Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-31

The tranquil, unmoved, serious words stilled the vehement passion she re- buked with strange and irresistible power. Under her gaze the savage lust in Cigarettes eyes died out, and their lids dropped over them. The dusky scarlet color faded from her cheeks. For the first time in her life she felt humiliated, vanquished, awed. If this ''aristocrat" had shown one sign of fear, one trace of apprehension, all her violent and reckless hatred would have reigned on and, it might have been, have rushed from threat to execution.
 She let the pistol pass into Venetia's grasp and stood irresolute and asham- cd. her fluent tongue stricken dumb. her intent to wound and sting and out rage with every vile coarse jest she knew rendered impossible to execute. The purity and dignity of her oppo- nent'S presence had their irresistible influence, an influence too strong for even her debonair and dangerous inso- Ience She hated herself in that mo- ment more than she hated her rival.
 Venetia laid the loaded pistol down, away from both, and seated herself in the cushions from which she had risen. Then she looked once more long and quietly at her unknown antagonist.
 ''WelI?' she said at length. ''Why do you venture to come here? And why do you feel this malignity toward q stranger who never saw you until this morning."
 Under the challenge the fiery spirit of Cigarette rallied. though q rare and galling sense of intense inferiority, of intense modification, was upon her, though she would almost have given the cross which was on her breast that she had never come into this woman's sight.
 .'Oh-hen' she answered recklessly, with the red blood flushing her face again at the only evasion of truth of which the little desperado, with all her sins, had ever been guilty. "I hate you, miladi, because of your order, be- cause of your fine, dainty ways, be- cause of your aristocrat's insolence, be- cause you treat my soldiers like pau pers, because you are one of those who do no more to havo the right to live than the purple butterfly that flies in the sun and who oust the people out of their dues as the cuckoo kicks the poor birds that have reared it out of the nest of down to which it never has carried a twig or mossw
 Her listener heard with slight smile of amusement and of surprise that bitterly discounted the speaker.
 T do not wish to discuss democracy with you" she answered, with a tone that sounded strangely tranquil to Gig arctic after the scathing acrimony of her own. ''I should probably convince you as little as you would convince me, and 1 never waste words. But I heard you today claim certain virtue-jus- tice. How do you reconcile with that your very hasty condemnation of stranger of whose motives, actions and modes of life it is impossible you can have any accurate knowledge? I am sure that the heroine of Zaraila has something nobler in her than mere ma lightly against person who can never have injured her, and would endure her insolence for the sake of awaken ing her justice. A virtue that was so great in her at noon cannot be utterly dead at nightfall'
 Cigarettes fearless eyes dropped un- der the gaze of those bent so search ingly, yet so gently, upon her, but only for moment. She raised them afresh, with their old, dauntless frankness. "Ah, you shall never say you wanted justice and truth from a French sol dier and failed to get them! I hate you. Never mind why do, though you never harmed me- I came here for two reasons-one because I wanted to look at you close; you were not like anything I ever saw; the other, be cause I wanted to wound you, to hurt you, to outrage you, if I could find way now. And you will not let me do it. do not know what is in you.'
 The inborn truth within her, the na- tive generosity and candor that soon or late oyerruled every other element in the little one, conquered her now. She dashed down her cross on the ground and trod passionately on the decoration she adored.
 'I disgracc&t the first day wear it! You are right, though hate you, and you are as beautiful as a sorceressl There is DO wonder he loves you!'
 "Hei Who?"
 The man who carves the toys you give your dog to break! All, how he loves you! When he was down with his wounds after Zaraila, he said SO. But he never knew what he said, and he never knew that heard him. You are like the women of his old world. Though through you he got treated like a dog, he loves you! And you think it insult, will warrant-insult for soldier who has nothing but his courage and his endurance anI his her. Digm under suffering to ennoble him to dare to love Mime. h Princess Coro- nal think otherwise. I think that Mme. h Princess Corona never had love of so much honor, though she has had princes and nobles and all the men of her rank no doubt at her feet, through that beauty that is like speli"'
 ''You speak wildly and at random, like the child you are" the grande dame answered her with chili, contemptuous rebuke. q do not imagine that the person you allude to made you his confidant in such natter
 He" retorted Cigarette. "He be- longs to your class, miladi. He is as sifort- ae +I,a ,rpava Vo11 1,,irb+ l-i11