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

the question OF the priest. ARE you
content?" replied. ''Oh. yes"
Now 1t is done United-forever unit
ed. Having risen to their feet. she
with an elegant and light impulse. like
a lily wind-lifted on its stem, he with
q little effort and difficulty. wearied
by emotion. they go down from the
altar arm in arm. Now they pass
through the church amid the murmurs
of compliments which arise amid the
shadows Of the aisles. among the dull
scraping of feet and the rustic of
gowns There on the peristyle. among
the white columns. is living wave of
sun and air which comes to meet them.
like a recall to real life outside Of the
mystic dream of the church, the creak-
ing of the line of carriages that ad-
vanced, the slow descent Of the steps.
with the white train Of the bride
spreading and dragging upon the stairs
In folds like snow, soft and light.
Then the carriages depart. They are
alone for the first time In the narrow
space of the carriage, which the bridal
dress fills with its whiteness, and the
bouquet of orange blossoms, with its
acute perfume of intoxicating virgini-
ty. And 1t Is then that. conquered by
the charm of that face. SO delicate and
proud amid It's large. pallid curis. by
the splendor of those blue eyes, the
elderly bridegroom bends over her to.
kiss her.
"Dear me. dear meT'
And to see the tranquility with which
those finely cut, rose colored lips return
thNrkisses through the veil. the ques-
ton arises whether 1t is the bridegroom
that she kisses or the Mechlin lace. at
600 the meter.
beautiful Signora Marchis, SO lovely
and SO young, married to an old man.
1t was expected that this fortress
would be an easy one to conquer. Pre-
cisely on her wedding day Vico Molise.
the most elegant and skeptical OF the
journalists Of upper ItGly, had pro-
pounded to his friends this theorism:
'Given a beautiful girl very poor:
given that she marries a rich old man:
divide the number Of his years by that
OF the hundreds of thousands of lire Of
which she becomes mistress. and you
will have the number of months neces-
sary for her to take lover"
And as soon as he could he began.
with many others. to attempt the dem
enstration Of that theorem.
Well. this time the impeccable psy-
Geological diagnosis Of vico Molise had
been found to fail. Not only. after
some months. the beautiful Signora
Marchis had no lover. but It appeared
also that she never was to have one.
Always dressed with an adorable ele-
gance. with a luxury full Of good taste,
the beautiful Gemma loved to amuse
herself. moving freely in that society
new for her. finding herself in her right
place as marvellous plant in a vase Of
valuable porcelain. developing itself in
all its splendor. She went to dances. to
the theater. enjoying the plebiscite of
admiration provided by her beauty. CO.
Quetting little with her adorers. nut
tering about the fire In order to make
them sparkle. her wings Of a golden
butterfly. but never letting herself be
burned.
In the very moment OF a declaration.
in the midst OF one of those waltzes
whose notes seem made on purpose to
stife expiring virtue in their serpentine
spirals. she cut short her adorer by
turning her angelic head and saying
serenely:
II don't see my husband. Look a
little where my husband ls II you will
be so kind"
And 1t was known that her greatest
delight was to relate precisely to her
husband the declarations which she
had received. When she came home
with him from ball. all wrapped In
the white silkon folds Of her sortie du
bal. with her pure throat. her snowy
shoulders that blossomed still more
fair from her swansdown boa; when
in the evening she met him In the din
ing room. still In visiting costume. with
her slim waist tightly compressed by
an exquisitely elegant gown, with her
face animated by the slight excitement
which elegant conversation always pro-
duces In a young woman. she amused
herself Immensely In addressing to her
husband some of these provoking and
roguish phrases:
You know | was at Countess Fo.
schis'. Molise was there, you know
always faithful and always In despair
And also Comelli. he that has such
lugubrious gallantry-he has promised
to kill himself for my sake within a
month. We shall see. All, ahr'
And. sitting opposite to him In a
rustic Of satin and Jet making shine
like two stars the brilliants, large as
hazelnuts, which adorned her small
ears. she continued to laugh. with her
elastic laughter. full of mischief and