CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1903-08-20

wrong to complain Of bis destiny. And
yet
What Of the terribly unexpected hsd
he now discovered In the depths Of the
pure sapphire Of Gemma's eyes? Was
there arisen In his soul the doubt that
that faithfulness against every trial.
that coldness toward her admirers.
was nothing but the wish to preserve
intact position acquired with diff
Guilty and that precisely to that posi-
ton was directed all the tenderness
shown toward himself? do not know.
but the vivid and impetuous Joy Of the
wedding was no longer In him. al
though his love remained the same. and
q painful doubt thrilled In his voice
when he replied to the playful conf
dence OF Gemma. forcing himself to
laugh too:
Take care. now. take care-the ven-
geance OF the tyrant hangs over you
All. the poor tyrant! How he loved
her! How she had known how to bind
him with her little hands. white and
perfumed as two lilies! For nothing In
the world would he have discovered the
truth. changed into certainty his TO
menting doubt. So she had only to ask
In order to obtain. for now for him
that love Of which he doubted had be-
come his life. and he felt a painful
structure at his heart at the mere
thought that a day might come when
he would be obliged to refuse her some
thing. Yet that day came. Suddenly.
by one of those mysterious complica-
tions of business. his bank. which until
then had gone from triumph to TIL
umph. underwent q violent shock. Not
noisy downfall. one Of those open.
public ruins which produce great fail
ures. but one OF those deep. intimate.
secret crises that must be borne With
out a word. lament. under penalty Of
death: tnat can be overcome only by
force of small privations. little hidden
savings. II is then that strict economy
In the family becomes necessary. The
luxury Of Gemma In those moments be
came absolutely ruinous .or her hus-
band: he ought to lave warned Ter.
sought to check her. He dared not aid
continued to content her but very SOC u
came the time when lie could do 30 no
more.
1t was on the occasion of great ball
to which she was to 20. She had order
ed from Paris marvellous gown that
became her to perfection. Still she was
not satisfied. Some days before, in the
showcase OF the most fashionable Jew
eler of the city. diadem had set In
revolution all the feminine imagfna-
tions: superb Jewel OF antique STYLE
set In silver gilt, Of starry pallor.
where the brilliants seemed drops Of
flame. Gemma wished to have 1t. and
indeed 1t would be difficult to find
face adapted to the almost religious
richness of that Jewel more than her
snowy profile Of an angel In ecstasy.
Ten thousand francs was the price Of
that Jewel. and Marchis did not have
them. Mute, immovable, his heart op-
pressed. he listened to Gemma's words
rs she described It to him. How could
he tell her. how could he ever tell her,
that he had not the 10000 francs! II
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 wouI0 have suspected
It But he felt that the danger lay in
confessing his powerlessness. Yet It
must be done. And he made an effort
at courage.
Gemma had seated herself beside
him, throwing back and bending a lit
Tie to one side her blond head with TINT
Eresistible feminine movement which
displays the white throat. the pure
hns descending from the slender neck
- the full bloomed bust, down 10 the
round and flexible waist.
= would like to have Il. Il seems b
- that should look well Don't you
mink sof I have Q great wish 70 -
beautiful II you knew whyr'
ehe laughed now. deliciously, with
| ~ air Of her roguish hours. He was
sllent for . moment Then. dxtng .
ess,ss saak n.n~ the dalicsfa dandRus
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