The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-03-12


sumed his discourse.
"The fact is-you see, in bank like
ours there are moments that-certain
moments in which one cannot-in
which it is impossible"
What was impossible for him in that
moment was to finish the phrase. BE
stopped and lifted his eyes timidly to
her, desoiately. as If to beg her to help
him. She was very pale, with q sud-
den hardness in all her features, in her
con- Dies>c;! mouth. In her knit brows,
in be: sparkling eyes.
"E"y2 ,;0r rot ten thousand francs
Is it :;os*i',i;':'
Ard ner voice was as hard as her
look. j i;:o:aund hardness that star
tied h.m 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 to buy me anything. De-
ceiyer! I that wished to- be beautiful
In order to 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 you?"
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 jealousy his en-
barrassment, that she did not know
how to explain this sudden restriction.
But meanwhile every word Of hers was
a 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 Tico 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 q 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 q 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 so without moving herself,
only with a fash of cunning in her
eyes. But when he was on the stairs
the door opened, and a blond head
appeared between the folding doors:
eve are agreed, then?"
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
ing room.
"Come in And he entered.
In the little dressing room so illumin-
ed as to seem on fire, with the air filed
with fragrance from the little unstop-
pered bottle Of perfume, all cleaning
white with the disorder Of feminine ap-
parel scattered about, Gemma stood
erect before the mirror between two
kneeling maids, ready dressed for the
ball. She was truly radiant in her
gown of white satin with almond BIOS
SONS, with fresh sprays Of almond
flowers around the neck Of the dress, at
the waist, among the waving folds Of
the train. Issuing from that covering Of
delicate, pale, dawn tinted flowers, she,
too, was fresh as they, with her faint
ly rosy complexion, as il she We're one
Of those flowers become person. But
under her lashes cleaned anon the
dash Of cold and cruel rancor.
Her husband had not given her the
diadem. -~,,.-------..-.
But, hearing him enter, she turned,
and, seeing that he held casket in his
hands, she comprehended everything.
With bound she was beside him. her
arms twined around his neck.
"Oh, how good you are! How gool
you are! How love you!" He trem-
bled all over and was very pale. Gem
ma did not even perceive it. All at
once, with one of her irresistible move
ments, she loosened her arms from his
neck, took with one hand the casket.
and with the other holding her hus-
bands hand she led him after her to
the mirror. She seated herself and
opened the casket. Among puffs Of red
plush, under the burning light. the
diadem sent forth sparks like n flame.