The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-02-22

"Your Tessa silk wouldn't look
amiss.'
"No, indeed, nor my seeded muslin
only they both fell victims to the flames
last SUMMER
"Well, YOU can cover the rent in your
tarlatan with flowers" it never having
occurred to Aunt Della that a Centennial
costume was in demand. YOU'D better
let ME pack your trunk, Elizabeth; you'll
be SO hurried in the morning." continued
Aunt Della.
at is all packed and locked and
shipped, thank you," Lii replied, shud.
dcring at her narrow escape.
Sue Amory knocked at LIPS door while
she was dressing for the ball.
"Shall come in? Oh, how gorgeous
You look as if you were clothed in snow
flakes. 1t has the real sheen of frost
upon it,"
The frost of time," said Lii.
"Dcar, dear! you'll put me all in the
shade. Was it a wedding. dress, Lill."
"A wedding gown that nobody was
ever welded in. Oh, it's awfully roman.
tic. I'll tell you about it some time.
There! Does my mask conceal my
identity cAcctually mot that any one
knows me here without it.''
white satin mask and thread lace cur
tain! Well, you hace bloOmcd out. Lii.
Have you found tile purse of Fcrtu-
natus?''
"'But show. when remove the mask,
face that's anything but gay,'"
misquotcd Lill
"And meant 10 have dressed you up
in grandmas yellow damaSk with the
black lace flounces."
"You thought hadn't any grandmoth.
ers. eh?"
Heavens! Conrad will fall fathoms
deeper in love than ever"
Pshaw! men have died, and worms
have eaten them, but not for love. Is the
carriage waiting, Sue?''
1.-THE carriage and Conrad"
Lii discovered, directly the viOlins he.
gan to vibrate, that blighted affections had
not robbed her of desire to shine and
waltz. Partners were plenty as butter.
cups in June life was beginning to look
warm and sunny again. If Roger sighted
her, here were those who were eager to
console her. She was wishing, with a
sort of bitterness, that Roger might see her
card and, just at that moment, her last
partner brought to her side gentleman
attired in masquerade as antique and
splendid as her own, who said:
1--WE seem to belong to the same gen.
Grafton. We ought to lead the minuet
together, for the sake of aud lang syne.
Have you dance to spare me?''
There was but one dance, the very last,
left unclaimed upon Lill's tablet. Last
but not least" said she, as he wrote
against it the name of Mr.. St. Regis.
Lii glanced at the name, and turned
cold. Then she bent her gaze on Mr.
St Regis himself, who returned it quiet.
ly, impenetrable as the Sphinx.
"Are you cold ?" he asked "Perhaps
we are in draught."
mo; only there is something uncanny
about all this. OF course you are not
really Mr.. St. Regis; and l was wonder
ing"
"Who l really am? don't believe
you would be any wiser if told you.''
"No, not that; was wondering how
you happened with that name, because
becalse-excuse me, here is my partner ~
and she was flashing through space like
a meteor.
"And now I am wondering why my
appropriation of st. Regis should startle
yvu," he resumed, when they encount-
cred each other the second time. "St. Re-
gis is a family name of ours; this very
costume in which l am tripping on the
fantastic toe, regardless of the woes of my
ancestors, comprises the wedding gar
ments of my revered great grandfather,
st. Regis RaymOnd-Or rather the gar
ments in which he was to have married
his first love, but for some lovers quar-
rel. To tell the truth, am the first per-
son who ever wore them. My great
grandfather was somewhat sentimental
youth, suppose, since he refused to
marry ais second love in this suit; per-
haps he thought it unlucky; but was it
not pity to let such fine clothes out to
the moths? Romantic, is it not? You
are surely shivering; let me fetch you a
wrap"
mo, thank you. 1 am clothed and in
my right mind, believe. And st. Regis
RaymOnd's first love was one Elizabeth
Langdone, was she not?" gasped Lii.
$50 the gossips say. But how hap
pened you to know SO much Of my fam
lily affairs. may ask? Are y0u Elizabeth
Langdone revisiting the glimpses of the
mOOn?''
"She was my great grandmother, !"
said Lii, land am capering here in the
very gown in which she was to have mar
ried your great grandfather, but for that
same foolish quarrel"
BLESS me, what a coincidence! We
are some sort of relation, arc we not ?
Allow me to say that feel proud of my
great-grandfather's first loves wedding
gown!'
"And I feel almost wicked in it.
Aunt Della could never forgive. if she
knew"
"Aunt Della ?" repeated st. Regis.
ooh, I forgot We were masquerading,
and I must not give you clcw. But
you'll be no wiser-yOu may read the
Stockton Directory through without dis
covering Aunt Della"
"She would object to this appropria-
tionV
"She would call it sacrilege. But
am Elizabeth Langdone's only great.
grandchild and her namesake, and all
this splendor is my Own-only it has
never seen daylight before, SO to speak.
1 can't say but Aunt Della had it insured
with the silver last summer when we
went to the mountains and left it behind
US. 1t was lucky, however, that we didn't
take it with us to the Silver Creek House,
because it was burned to cinder, and all
our dry-goods with it, and, had this
have been among them, I should not have
been here tonight
For which we may thank our stars.
May ask among what mountains you
encamped"
The Franconis. Don't you love noun.
tains ~
Absolutely dote upon them" laughed
st. Regis. "And you were at the Silver
Cheek House when it burned DOWN.
remember reading in the Times that the
guests barely escaped with their lives
And Aunt Della was with you, Ell. Ism,
she kind of aunt of mine? Did you
have pleasant summerr'
eyes and no." answered Lii. I" One
must take the bitter with the sweet, YOU
know"
"Spiced with flirtations and conquests
I dare say?"
"No, with neither"
II was thinking to-day how few sea
sons there were in our lives which w
would willingly live over"