The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-04-08

| ~. utu hotI hrp" II II was sTigf[
This is my first ball, you know. l. i
rightly she asked suddenly looking
him full in the face.
1 "Vuite, he answered, adding t,
himself, al will make it So
"How little re have seen Of eact
ot her the last few days!'' ne Ycou.ln
iued, alter looking lsound and seeing
Miss Ashley was talking to somo one.
81 am afraid I have not been 0,
much use to YOU"
| II think itiE cry stupid Of gen:
tlemen to shoot all: dsy;H Aim &c an.
swered, candidly.
mot always. But I did think it
horrible bore tp-duy and yester.
day, he said. in marked tone that
Aimee was to ignorant to- appreciate.
"To-morrow, L believe, Vie ladies'
are coming out to lunch with us, SC
that will be degree better. And,
alas! it is my last day, for l find
must 60 home on Friday"
| This was quite true, but be men
toned it now to see how Aimee would
take it.
Tears dimmed her eyes for a mo.
ment, but she said bravely, Il am
SO sorry, shall miss you SO much"
Don't let us think of it now. To.
night, happily, 1 need not play at
whist, so l mean to enjoy myself. -
Will you come? They are going to
begin the first dance.'
That night was strange bliss to
Aimee. She danced beautifully; and
Sir Stephen, who had done the same
in his early youth, found he had not
forgotten the art
Dance followed dance. Sir Steph-
en- cast all scruples to the wind, and
Aimee, childishly trustful in him,
made no remonstrance.
Of course they were Remarked
Mrs. Ashley, before much time had
passed, came eagerly to Mrs. Hare
wood. 1T is just as told YOU. He
has danced three times with her al
ready.'
"Who is 'he?' " asked Mrs Hare
weod rather provokingly.
"Sir Stephen Eastwood, of course. -
"Oh! and 'she:'
"Why, Of course. Miss Barlow. -
"rhree times already! that is ra.h
er strong.' Aud with q laugh she
turned to some one else.
However, she kept her eye on them,
and was relieved to see Sir Stephen
dancing with Miss Ashley That did
not last long, and she saw him danc-
ing again and again with Ainse.
Then at last they went to supper to.
g:ther. and Mrs. Harewood thought
it was quite time to put stop to it.
AS soon as Aimee returned to her
neighborhood, she went to her, and
said, Aimee, my dear, you must
not dance any more with Sir Stephen
Dashwood. You need not blush SO
much; | dare say you did not know
it was wrong to make yourself SO
conspicuous.' =.
But" faltered Aimee, II am
engaged to him for several mole
dances. - a..'. -. .-s-.
~ You must make some excuse
You cannot dance with him any more.
Don't lock 50 wretched, poor child;
of course yol knew no better, and |
shall speak to him tomorrow. -
This promise did not console Al.
NEE in the least, and she stood, nat
urally wishing that the foor would
open vnd swallow her and her confu-
sion. She could not fly to take ref
ugc in her room, for in the doorway
she saw Sir Stephen, and she dare
not pass him. SO she staid where
she was, trying hard not to cry, and
shrinking as much as she could be.
hind stand Of flowers. She heard
glorious vslse behind, and her heart
beat fast as she wondered whether
he would end her, and what he would
say. Mrs. Harewool must be right,
but how could Sir Stephen bc wrong?
While rendering over this dilemma,
she heard his well-known voice.
II have found you at last! Our
yalse is half over. Why, what's the
matter:'
For a moment Aimee could not
speak; then she gasped out MRS.
HareAood said [ was not to dance
with you any more. She said it was
wrong. am very sorry"
"Aimce, my darling! Wrong! I
was wrong to expose youto this. |
ought to have spoken sooner Don't
you know how L love you? Don't
you know that my one wish is that
you should be my wife!'
At this moment Sir Stephen was
nearly Knocked down by couple of
very energetic dancers; and=while he
was receiving abjeet apologies Mrs.
Harewood, who had seen him and
Aimee, came up, and in a sweet but
decided voice, begged he would dance
with a certain hideous young lady of
high rank, who had been much neg
lccted during the evening.
Sir Stophen could but comply, and
Aimee, seizing her opportunity, made
her way down the room. seeing 10
one, hearing no one. aud then hyins,
as if for her life, up the staircase,
and through the passages. to her
room, when she locked the door. and
threw herself on'the sofa. crying bit
terly. w
What could it mean? Did Sir
Stephen mean that he wished to mar
ry her? She wiped away her tears,
and tried to think seriously. She