The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-13
Continued from saturday }

Blanca handed to the Marquise the lost
gem.
"Ah. lost it then. And how did box
the ears of my servants! And all this
was in vain! can not take back those
blows. / thank you. beautiful Rosina.-
Now you are no longer my debtor for
he key. 1 must begin again to be ser
giceable to you. in order to put you under
an obligation TO. me. You said you had
no secrets. Yet it is known that you
never take off your corset in the presence
Of your maid. You are hiding in your
bosom something from which you will not
be separated"
The Princess lifted her maiden face to
the Marquise. and 1t was the face of an
angel. She silently opened the embroid-
cred stomacher unlaced the silk bodice
and drew forth the palm-leaf.
'It is this -"
The Warehouses smiled.
do you, then, since that time. con-
stantly carry this palm leaf in your
bosom?'' she asked. twirling the same
back and forth between her fingers.
'"The blessing which was printed upon
1t In letters of gold has been obliterated
long ago, but the hand which gave 1t has
not yet faded from your memory"
The Princess hastened to hide 1T again.
1t was not advisable to show anything
to this woman. ~ i.
The beautiful Cyrene blew great clouds
of smoke from her cigar, as If DESTROYS
of creating a veil TO hide the color rising
to Blanca's face. She then began to
praise the deltcacaes Of the Princess. She
remarked that she could never get enough
of sweet things Her inclinations were
those of an inmate of a Turkish harem.
She then assumed an innocent expression,
as if she desired nothing but to praise
her cigar, and to induce the Princess to
catch the smoke with her hand and inhaie
1t. Were there not a tho lsand favoss
united IN lit H
She then helped herself to a glass of
water and slipped 1t.
"Ah, how warm this water ISL
Blanca sprang up.
II will bring you ice as soon as pos
Hble. The water-cooler is in the dining
room, not far from here"
Are You not afraid to go there alons?'
There are lamps burning in all the
rooms"
do not hurry to come back. will
look around a little while you are gone
Just as you please"
Before lBancay returned with the Vene-
tan glass containing the Ice. her guest
had carefully looked around. and had dis
covered something-the collection of draw
ings on the album-table, among which
she found some water-color pictures
which Blanca had made.
''You paint beautifully, Rosina."
''Thia is my. only pleasure"
This Colosseum is an exact copy OF
The painting which I saw at the house
of the Countess Rossi."
1.-The artist might have painted the pic
ture from the same point of view"
But properly speaking, he is not a
landscape painter. The other day I WIS.,
tied him in his ateiier. People had spoken
to me IN glowing terms of one of his
paintings. 1t is a, masterpiece. 1t. rep
resents a young woman sitting on tho
parapet of the Colosseum; through the
red cloth of a painters umbrella the sun
casts over her whole figure a purple
splendor which lends to her an irresisti-
bic charm; and the melancholy expression
of the young woman's face forms a
marked contrast with the rudy glow. I
offered the artist two thousand scudi for
this picture. He answered: 1T is not for
sale "a
In the presence of this woman Blanca
felt as impotent as a rabbit thrown into
the cage of a lion; the bloodthirsty king
of beasts, instead Of destroying 1t with
one bite, takes 1t in his terrible claws
and tenderly ticks it. Possibly he may not
eat 1t; he may keep 1t as a plaything.
The beautiful Cyrene closed tie album,
Saying.
TSOHIudp Ll6U are dCCuISeu creatures.
They arrange the world in such AMMAN
ner that man is the lord and woman the
slave. But the first and constant Thought
Of every captive is, how to break through
the walls of his prison."
Then, as df seized by a sudden illness,
she ran, out of the room into the ad-
joining parlor and did not return.
Blanca followed her, in order to see
what was the matter, and found her sit
ting in corner.
'Are you weeptng?'
mot at ALL" retorted the beautiful Cy-
rene Just the contrary. L am in as
good humor as ever"
Still her eyes glistened as with tears
She now rushed TO the piano and with
much fire began to play the ''Gitan,a
which had become so popular through
the beautiful Cerito.
'Have you the notes of GitanaT she
asked Blanca.
mo. but know it by heart
PLAY 1t for me, please"
She then assigned to Blanca the place
at the piano and began to dance the
"Gitana'9 to the time of the music.
One woman performed before the other
the bewitching dance, In every step of