A Wasted Love

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1238, 31 January 1905, Page 4

A Wasted Love

; CHAPTER XXVII i (Continued) ; ' Madge gob up and stood before tbe , v. things, her eyes glowing with girlish ad« | miraiion; and the couutess, with half- , . lowerei lids, watohed her, Madge took , some of the things np and looked at f . them, then she put them down and drew , baek, _ ; i " Well,"said her ladyship, "is "there , anything there you like?" i i They are all too boauliful, madnm l" , Madge saidi " Too beautiful and unauit- , ■' able?" . 1 ■ The countess looked at her curiously. , " Are you not fond of jewelry? ' she | asked. "Ithought that gyp- —" she (topped, but Madge 1 raised her eyes and looked at her steadily. ■ " That we gypsies were, fond of bright ( ■ and glittering ornaments ? So we are, 'madam, and I like them well enough; • but ihese ate too grand and-too costly. Besides——" she paused '"Well?' 1 said the countess. " Why do you offer to give me some of these: things?" said Madge, gathering courage bb she proceeded. "Beeause youhave none of your -owti, >' and you are—my son's wife, The absence of jewelry would oause remark. Do you not understand ?" ' Madge sighed, V "Yes," she said, "I understand." She 'glanced at the jewels indifferently, aud with no longer any admiration in hur eyes. "I will take aoy you like, madam; ,b;uti please ohoose the plainest and least costly." . ' The countess looked at her downcast ■, fact* with increased curiosity. " You do not care for them ?" . Madge, shook her head. "No,"-she repliedun a low ton?. '■ Why i should I? Ifynuhad given them to mo 'beoause—you liked m 6,1 should have . been-, i —" hef ey6s filled with tears; t ghould have been very glad. Hut that was too much to expect, madam, I see' that now j though for the moment I thought, I hoped— The oountess caught her under-lip with her teeth, and remained silent for a moment^ ■ ''Yon are a strange girl," she said cold- ' ly,'and yet with an undercurrent of admi r ration and respect in tier tones, \" Most .. women in your place would have accept* ed the thiogd, and cared little why they, were given;" f , v% " Would they ?" said, Madge, simply X • and sadly. "lamnot like that; madam,", and she turntfif away. " Stop, pleaße," said ihe countess. She : took up the diamond tiara.' . ' Take this; you must wear .diamonds at this ball; wear this 1" " I do not know where to wear it, how "■ to put it on, madam," she said, with a • kind of proud humility that beoame her as well as any diamonds could do, / " Oome 'here," said the ■ countess; wind your hair in a coil, higher than you ■■■ have it now." " Madgd hesitated a moment, (hen she obeyed The oountess watohed her with a reluotant admiration, " Irene is right,'• she said," you have beautiful hair 1" Madge looked straight before her and made no response, and wheu the thiok waves were Wound in their proper coil the oountess fixed the tiara in its place. They flashed and snarkled agu<nst the soft, rayen hair like so many fireflies, and the countess'eyes seemed to melt beneath the vision of loveliness; but Madge remained cold and impassive. "Do you not'admire them ?" asked the evidently astonish j J at her immovability. "They awvery beautiful, madatn," said Madge, laconically. The countess took up a ohain, with a pendant of brilliants matotiing the tiara, and put it found Madge's "It is only your 'faoe that is brown," she said. "Your skin is as white as mine,"

- Madge smiled sadly. Evidently the countess expected her to have' the cuticle .of a negresa. , "Now take thesa rings," she said, choose whiob you think will/go; best with the other ornaments." , She watohed Madge olosely with a proud half—but only half-contemptuous oari - osity. , ' Madge took the rings indifferently, and seleoted one set with pearls and brilliants. / ■' You are light," said tbo countess with surprise. "I though you would have chosen the rubies ; , they have more color fathom, Madge made no response, and the oouni less plaoed the ring with the ruby Bn,d one or two othera aside. < "I will give you these, and some plainer ornaments to wear on ordinary occa-J sions," she said. As she spoke she went to a drawer in bureau end took out sojie jewelry of a more simple description, and placed them with those which Madge had taken off, . . "There," she said, "Me them toyour ■ room,, They are valuable, so do not leave . them about. 'Have yon anything to pot them in?" "My large box," said Madge. "That is too big. I will give you something mote snitabk 11 She wenito'the bureau again and took out a morocco,covered jewel case, As she

. BY CHARLES GARVIOE,

did so she lifted one or two articles in the drawer, and one of them fell to the ground. Madge wont and pioked it up, and unconsciously glanced at it. It was a mini' • ture about the size of the palm o' the hiimi and set round with turqnoiso. Aq sho glanced a- ir, Madge was conscious of n strange sensation of recognition. It seemed >o her tint the portrait was like somo one sho had seen in life; like the shadow of a resemblance, She stood looking at the faoe, trying to recall the person whom it resembled. She had only a moment iu which to mako '.he effort, for Iho countess, looking up, Saw the thing in her hand, and going quickly to her, took it from hernouo too gently. To be continued.

CHRONIC CONSTIPATION CURED Fred, Gillctt, Esq., Walgett, N.S.W,, writes: "For years! had been a sufferer from chronic constipation, due to uiy sedentary occupation, tutor. I sent for a freo sample of Chamberlain's Stomnch and Liver Tabids, and the results were' so satisfactory that I have sinco usod half-a-dozen bottle?, The Tablets have oortainly dono me a gceat deal of good, for wbon J first began to use them I bad to lake four Tablets twice a week to produce the lesired effect, but now two Tablets a month keeps the bowels in good order." For sale by R. H. Holmes.