The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-11-30
THE MISSISSIPPI
, BUBBLE .
By EMERSON HouGH
Author Of ''The Story of the Cowboy"
The Girl at the Hallway House, Etc.
Copyright. 1909. by Emerson Housh.,
CHAPTER xxxv1I1.-cosr1suE1

There sounded at the back of the
great hall the tinkle OF little bell of
some soft metal. 1t approached, and
with 1t 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
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 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 woman. One
another these beauties might tolerate,
knowing one another's frailties as they
did; yet the elegance, the disdain, the
Indifference of this newcoluer-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.
IT'S 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
n perceive most of you have graciously
pnmasked, let me say that the moment
las now arrived when we make plain
all secrets"
He turned his gaze upon the woman
a. his right. AS though at signal, she
half rose, unclasped the circlet of gems
att her throat, and swept back across
the arm of her chair the soft garment
which enveloped her.
a sigh, a long breath of anaazement
broke from those other danes of Paris.
Not one Of them but was stated with
Inc 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 o0stumers of
Paris, center of the world of art, even
In those times of unrivaled extrava-
ganfe and unbridled self-gratidcation,
held no new surprise for these beau
iesI possessed SO long Of all that their
imagination required or that prinoely
nberality could supply. Yet here in
Iced was a surprise.
AS she stood at the regents right,
.almly and composedly looking down
{ me long board as she arranged her
trapery before reseating herself, this
AeW favorite of the regent appeared
n 1.-THE full costume of the American
iatiYe! A long soft tunic of exqufsitely
ares$ed white leather fell below her
0fpsk intricately embroidered in the ma
I've bead work of America, and stained
With great blotches of colors done in
die lquills of the porcupine-heavy
ed9 sprightly yellows, and deep blues.
Down the seams of this loose-ftting
aN5lc depended little waving fringes.
VIM belt which caught it at the waist
; wrought likewise in beads. Be
lth the level of the table, as she
I'D, the inquiring eyes might not |
clearly see; yet the white leggings,
@ lged and beaded, and covered by a
yeping blanket Of snowy buckskfn,
zht have been seen to finish at the
sR and blend in texture and orna-
ntatfon with tiny shoes, which COW
81 the smallest foot yet seen in
DIS shoes at the side of which there
Sgled the little bells of metal whose
rs had told her coming. /;
81 ere and there upon the bead work
me native artist, who had made this I
: se at the expense Of 90 much pa- 1