The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-04-08

she had reached the hotel she was kim
died by sympathetic excitement INTO the
blooming little beauty that only the
malignant depression of her unhappy
condition had kept paled.
Madame Ricard, whose apartments
were the grand rooms Of the Two
Isles" received her guest with the ut
most cordially. A tete-a-tete dinner was
served i'll luxurious style, and Fidelia,
who felt herself in happiness, enjoyed
the feast. from bouilli to ice, and en-
tered into the chatting mood of her host
ess. They spoke at dessert OF the hero
of the night.
"Hc is friend of mine" said Madame
Ricard.
"How happy You must be to possess
such fricnd!" exclaimed Fidelia. with
sparkling eyes. He is a hero-a real
hero of the time in which we live.
Could there be an act more courageous
than his part in the victory of October
9TH? All, how | should love to look
upon his brave face But ! forget. l
am vassal by Fates special design.
WHY should l dream Of heroes ?"
$50 on, my dear, with your dream
ing" said Madame Ricard, with friend
" little nod. "That is precisely the
use of an occasional slavery, to make one
dream of noble things. Nou are quite
free at this moment, however. Would
You like to go with me tonight to the
ball?"
1t was we'll foY the hospitable impulse
Of the little lady that this astounding
proposition was not made until after
they had dined. Fidelia turned pale
with ecstacy at the very thought. To
go to the ball 10 see with her own
eyes the enchanting scene! To have a
ycritable glimpse at the hero's brave
facet She answered after moment
of profound silence. and with n femi-
nine reservation that yelled the intensity
of her assent, 81 should like TO go. il |
had white"
"Thcre is nothing SO easily obtained, "
said Madame Picard, "as Il white bodice
and skirt" She babe her maid hasten
to the Office of the hotel and order mp Il
trunk marked with blue rosetto.
Out of this trunk came white gauzc
skirts, which were made to onvelop the
young girl in layers of grace, until the
effect of white was dense, yet ethereal,
like lily. A bodice YVES found that
conformcd easily to the plant form.
Blue ribbons. the tint OF forget me-nots,
cmbellished the ,lraperies; the couture,
with the exception of il pale blue fillet,
WAS left in its natural falling grace"
"ssimplo and canine iif,tuf, and alto
gether as ] wish," said Madame Eicarl,
when the toilet was complete.
They arrived late at the ball, but not
irritated by haste; and Madame Ricard
was gratificd to lind the excitement OF
pleasure at its hight, Fidelia was pre-
scented to the hero OF the night, and at
his own request. He engaged her hand
for the next dance.
If the dance, according to the theory
of one of our famed philosophers, was in
vented as an ordeal, it is certainly to
vonth and health an ordeal that inspires.
If it is pitiless to doformity. it is gencr-
Gus to beauty. 1t displays and at the
same moment creates mobile grace.
Fortunately FOR Fidelia, the next dance
was a waltz. Her life had been so long
in bondage. she had forgotten whatever
is conventional in the figures of dane
ing school, and remembered only this
the natural response OF elastic and
sensitive feet to tho musical irois-fem1s
invented for their pleasure by Nature
herself.
Not the next waltz only, but the next
and next, and F'idelia found herself the
partner of Colonel Darrell. He took
her to supper. and she became the OBJ
joct of interest to all eyes. The 9ossips
made her the heroine of the night. But
of these lesser honors Fidella was quite
unconscious. She reveled in the thought
that she had seen again and again-and
with an expression in his eyes OF SO
much kindness to herself tho hero's
brave face.
After supper he left her for while,
but returned to beg n brief promenade
upon the balcony, which had been deco
rated to become one of the attractions
of the night. Madam Ricard gave con-
sent. And it was there, under the green
archway of palms and dollhouse plants
that improvised tropical vista, that
Colonel Darrell said to the young girl
who seemed to him the pcrsoniiication of
cuilcless sweetness and dignitied beauty,
"Will you give me one Of these little
blue rosettes as keepsake Of the night?'
II would-indeed, l would" said
Fidelia, with charming hesitation; "but
but they are not mine to give
A strange expression darted across
the hero's face; and then, with Bonded
head, he gave one glance into Fidclia 5
eyes that made her cheeks, from her
heart up, blush.
"Thcse are yours to give he said,
touching gently the bright brown curls
that the evening wind had blown across
his arm. "May II" he asked; and being