Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-03-14

lio'.' Of me ihsn2'
The only woman I ever resal,
l7fefF clasring bis haad- with m ocl
r.rIar" has ssns Helen if into
Pati af langbtor. How can You ex
poet anything moro lucid from .
MAJ in my state Of mind? p
'Prsy recover ycur equilibrium
oeior- Monday nexi; which remind
no, Mira, that | went TO esk ysu 81
about Mrs. Seymcur's Bal Masque
BertieF as her cousin walked leis
urely iato tie room, please TURF
$ SEES evidence ard diVuIge 10 u
gifla tha redontable captains COS
tune
'Ynu give me credit for NOR,
knese!rd gs han + ever had sale
Baitie Gray shaking bands heartily
| With his friend. 'Cecii hasn't made
me mis- canfdens on the costnm,
question. imagine Nina knows
however, | say Cis, wouldn't II BIZ
fine idea for you aud | to change
| dresses at the last moment Jus; &c
puzzle aud annoy these girls? Az
for Miss Nina there, I'm sure I'd
know the tura of hor head through
any mask whatever
Great wisdom you would display
In charg ng your costumes. BERTHE,
said Miss Arundel quietly. Yen quite
forget that only the ladies are al
lowed maska.'
Zoo true, alas! fer my chateau en-
Espagnei Cis, | don't want to carry
you off, but my horses are at the
door and there is time for drive
down the avenue before Helen gets
through her confidential To Miss Nj.
ma
Capt. Wesiervelt rose. He was toe
well-bred to attempt an aside, strong-
ly tempted as he was to do so; for
bis quick passionate heart was too
full OF anger 10 allow him TO leave
Nina without desire to make her
feel the weight of his displeasure.
But the cool captain know the
proud spirit ho had to deal with. so
he bowed graceful good morning
and followed Bertie down the stairs
case.
When Helen turned TO her friend
che saw that her eyes were full of
tears.
why Nina she calculated. what
mas happened 2
Of course that was the very last
thing which lay in poor Nina's pow
er TO tell her. She was so utterly
ashamed of herself that she wanted
to run away and hide, or do some
thing equally absurd So she co.,
trived to laugh off the question, and
turned the question to something
less personal.
'Do you know, Helen said she,
an idea struck me in regard TO the
ball on New Years night? What
do you say to changing costumes
with me? IL would afford much fon.
| fancy. We are 50 nearly the Same
height and figure, that 1 am sure we
can carry 1t out successfully
Helen jumped from her seat in &C.
static delight
The very thing my dear creature.
Why didn't it occur to me before :?
Being masked we can do it so nice.
~; and-Oh, dear me Nina if Capt.
Wester7elt has your companion
charactcr-as he privately told me
last night am inst positive L
could never pat on your cold dignity
TO hi;n.'
'Yee,' thought Miss Arundel Bit
terly, he will have an excellent op.
portunity there for private converse
ton But she said. Nonsense, Hell
en-! / can arrange it. You and Ber-
tie can meet here, aud we girls will
be all cloaked sud masked when the
gentlemen come. Thoo after we arr
rive at Mrp. Seymoni's they will on
ly be able to know US by our Co.'S
tunes. So consider it all settled,
dear you go as fair Amy Robart'
with Capt. Westervelt as the Earl,
and in your dress of a French mar
quise. How we'll Berthe would look
in the Louis Quartorze style
So Nina Arundel sat chatting for
more than an hour with her friend,
and not a word escaped him of the
dull, cold pain at her heart. She
would have been glad of little
sympathy but instructive delicacy
kept her from telling Helen of the
insult che had used her name to COW
or. After q while BERTHE came, and
Helen bidding her loving good by
was whirled down the Avenue.
Niua Arundel was o very proud
girl and carried her cold self possess
sion almost to fault. CecilW estervelt
had for long time past been paying
her most marked attention ia his
own peculiar. cool way; and before
she was well aware of the fact, she
felt that be was her master. And
now for q mere passing pique, to
o pitch of anger she had never
known before was hard for the girl
10 bear. But Nina's own no.
bier self did not desert her in
the present emergency. The strug-
gle with her pride was hard one,
but she finally resolved that it was
her absolute duty, no matter how
Illuminating, to apologize frankly,
and rely upon bis generosity. Hav-
ing once come TO that conclusion,
she waited patiently for the captain
to call. Friday, Saturday, no WELL
known ring, no quick military tread
on the stairs. Sunday night Nina's
pride deserted her-as that treacher.
Gus demon is wont to do when most
required--and the woman's heart
asserted itself in passionate sorrow.
The last night of the old year |
What . crowd of ola sad memories
floated through the lonely girls
mind
A violent nervous headache was
the result of her midnight vigil, and
New Years morning Mrs. Arundel
quietly told her that she had better
deny herself to visitors that day, if
she expected to attend the Bal
Masque. SO Mira yielded, with q
half sigh, and hid her head on her
pillows. Her maid reported,
during the day that Capt.
Il