Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-04

not yet present. Yet l announce to you
that she Is tres interessante, my unknown
queen of beauty, my belle savage from
America. But see! Here she comes. 'Tis
time for her to appear and not keen our
guests in waiting"
There sounded at the back of the great
hall the tnkle OF little bell of some soft
metal. 1t approached, and with it the
sweeping stir of heavy siuxen garb The
door opened. admitting still greater blaze
or light, and there swept into the hall. as
though swimming upon the flood of this
added briiliance, a figure striking enough to
arouse attention even at that time and
place, even among the beauties of the court
of France. There advanced, calm and
stately, with the gliding ease of a perfect
carriage. the figure of a woman slender.
with full. bright eyes and somber hair-so
much might be seen at a glance. Yet the
newcomer left somewhat of query in the
mind OF womankind accustomed to view in
detail any costume.
The stranger was enveloped in a wide and
undefining garment sweeping robe fit for
any duchess of the realm. whose flowing
folds showed a magnificent tissue of silver
embroidery covered with golden flowers. be-
low the plum-cofor and green. The high
corsage of the white robe covered the bosom
fully. and was caught at the throat with
bunch OF blazing jewels. Under these soft
ments of otherwise noiseless tread, there
sounded ever the faint note of the little
bell. At the toe Of shoes otherwise silent
there peeped In and out the fash of dia-
shifting she trod beneath each new
sconce In turn. and catching more and more
brilfance as she advanced. there smoldered
the flame of a mass OF scintillatfng gems,
queens raiment was that of this I'M
known beauty. and she herself might have
been queen as she swept down the great
hall. scornfully careless of the eyes OF those
o. her beauties.
She stepped to the place at the regents
right hand. with head high and eyes un-
dropping For dramatic instant she paus-
ed, as though in the rehearsal of a patt-a
part of which 1t might be said that the re-
gent was not a,one the author. This tri-
umph of woman over other women, this tri-
umph of vice over other vice. OF effrontery
over effrontery akin-this could got have
been so planned and executed by any but
woman. One another these beauties might
tolerate. knowing one anothers frailties as
they did; yet the elegance. the disdsin, the
indifference of this newcomer-this trey
could not support. Hatred sat in the bosom
of each woman there as she swept her
courtesy to the new guest OF the regent,
who took her place as OF right at the head
Of the board and near the regents arm.
"Our gentlemen are somewhat late this
evening" exclaimed Philippe IT'S too
bad the Able Dubois could not be with us
tonight to administer clerical consolation.
'.Ah, lie dro,e Dubois,i' exclaimed Madame
de Tencin.
And that vagabond. the Due de Richie
lieu-but We may not wait. Again, ladies',
the glasses or Bechamel will be aggrieved
And finally. though 1 perceive most OF you
have raciously unmasked. let me say that
the moment has now arrived when we
make plain all secrets.
He turned his gaze upon the woman at his
right. AS though al q signal, she half rose.
unciasped the circlet Of gems at her throat.
and swept back across the arm of her chair
the soft garment which enveioped her.
Go be conttnned 1tomorrow)