Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-14

every time, and yet heard ever,
word that passed in the circle. A
length glancing up she caught hi.
eye. The recognition was instan
taneous. Her face flashed; he cool,
twirled his tawny mustache, anc
contradicted some trifling remark
of the passe beauty's who looked a
him in blank amaze.
AT that moment, one of Strauss
waltzes foated through and fillet
the rooms. He abruptly excused
himself to his astonished companion
who had been counting ON his ask
ing her to dance; saying, as he die
not waltz, himself, he might be thu
means OF preventing her. AS the
dancers began to sway through the
rooms, he sauntered to the conserv
atory. Fannie Hadley saw him go
and followed him. He was theil
guest, thus it was her right, and the
most casual observer might see tha,
it was her pleasure. From the con-
servatory door, where they stood,
they had fine view Of the dancers
Fannie was gay and lively, and had
bit of characteristic information
about each, as they glidcd past
Her fresh, school-girlish ways-for
she was but sixteen, and not in so.
ciety yet, evidently pleased and
amused him.
Presently Hagar Southey floated
by. "That is the most beautiful
girl in Buffalo," said Fannie, enthu.
siastically; then added, Everybody
is in love with her; even Joe would
actually put himself ont to win her,
and you know how lazy he is"
He was Joe's visitor-they had
been friends for years; of course,
he asked her name. A moment lat
er, Della Howe entered the conserv-
atory on her partners arm. They
stopped to speak to Fannie, and were
introduced to the stranger. Della
did not recognize him; he knew her
instantly, and before the evening
was out, she was highly tiattered at
the attention he gave her. Once,
when she and Hagar happened to
be a minute together, she went into
ecstacies over this stranger, Joe
HadIey's friend, finishing with the
question:
"Hagar, who does he look like? 1t
has puzzled me ever since l was in
troduced"
"Himself,'' was the abrupt reply.
"But-he must look like some one,
or his face would not be SO familiar,
for / never saw him BEFORE" per-
sisted Della.
"You only think sop was the pro.
voking reply, and Hagar was gone.
Della naturally took the answer for
the first part Of her remark, and
pouted.
A tew.minutes later, Hagar South
ey was listening to very sentimen.
tai offer of marriage in the conserv
atory. She rejected the young fop,
and he went away with detected
mien, his very mustache looking
wilted. She turned to retrace her
steps to the drawing-room, and
there, seated within full hearing,
shielded by the shrubbery, sat Joe
Hadley's friend. Her eyes flashed:
he coolly twirled his tawney mus.
tache again, and arose to let her
pass. She swept by him, her head
erect, the folds of her silk drapery
brushing his feet in the narrow pas.
sage. He watched her out Of sight,
then whistling a low tune, comfort
ably took his chair again.
About an hour later, she met him
face to face on the doorstep. She
looked like a white cloud in her
zephyr wraps. He had just been
assisting the passe beauty, who had
come without an escort, to her car.
riage. He had on the identical grea,
coat and fur cap; even Della Howe
might have known him then. So
surprised was she at seeing him,
that she failed to notice the single
step from the vestibule; her escort
had gone ahead, SO she must have
fallen the entire flight, if he had moi
caught her; yet she would rather
have fallen than have been thus saw
ed. So annoyed was she, tina. even
her innate courtesy forsook her.
She had actually been in his arms
and her unglvved hand, thrown
wildly out to catch herself, had alb
solrtely touched his tawny mus
tache.
He waited an instant; then, as she
did not thank him, SAID in the same
cool way he had tina. other day in
the snow, "You are perfectly wei
come," and went into the house.
On the way home she had not 9
word to say. They had but block
to drive. All that block she was
drawing on her glove, as if thinking
thus to cover up the memory Of ths
touch of that long silky mustache
But she must have failed signally
for when she had reached home and
gained her own room, the first thing
she did was to pull the glove oft,
which she had but just got on, and
look at the hand it had covered. A
singularly childish act for the brill
liant, sarcastic Hagar Southey, but
any one who knows any woman well
knows that woman is a contradic'
ton.
After that, all winter long, she
seldom went out of an evening with.
out meeting him. He was very
wealthy, and had been travelling
abroad ever since he and Joe left
college; he had no home ties, SO had
very willingly allowed Joe Hadley
to pursuade him to winter in Buffa.
10. Such being the facts of the case,
more than one pretty girl had found
it remarkably easy to smile upon
him.
Hagar Southey had, Of course,
been introduced to him, but there
their acquaintance seemed to end,
that is, SO far as conversation goes
to make acquaintance. Yet the girl
felt, that this cool Mr.. Klemn, joe
Hadley's friend, knew her singular.
ly well. Struggle against it as she
would, he had an odd, Irresistible
e.. Lau.