The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1904-06-10
THE MISSISSIPPI
! BUBBLE 4
By EMERSON HoUGH
Author of "The Story of the Cowboy"
"The Girl at the Halfway House. IS Etc.
Copyright, 1902, by Emerson Hough.l
CHAPTER XXXVIII.-CoNTINUEl
By EMERSON f1OUGH

There sounded at the DacK Oh the
great hall the tinkle of little bell OF
some soft metal. 1t approached, and
with it the sweeping stir of heavy
silken garb. The door opened, admit
ting a still greater blaze of light, and
there swept into the hall, as though
swimming upon the flood of this added
brilliance, 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.
She stepped to the place at the re-
gents right hand, with head high and
eyes undrooping. For a dramatic in
slant she paused, as though in the re-
hearsal of part-a part of which it
might be said that the regent was not
alone the author. This triumph of
woman over other women, this tri-
umph of vice over other vice, of eff
frontery over effrontery akin-this
could not have been so planned and
executed by any but a woman. One
another these beauties might tolerate,
knowing one another's frailties as they
did; yet the elegance, the disdain, the
Indifference of this newcomer-this
they 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
"'Tis too bad the Able Dubois could
| not be with us tonight to administer
| clerical consolation"
| "Ah! lie drole Dubois!" exclaimed
| Mademe de Tencin
"And that vagabond, the Due de
Richelieu-but, we may not wait.
| Again ladies, the glasses, or Bechamel
will be aggrieved. And finally, though
I perceive most of you have graciously
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 at signal, she
half rose, unclasped the circletsof gems
at her throat, and swept back across
the arm of her chair the soft garment
which enveloped her.
A sigh, long breath of amazement
broke from those other danes of Paris.
Not one Of them but was stated with
the blaze of diamonds, the rich, red
light of rubies and the fathomless
radiance of sapphires Silks and satins
and cloth of gold and silver had few
novelties for them. The costumers of
Paris, center of the world of art, even
In those times of unrivaled extrava-
gance and unbridled disqualification,
held no new surprise for these beau
ties, possessed so long of all that their
Imagination required or that princely
liberality could supply. Yet here in
deed was a surprise.
4 AS she stood at the regents right,
calmly and composedly looking down
the long board as she arranged her
drapery before reseating herself, this
new favorite of the regent appeared
In the full costume of the American
natiyei A long soft tunic of exquisitely
dressed white leather fell below her
hips. intricately embroidered in the ma
i i've OSdu WOEh vi <1lucIlCd, dnu oSdlACu
with great blotches of colors done in
the quilts of the porcupine-heavy
reds, sprightly yellows, and deep blues.
Down the seams of this loose-fitting
tunic depended little waving fringes.
The belt which caught it at the waist
was wrought likewise in beads. Be
meath the level of the table, as she
stood, the inquiring eyes might not
SO clearly see; yet the white leggings
fringed and beaded, and covered by q
sweeping blanket of snowy buckskin,
might have been seen to finish at the
ankle and blend in texture and orna-
mentation with tiny shoes, which COW
cred the smallest foot yet seen in
Paris-shoes at the side of which there
dangled the little bells of metal whose
tones had told her coming.
II. Here and there upon the bead worh
Ipf the native artist, who had made this
|attire Il the expense OF 50 much %