Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-09-15

WINTER reigned throughout Eu-
Wy rope, but on the Riviera spring
and summer bloomed together. Over
head the sky was infinitely blue, below
the sea was green and purple and
amethyst. Everywhere the sun, every
where the scent of geranium and
mimosa, the fragrance of rose and
violet. Always the deep boom, boom
of the waves laundering against the
tall cliffs Of Monaco, always the cry
of the sea gull, forever the chimes from
the church of Sainte Devote.
At Monte Carlo, that paradise of the
gamester, the season was at its height.
The Hotel de Paris and Beau-Rivage
were crowded, those of the quarter La
Condamine were full, and well-dressed
people, finding shelter in some cheap
lodging house over in Monaco, gave the
name Of some fashionable resort when
applying for a carte d'admission to the
"Cercles des Etrangeres," the euphemis-
tic title of that institution which draws
hither the avid and the inquisitive of all
the nations. Day after day, night after
night, the Casino overfiowed with those
who came to tempt Fortune. Every
one laughed and sang and was gay.
Heavy hearts are hidden at Monte
Carlo.>
1t was at a concert that she first ap-
peared-the Woman in Red. The
French tenor was just beginning his
number when the doors Of the middle
box of the right hand tier swung slow
ly open and closed behind her. She
stood for just a moment outlined
against the ivory background. Very
tall she seemed, dressed from head to
foot in red-not cardinal, nor crimson
but the most intense and glowing
scarlet. From out this mass Of color
her bare throat rose vividly white, and
down the satin of her skirt her I'M
gloved arms hung, soft and round as
those Of a child. Her hair, too, fine
and fair, gave her head a rather child
ish look. And then-no wonder fans
stopped fluttering and silks began to
~rustle-her face was entirely concealed
by a mask Of dark red velvet!
The lady seated herslf quickly, with
a curious grace in every movement,
and the red Of her dress spreading out
around her, stained as with blood the
wilderness Of the box. She raised her
glass and insolently swept the house,
moving her head so that the jewels in
her hair blazed and famed into the
faces turned in her direction. A laugh
f1oated from above as a woman in the
gallery, with her programme twisted
into a roll, Knocked the motion. The
Woman in Red turned away her face
with a shrug Of her white shoulders,
and sat through the performance quite
still and Indifferent. At the beginning
of the last number she rose slowly, and
gathering together her shimmering
scarlet left the box. That was the
introduction to the world of Monte
Carlo Of the Woman in Red.
After that, interest centered about
her, increasing as her peculiarities be-
came known. She never wore a sug-
gestion of any color but red, and that
alone vas enough to make her con-
spicuous. Then the mask, thought to
have been merely a caprice on the
night Of the concert, was never re-
moved. That rendered her mysterious.
She talked but little, going about ST.
lently, with a soft. light step. One
might be quite alone, and the next
moment suddenly aware Of the Red
Woman's presence. When the tall
young Englishman who lost everything
at d turn Of the wheel went out into
the Casino garden and, cooking his
pistol in the shadow Of the cacti, NUT
tered: I'LL end the whole cursed busi-