Connecticut western news., 1873-05-09
EsPERANZA.5

Do you know the music-room5 in the Redoubte at Spa ? The large expanse in the centre of it is kept clear for dancing, and spectators whose minds and toes are not light or fantastic, re- main in the cloisters which surround it.. and which are we'll supplied with com fortable chairs and sofas. Sometimes it happens that theryoung men are Ein- delent or tinaid, and the young ladies stiff, and then the smooth shining floor is desert, and in spite of the floods of light and music, ithereEis so1aething de- pressing about the general aspect. But that was not the state of affairs one August night, although the majority of visitors present were English There had been great deal of fraternization at the to5tes-d'ho of the different ho- tels :; walking, riding, driving parties had been made up daily; the foreign element 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 attractive member of it <; handsome, high-couraged girl; an orphan, sole surviving child of ardrysalter, conse-- quently an heiress. While at school, from the age of twelve to nineteen that is, she was happy, but her guardians wife had patronizing manners, which. Milly quietly put up with till she was twenty-one, and then took charge of herself-that is, she engaged one of her old governesses, who was getting too blind and deaf to teach, and would con sequently have been otherwised destitute. to accept the nominal position of taking charge of her but of course it was a sinecure. People were shocked; but much Milly cared for that She sat on 8 sofa behind one of the pillars, talking to black haired man of about thirty, who dressed rather too well for the ex- pression of his features, which was in- telligent. z- >'.A 's A sh 5 ''A'- "
 'I am afraid of you, MT. Bertram,' 2 she was saying.
 "Are you p he replied. "How peo- pie are maligned; I heard that you, were afraid of no one.''
 Perhaps you have been slandered also." %5co@ sza ? ts-a ID .-s2 D ~
 Shall tell you romantic story ?''
 70 yes, please.0 lsfsza U
 "Do not let your expectations irise,'' said Bertram 't1fefe is nothing sensa- tiona1 about it. Upwards of a year ago l happened to be staying at Brussels during the Carnival. The Countess G. had fancy to give masked ball, and l received an invitation. It was 8 very brilliant affair, and at the same time the company was select, for the hostess re- ce1ved all her guests on arrival singly, and unmasked, ln a small ante-roOm, so that none but those who were properly invited could gain admittance I had not been In the room five minutes be- fore saw blue domino, who produced the most extraordinary effect upon me that l have eyer experieIced. Upt that t1meI had laughed mesmefisM, !, presentiments, everything which is con nected with mysterious intercommu- nication of spirits. But now the fact of the existence sof secret sympathies was forced upon me. I knew at. once. that this was the only woman I could ever love. Of course I had often thought myself in love before, but now l saw that I had given that name to a passing fancy, which never reached my heart. I spoke to her, T. danced with her. How the night passed, I have no idea 1t seemed gone before it had be- gum"
 You saw her face before she left ?"
 Not for moment. Nor was I able to discover who she was, or where she came from, afterwards. That she was English, I am confident, though she spoke Italian all the evening.
 "I am quite interested" said Miss Lund. What was her height, and her figure ?" ..t S g<@D 1 %ka
 "Like Yours,"
 '1ndeedl And the color of her hair ?"
 ''Y Yours exactly" ; |,} ~-i >~-
 s' And you have never met her again ?"
 '' Not till this evening. ''saa7 aL
 Really, MT. Bertram," said Milly, laughing, you almost look as, if you were going to claim me as you mysteti- ous domino.D
 No l remember my promise.
 ",And that was ?'' r l- 7, ,.--~--., .
 Not to claim her until she wrote or uttered the word Esperanza." /
 Really, you have kept your word, and told Yeritable romance the hdy has only to turn out ghost or ghoul to make it completes" said Miss Gund; but as shespoke, she started and turned pale it was only with an effort that she completed her sentence. gIo2 1rD03
 Bertram, looking round for the cause of this emotion, saw that 8 new arrival at Spa, man whom he knew slightly in England, had just entered the room and he experienced that pleasing