO finish the phrase. He
stopped and lifted his eyes timidly to
her, desolately, as If to beg her to help
him. She was very pale, with a sud
den hardness in all her features, in her
compressed mouth, in her knit brows,
I'm her sparkling eyes.
Have you not ten thousand francs?
Is it possible"
And her voice was as hard as her
look, a profound hardness that star
tied him. But all at once her face
changed expression, she recovered her
fresh, tuneful laugh, and the sweet
and limpid ray was rekindled in her
blue eyes.
Come, you want TO tell me stories,
so as not 10 buy me anything. De-
ceiver! l that wished TO be beautiful
In order 10 drive Vico Molise little
crazy. He has declared TO me that he
is tired of my perfdy. See, you de-
serve-do you know that l am becom-
ing angry with your"
She really believed that she had hit
the truth with her words. Indeed he
had so well kept up the Illusion with
her. he had hidden so tealously his en-
barrassment, that she did not know
how 10 explain this sudden restriction.
But meanwhile every word of hers was
blow TO the heart of Marchis. He
saw her already at the ball, passing
from arm TO arm, with her step like
flying angel; listening to the insid-
ious compliments of Vico Molise and
his kind and keeping meantime in her
heart that leaven of rancor against
him because of his refusal. And he
saw himself again. as he had seen
himself little while before in the
mirror, old, weary, worn, beside her,
so fresh, young, with eyes sparkling
from the cruel scorn of one who has
made an unequal bargain.
Suddenly he rose like one who has
taken decision, passed his hand
across his brow and, without replying,
went away to go out Of the house She
believed that she had conquered and
let him go without moving herself.
only with a Cash of cunning in her
eyes. But when he was on the stairs
the door opened, and blond head
appeared between the folding doors:
I'VE are agreed, them"
He did not reply, and she heard his
step down the stairway, slow, heavy,
weary.
The evening of the ball Marchis
knocked at the door of his wife's dress-