Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-09-18

tOWdTu Hill.
A few days before the Sylvester ball he
determined to declare openly to Emmy
his feelings toward her. Lobau wished
inclined toward him-as he hoped-and
to have his fate decided as soon as posi-
BILE. Deeply moved, and with his heart
torn with distracting fears, Lobau went to
the Sylvester ball an hour before its com
mencement. To talk calmly on indiffer-
ent topics was impossible; his first word
on this evening should be spoken to
Emmy.
Lobau stationed himself, therefore, in
one of the retreshment rooms close to the
ball room, and, sitting by the window,
watched the carriages arriving while ap-
parently absorbed in the latest edition of
the newspaper which he held spread out
before him. At last the carriage of the
councillors widow drove to the door. 1t
was easily to be recognized, with its two
gray horses and large carriage lamps
Like fairy Emmy sprang up the steps
of the house. Lobau left his station and
went into the ball room. Emmy had
scarcely taken off her winter wrappings
when Frau Won Restorf and her daughter
Laura-one of Emmy's friend's-came
into the room. With a cry of joy the two
young girls embraced; then Laura whis-
pered while she fastened wreath of dark
red roses in Emmy's hair, "a certain per-
son has just come up stairs with mel'
~ don't know whom you mean!'' re-
piled Emmy, while she turned away her
head, apparently to accommodate Laura
Nonsense! you know very well whom
| mean; Lobau is not so Indifferent to
you as you would make US believe"
Not indifferent to mel" cried Emmy,
"he is just as Indifferent to me as Lord
Merinor'
Lord Merino," whose real name was
Isidor Erlanger, was the only son of the
richest wool merchant in the province
Isidor had been two years in England to
improve himself in his business, and on
his return home, instead of being con-
tented with his own country, affected the
manner Of speaking, and The bearing of
the English in the most foolish and in
sipid manner. The young girls of the
place, whom he met at a little reading
club, called him in sport Lord Merino."
Laura took no further notice of Emmy's
remark; the two young girls assisted one
another to rearrange their toilets, which
had been somewhat disordered during
their long ride, and then Laura began
anew: "Some one you know will want
to dance the cotllion with you tonight"
"You mean if | wish it, Laura! your
talk is very tiresome: the best thing I can
do is not to dance with him at all'
eff he asks you, you will have to dance
with him, Emmyn
81 will have to? Am slave? Must
we young ladies consider ourself perfect
ly happy if young man finds us goose
enough to dance a polka or galop with
him? No!-no! you shall see what I'll
dow
children, are you not ready get? do
believe you would spend the whole even
ing talking here" said Frau Won Restorf,
and the ladies left the room.
The dressing.room opened on the hall,
and leading from it was small ante-room,
from which few steps led one into the
ballroom. This ante-rOom had three
open spaces for windows looking toward
the drawing-room, which, like the boxes
in a theater, gave fine view of the ball
room, and was superior to it in having a
comfortable temperature. The councillors
widow remained here in an easy chair,
and gave Emmy to the care of Frau Won
Restorf, who conducted both young ladies
into the hall.
Emmy was in state Of excitement
wholly foreign to her nature, at which she
was provoked, and which began, she
scarcely knew how. The room was al
ready filed to overlooking, and in the mid
die of it stood the director of the ball, and
several other gentlemen, among them Lo-
bau.
At the entrance of Emmy, he approach
ed her quickly, and said in an oppressed
and almost hoarse voice: MAY / have
the pleasure of dancing the first waltz
with you, Fraulein Won R0hrY'
81 thank you, Herr Won Lobau, ! am
already engaged" replied Emmy, in an
abrupt, harsh tone, such as she had never
before used in addressing gentlemen. The
girl herself was frightened when the
words had escaped her lips; she expected
Lobau to ask for another dance, which she
would now have granted him, or at any
rate few words of regret to which she
could respond. But he only bowed silent
ly and went to the right toward the door
which led to the staircase. Directly fol-
lowing him came Herr Isador Erlanger,
who also asked her for the first waltz. To
be Obliged to dance with Lord Merino
was hard. Emmy, however, quickly prom
Used it that the fatal waltz might be dis
posed of, and Lobau not know that she
had told him what was not true.
AS she turned her head to nod gayly to
her aunt, her eyes met Lobau's, who, in
stead of mounting the steps, had remain
ed standing short distance from her
Emmy trembled under her gaze hayes
had ever before looked at her thur hat
did it mean? Who could have explained
it to her? Should she venture another
loOks
Like frightened child, who half ex-
poets to see a ghost, and collects all her
courage to look again in the dreaded di.
rection, Emmy turned her head toward
Lobau.
Lobau was no longer there.
with whom will he dancer" said
Emmy to herself.
Soon resounded the opening meas ures
of the waltz, and Herr lsidor Erlanger
clasped his partner. Emmy was silent,
and Lord Merino sustained the weight
of the conversation. He talked about his
residence in England, said that he had
become acquainted while there with q
very agreeable family, who were friends
of the Prime Minister-Disraeli and
whom he had come near meeting at their
had