Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-11-08

"Oh was that the same Sergeant ?"
said the little humbug, innocently.
"Of course it was" replied Mrs.
Crestle.
"I think you are mistaken, Mrs.
Crestle," said Mrs. Gen. Burlington, with
dignity.
"Oh, come now !' said Gen. Burlington,
Indignantly "let us drop the Sergeant" "
And so the Sergeant was dropped. But
some three or four days afterWard, as the
same people were sitting in the same spot,
Col Crestle said:
"There is going to be ball tomorrow
night"
ga ball ?" said Daisy. suddenly bright
ening up.
Yes" said Col Crestle Z" a ball over
at Porter's Gap. Shall we %
ooh, yes !'' said Daisy; by all
means"
"Why, Ned" said Mrs. Crestle, "just
think what you are proposing! There
will be miners and all sorts of dreadful
creatures there and it's fifteen miles
away from here. Our going is quite out
of the question"
81 think you are mistaken, Mrs. Cres-
tie" said Mrs. Burlington. "It is possible
for us to go, and for one should enjoy
it. General, we will go, and will take
Daisy with u.s."
every WE'LL" said the General, submis-
sively.
Now, Mrs. Gen. Burlington did not
wish to go to the ball at Porter's Gulch,
and only the controversial spirit inspired
possible for her to recede from her posi-
tinn. on6 tho aJonnintQ6 nvpnJnu
she and Daisy, together with Gen. Bull
lington and DR.. Gilbert, entered the huge
mountain wagon belonging to the camp,
and started for Porter's Gulch. Just as
they entered that flourishing settlement,
DR.. Gilbert was recognized, and carried
off to attend a sick person near; so that
the Bullingtons and Daisy entered the
dining-roo of the Gulch House, where
the ball was to take place, alone.
The dining-room was certainly not an
imposing apartment. The ceiling was
low and smoky; the walls, unlike those
of most of the houses at Porter's Gulch,
were papered, but with paper so hideous
in it's design and color as to make the
spectator regret that the lathes and plas-
ter (which had, at all events, the merit of
simplicity were hidden from view. Dane
ing had already begun when the Bulling
ton party entered. The room was crowd
ed; there were three sets of plain cotillions"
wonderfully plain, Daisy thought, with
shudder-already on the floor; while
forty-three young men, with large hands
and feet, who were unable to secure part
ners, sat grimly in the seats which were
placed on all four sides of the ballroom.
Such a molly assemblage as that
was! Fat women, gaunt women,
gray-haired women, and little girls
among the dancers; and a grandmother,
if Daisy had only known it, was execut-
ing that interesting and beautiful figure
known as the ''ladies' chain" with Eer
granddaughter.
At one end of the room the orchestra
sat in state, composed Of a melodeon, a
violin, guitar, cornet and bass trum-
pet The performers on these various in
struments seemed to have various ideas
of time and tune, and continually in
dulged in little departures from the key
in which they were playing. The blast
of the trumpet was not sustained, but in
termittent; when it did occur, however,
it was so powerful as to entirely drown
everything else. In spite of the confu-
sion and noise, the entrance OF the two
ladies excited an amount of attention cal
culated to delight both ladies had they
been voraciously craving of masculine
admiration. The "plain cotillion" soon
reached its end, and several men there
upon rushed toward Mrs. Burlington and
Daisy.
"The next dance" said one of the
roughest-looking of these, "is waltz.
May I have the honor, marm ?"
"Sir," said Mrs. Burlington, in mingled
anger and disdain, q do not waltz"
"I'll learn you how, marm," said the
man, with persistence worthy of bet
ter object.
"I do not dance with strangers, :"
said Mrs Burlington, with increased Sc
verify.
"You'd better, marm," said the man,
persuasively "Women are scarce here
abouts, and we'd like to have you and
your daughter there to trot out little.
We don't want no folks here that won't
dance"
In spite of the presence of General Bull
lington, poor Daisy felt little fright
ened. She did not want to dance with a
man whose pistol and bowie-knife were
his most striking features. Just as she
was sitting there, perpleXed and confused,
hardly realizing what the various men
about her were trying to say, the tones
of mans voice, which sounded fresh,
pleasant and manly, struck her ear. Now,
when the feminine ear is struck by the
tones of mans voice, the feminine eye
turns to look at the owner of the voice.
The voice said
"Why, Miss Gilbert, this is pleasant
surprise Don't you remember me
Harry Curran ?"
And Daisy looked, in accordance with
the law which we have just enunciated
and recognized him. Then she gave a lit
tie gasp, and looked at Mrs. Burlington,
and saw that she did not recognize him.
"May I renew our acquaintance by a
waltz, Miss Gilbert ?" said Mr.. Harry
Curran and Daisy said, Yes" and
they left Mrs. Burlington, and in an in
slant his arm was around her supple
waist, and off they went, all fire, and
grace and beauty, in spite of the melo-
deon and the trumpet exciting admiration
even in the stupid louts around them.
So we'll did Mr.. Harry Curran waltz
that Daisy went once and a half around
the room before she stopped, and then
she said, "Of course you must explain
your conduct, Sergeant"
"I owe it to you, I know" said Mr.
Curran {; - but wish you could trust me
enough, and believe l am sufficiently a
gentleman for you to forget my real posi-
ton. I came over here without leave of
absence and if I am discovered, I am
disgraced. I saw that those men troubled
you. and hoped to help you out of your
difficulty"
"What did you come over here for ?''
said Daisy.
UEor fba cayoa rooco, +bo+ x-o,, 5;5 ,,
said the Sergeant; and yet that was not
my only reason"
"What was it, then ?" said Daisy, i'm
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