Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-12-18

! Mrs. Montague heard the mantle
| clock time the half hour between ter
and eleven with sensation of unboun
ed relief. : The ball, upon whose pre-
paration she had spent many days, ant
drew heavily upon Mr.. Montague
bank account, promised to be a success
1 Already her large rooms were fillec
| with the cream of S. society, ant
the three girls. in stylish and becom
ing costumes, were the bellies Of The
evening.
Clara West was smiling graciousl5
upon the son and heir of the Monta
CUES, Walter, and raising his mama'S
| hopes of match upon which her hear,
! was set; and best Of all, there was nc
sign of the coming of the Western say
age.
''They could not have come on the
nine o'clock train" thought the matron,
s'or they would be here by this time.
| Once get the ball over, I do not care SO
much about the backwoodsman. In
deed, imagine he will be good foil
for the elegance of my Walter"
As the thought passed through her
busy brain, "my Walter" with his cou
sin Clara upon his arm, left the crowd
ed room to find cooler air in the wide
hall, and encountered at the door bis
father and stranger, at whom the dap
per little dandy gazed in half envious
astonishment
,"W alter, small, dark and dainty,
dressed in the extreme OF fashion,
certainly presented strong contrast to
the young giant looking down upon
him. Tall, fully two inches above the
regulation six feet, broad shouldered,
and perfectly proportioned, with large
brown eyes, blonde hair and whiskers,
and clear complexion, young Easton
looked like some Morse warrior newly
sprung to life: His tailor had possessed
sufficient discrimination to tone his
garments down to an easy fit of his
easy proportions, and while they were
handsome and becoming they avoided
the dandyisln of extreme fashion.
But is must be omitted the stranger
was decided shy. Thrown suddenly
into a sea ofbeauty and fashion, finding
himself towering above the heads of
the entire company, and all eyes turned
upon him, be felt his face crimsoning
with confusion; his hands and feet
seemed to swell to twice their usual
size, and he would have given all he
possessed for a good excuse to run
away. -
The introduction to his aunt and
cousins did not mend the matter They
but thinly disguised their reluctapce to
welcome him, aud after the merest
civilities of greeting, left him to himself
Mr. Montague was surrounded by cid
friends in moment, and supposing his
family would entertain his nephew, had
also deserted him.
Charles stood at one end of the large
room, looking down the long line OF
handsomely dressed guests moving
gracefully to one Of the most inspirit
ing waltzes of the band, feeling interes
ted and amused, yet hurt at his chilling
reception, when sweet voice spoke
his name, and he started and looking
round, to see Clara Vests beautiful
face beside him.
"You and are both strangers here,
she said, with wish to put him at his
ease, and if possible to make some
amends for the rudeness of her aunt
and cousins, "and imagined you felt
lonesome, as well as myself"
Scarcely lonesome" he answered.
smiling, "Dut very much out of place
Our Minnesota balls have more Of the
social element, | imagine. Miss West;
or perhaps it is because knew ever y
on Elm the room, there.
'Do you. live at Minneapolis
mo. We are country folks, com
pared to the people of Minneapolis OF
st. Paul. My home is large farm
house, nearly half mile from any
other habitation, and four miles from,
the nearest village. But we cheerful,
drive four miles for a merry making.
Questions, skilltully put, soon roused
the young farmers pride in his Western
home, and he gave eloquent descrip
tons of the scenery, the hunting, the
bitter winters, when the snow lay pilee
upon the ground, in an atmosphere Sc
clear and dry that one could walk mile.
in moccasins and not feel any moisture
under foot He told his listener Of thu
hunting expeditions the young mer
joined in, and Clara found her owl
pulses quickening as be described SOM
/ of the wild scenes and hair breadth
escapes of his adye nitrous life. :
Suddenly, he pulled himself up will
a short laugh.
/ 81 am wearying you" he said.
mo, you are pot" she answered