The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-08
MASKED BATTERIES.

A HALL In Creole Rev Orleans, IsO1,
The art chapter Of q. W. Cables new novel WTh
unhdliilmOa," In scFIbnsT's iOT November.
II was In the Theater st. Philippe (they
had laid temporary floor over the par
quetIe seats in the city now called New
OrloanP, In the month Of September, ant
In the year 1908. Under tho twinkle o
numberleSs candles, and In a periumeC
alt thrilled with the wailing ecstasy o
vtOlins, the little creole capitals proudus
and best were offering up tho first COO
night Of the langnidly departing summe
to the divine TerpsiChore. For snmmcl
there, bear in mind, Is lettering gossip
that only begins to talk OF leaving wher
September rises to go. 1t was like hust
ling her out It Is true, 10 give select ba
maSque Us such very early-suCh III
anuSingly early date; but 1t was iittinI
that something should be done for tn
sick and the destitute; and why not this
Everybody knOwsthO Lord loyOth cheer
full giver.
And so, TO repeat, II was in tho Theatr,
st. Philippe THE Oldest, the first one, and
Us may have been noticed, in the year In
which the First Consul Of France VAyt
away Louisiana. Some might call Il
sold" Old AgricolN Fusilier In the rum,
bling pomp OF bis natural voice-iOr he
had an hour ago forgotten that he was in
mask and domino-Called II gave away. y
Not that he believed It had been done
for, look you, how could il be? The pre-.
tended treaty contained, for instance, nc
provision relative TO the great family oil
Brahmin Mandarin Fusilier de Grandis
slime. II was evidently spurious.
Being bumped against, he moved sLep
or two asideand was goingon TO denounCe
further the detestable humor when d
masker-one oil four who had lust finish,
ed the contra.dance and were moving
away in the column Of promenAders-
brought him smartly around with the sal,
utatiOn:-
Comment to 70, Citoyen Agricola!"
"H-ou young klttenm said the old man
In q growing voice and with the teased
half laugh Of aged vanity as he bent bai'
fled scrutiny ut the back.turned face Of an
ideal Indian queen. II was not merely
the Indictment that struck him as Raucy,
but the further familiarity Of using the
slave dialect.
"H.the cool rascalv' he added laughing.
ly, and only half to himself; get into the
garb OF your true sex, sir, hand will
guess who you are"
But the queen, in the same teigned voice
as before, returnel-
"Ah! mOpih fS, 10 pas cOnnGiS 10 sauces.
tres' Don't you know your ancestors, my
little son2)"
"H-the g-hods preserve us!" said Agri.
cola, with pompous laugh muhled under
his mask, the queen Of the TChoupitOulGs
proudly acknowledge, and my great.
grandfather, EpalninondOs Fusilier, lieu.
tenant OF Dragons under Bienville; but, y
The laid his hand upon his heart and
bowed to the other two figures, whose
smaller stature betrayed the gentler sex
pardon me, ladies', neither monks nor
FMcs a Ia Gazette grow on our family
tree"
The four mnskerS at once turned their
glance upon the old man in the domino:
but II any retort was intended, II Vlyc
way as the violins burst into au agony Of
laughter. The floor was Immediately filled
with walters and the four figures disap.
peATed.
~ wonder" murmured Agricola 10 him.
sell, iii that dragon can possibly be
Honore GrandiSsime."
Wherever those four maskers went
there were cries OF delight: "IIo, no! see
there! here! there 4 group Of first colon
lists! One OF Iberville's dragons! don't
you remember greatgreat.g
Fusiliers portrait-the gilded CasQue and
heron plumesP And that one behind in
the fawn skin leggings and shirt Of birds
skins is M Indian Queen. Assure as sure
can be, they are intended for Epaminon.
dAs and his wife, Luiki Humma!h
"B1t why, then, does he not walk with
"Why, because, Simplicity, both ofthcm
are men, while the little Monk on his arm
is lady, as you can sec, and so Is the
masque that has the arm Of tho Indian
Queen; look at their little hands"
In another part OF the room the four
were greeted with, ala, ha, hal well, that
is magnificent But see that Iiuguenotte
Girl Oh the Indian Queens arm! Isn't
that fine! lila, In! she carries a little
trunk. She is File Ia CttSetter
Two partners in a cotillion were speak
ing in an undertone behind fan.
"And you think you know who 1t is?'
asked one.
know" replied the other. "Do I
know have head on my shoulders? II
that dragon is not our cousin, Honore
Grandissime-well-"
"Honore in mask? no is too sober.
sided to do such a thing"
~ tell you It is he! Listen. Yesterday
heard Dr. Charlie Keene begging him
10 go, and telling him there were two
ladies', strangers, newly arrived in tho
city, who would be there and whom he
wished him to meet. Depend upon It the
dragon Is HOnorc, Luiki.Hummais Char.
lie Keene, and the Monk and the Hugue.
motto are those two ladies'"
But oil this Is m outside view; lot US
draw nearer and SOC what chance may dis.
cover to US behind those four masks.
An hour had passed by. The dance
goes on hearts arc beating, wit is flashing,
eyes encounter eyes with tho Ieyeled
lanCes oithcir beams, merriment and 10y
and sudden bright surprises thrill the
breast, voices are throwing off disguise, and
beRuty's coy car is bending with ven.
turesomG docility; here love Is batIIed,
there deceived, yonder takes prisoners and
hero surTenders, The very air seems 10
breathe, TO sigh. 10 laugh, while tho
musicians, with disheveled locks, stream.
Ing brows and furious bows, strike, draw,
drive, scatter from tho auguished VioIins q
never. ending rout Of screaming hamonies.
But the Monk and tho lluguGnOtte arc
not on the floor. They are sitting where
they have been left by their two compan.
ions, in one Of tho boxes OF the theater,
looking out upon the unwearied whiri
and flash Of gauge and light and color.
"Oh, GheriS, chcrle," murmured tho little
lady In the Monks disguise 10 her Quieter
companion, and speaking the soft dialect Of
old Louisiana, "now you get good idea
Of heavenw
The File a Ia Cassstte replied with sud.
den turn OF her masked face and MUIR
muir OF surprise and protest against this
impiety. A low, merry laugh came out Of
the monks oowl, and the Iluguenotte let
her form sink little In hOr chair with a
gentle Sigh.
the other; then, suddenly, with her eyes
fixed across the room, she seized her com.
pRnlon'S hand and pressed 1t tightly. "Do
you not see III" Ghe whispered eagerly,
Gust by the door-the cRsque with the
heron's feathers. All, Clotilde, cannot
believe no Is one OF those GrandisSimes"
"Wcll," replied tho HuguenotlC, "Dr.
KeGne says he Is not"
DR.. Charlie KOoue, speaking from I'm.
der the disguise OF the Indian Queen, had