The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-06-20
ESPERANZA.

Do you know the mushroom in the
Redoubt at Spa? The large expanse i'll
the center of it is kept clear for dancing,
and spectators whose minds and toes
are not light or fantastic remain in the
clolsters which surround it, and which
are well supplied with comfortable
chairs and sofas. Sometimes it hap
pens that the young men are lndo-
lent or timid, and the young ladies stiff,
and then the smooth, shining floor is a
desert, and in spite of the floods of
light and music, there is something de-
pressing about the general aspect. But
that was not the state of affairs one Au-
gust night, although the majority of the
persons 1Uere English. There had been
a great deal of determination at the
table dhOte of the different hotels ;
walking, riding, driving parties had
been made up daily; the foreign ele-
ment was just sufficient to correct the
British stiffness, without being numeri-
cally strong enough TO provoke its ex-
clusiveness. Altogether very pleasant
little society was formed in the place
that season. Millicent Lund was an at
tractive member of it a handsome,
high couraged girl an orphan, sole sur
viving child of drysalter, consequently
an heiress. While at school-from the
age of twelve to nineteen, that is-she
was happy, but her guardians wife had
patrOnlzlng manners, which Mllly
quietly put up with till she was twenty
one-that is, she engaged one of her old
governesses, who was getting too blind
and deaf to teach, and would conse-
quently have been otherwise destitute,
to accept the nominal position of taking
charge of her; but of course it was II
sinecure. People were shocked but
much Milly cared for that She sat on
sofa behind one of the pillars, talking
to n biack-haired man of about thirty,
who was dressed rather too well for the
expression of his features, which was in
telligent.
/" am afraid of you, Mr.. Bertram, F"
she was saying.
"Are you?' he replied. Chow people
are maligned; | heard that you were
afraid of no one.
" Perhaps you have been slandered
also.
"Shall tell you a romantic story? ?"
go yes, please. y
4" Do not let your expectations rise,
said Bertram there is nothing sensa-
tional about me. Upward of Il year ago
L happened to be staying at Brussels
during the carnival. The Countess q.
had a fancy TO give a masked ball, and |
received IN invitation. 1t was a very
brilliant affair, and at the same time the
company was select, for the hostess re-
ceived all her guests on arrival singly,
and unmasked, in a small ante-room, SO
that none but those who were properly
invited could gain admit:ance. / had
not been in the room five minutes before
/ saw blue domino who produced the
most extraordinary effect upon me that
have ever experienced. Up to that time
L had laughed at mesmerism, PRESENT.
ments, everything which is connected
with mysterious intercommunication
of spirits. But now the feet of the ex-
istence of secret sympathies was forced
upon me. l knew at once that this was
the only woman / could ever love. OF
course 1 had often thought myself in
love before, but now l saw that L had
given that name TO a passing fancy,
which never reached my heart. /
spoke to her, danced with her. How
the night passed | had no idea it
seemed gone before it had well be-
gun.
You saw her face before she left p
Not for moment. Nor was / able
to discover who she was or where she
came from afterward. That she was En-
glish L am confident, though she spoke
italian all the evening""
81 am quite interested" said Miss
Lund What was her height and her
figure ?"
Like yours.
"Indeed And the color of her
hair ?"
"Yours exactly"
"And you have never met her again ?"
"Not till this evening""
Really, Mr.. Bertram," said Milly,
laughing, "you almost look as if You
were going to claim me as your mystic
rious domino.
A" No; remember my promise.
I" And that was-?"
4" Not 70 claim her until she wrote or
uttered the wors Esporanza.
Really, you have kept your word, /