Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-30
THE BALL AT DITHMAR'S.

The name Of Dithmar had been
known in H almost from its
foundation, and members of that
family had filled with honor many
responsible positions in its gift. AT
the time of which | write the head
of the family was one Joseph Dith-
mar, a retired manufacturer of about
sixty, a gentleman of culture as well
as torture. Mr.. Dithmar's house
hold circle, besides himself, then
consisted Of his wife, by some years
his junior; his son, Arthur, a young
man of twenty, and two daughters,
Helen and Mary. Helen was TWEEN
ty-six, and though by no means i'll
favored, bade fair always to remain
a spinstcr of her own volition.
Mary, on the contrary, though
much younger than her sister, did
not share this strange aversion to
marriage, and that was, perhaps,
the reason that | had maintained
for so long my acquaintance with
and my friendship for the family
Mary was the belle Of N, and
well merited the position on the
score both tf personal and intellec-
tual beauty. She had numerous
gentlemen friends, as was natural ,
but none that l considered my rivals
There was, indeed, q certain Har-
ry Duff sort of brainless, fash
ionable popinjay-who aspired to
her favor, but his prctentions APP
peared so ridiculous to me that |
did not give either him or them
much thought or consideration. Be
sides, | had old Mr.. Dithmar's IA
vor, and that went 4 long way to-
ward strengthening my position and
my complacency. Mary, too, SEEM
ed to lean toward my side.
This was the state Of affairs when
one day, in the winter of 1867, re-
ccivcd an invitation to a ball at
Dithmar's. Now, this invitation
was nothing uncommon, but the fact
that the note was written and signed
by Mary Dithmar herself, was sig
nificant-at least so | thought.
Time wore on, and at length the
eventful evening Of the ball came
round, and l was in my room at
home dressing for the occasion.
Suddenly the door bell rang, and
in moment after, the servant an
nounccd that Mr.. Duff was below,
and wished to see me.
He came into the chamber and
threw himself heavily down in an
easy chair, stretching his legs out
upon the carpet in front of him and
resting his hands by the thumbs in
the arm-holcs Of his waist-coat.
I was shaving, and as l turned
round, razor in hand, [ saw that
Mr.. Duff was flushed in the face,
and had evidently been drinking
somewhat deeply. was astonisIed,
for l knew that he, too, had been in
vited to the ball.
"Simpson,'' said Duff, in thick
tones, "been to dinner party and
miscalculatcd capacity. Can't go
to ball, and so come to pair off with
you"
''Duff," said l, advancing half
way into the intervening space be-
tween us, 'my good fellow, You are
out of your senses! Do you think
that we are members of Congress or
United States Senators?"
81 don't think anything of the
kind" lie replied wife a drunken
laugh, "but l want to pair off with
YOU"
At first l was rather amused at
the situation, and talked soothingly
to the man, but AT length, my stock
of patience growing exhausted, l
became slightly angry; and, turn
ing from my visitor, abruptly con-
tinucd by preparations for depar-
turc. When was ready to go, !
said to Duff:
eff you have been fool, | can't
help it; and If by pairing off you
mean that you want me to stay away
from Dithmar's tonight because
you have made an ass of yourself, l
tell you frankly that l do not mean
to crafty YOU"
l held the door open as / spoke,
and hat in hand waited for him to
get up.
He did not move.
"Duh,," said !, "don't you see Pm
waiting for you?"
But the heat of the chamber had
been too much for him, and even as
| spoke, Duff's head sank forward
upon his breast-hc was asleep. l
left him where he was, and telling
the servant not to disturb him, went
to the ball.
The sisters never looked more
beautiful or appeared to greater ad-
vantage than on that night, and
Mary, especially, shone as a bril-
liant star.
At length supper was over. had
accompanied Mary to the room and
from it, and was standing with her
again in the ball room, apart from
the rest. We were convcrsing to-
gethcr in whispers. What we said
| will not repeat; it is enough to say
that l played Romeo, and that
kind Juliet was not wanting.
Suddenly, at the upper end of the
room, there was a struggle and some
confusion, and in the midst of it all
a stout, shaggy-headed, elderly man,
pushing aside the hands that sought
to STAY him. strobe in. and stood