Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-09

around all right that she had refused
all others who wanted to take her, and
so, when the night came she was left
out in the cold entirely.
'Her father was sick III bed, her
mother was busy tending him, and so
after supper Hepsibah slipped off up
stairs, taking with her Judith, the
lame bound girl, from whom this part
of the story was learned afterwards.
"Once upstairs she slipped off her
plain gown, and Judith dressed her
hair, and then she put on the pink
frock, and made Judith do up her high
heeled slippers in bundle, and then
she stood looking at herself in the
looking-glass and waiting until at last
the clock struck eight-the hour for
the ball to begin-and then she grew
deadly white and turned away.
Course him and his race for ever!"
she said. for he is making me the scott
of the town.
And then after walking up and
down the floor for few minutes she
stopped and said:
II would go to the ball with Satan
himself if he would only come for me.
1 wish with all my heart he would!'
And just then Judith said there
was heard a rafting OF carriage
wheels on frozen ground and carriage
stopped at the door.
"HepSibah was down stairs like
flash. with the door opened wide, for
it seemed that she thought it was John
Shepard himself come at the last min
ute, but instead a tall, slender, dark
faced gentleman dressed in black vel
vet. stepped inside and bowed low be-
fore her, and outside stood an elegant
coach, such as was never seen in the
town before. with two horses steamlng
in the chill air and tossing their heads
impatiently.
":At your service said the gentle
man. Will you honor NE with your
company to the ball tonight?
For one instant Hepsibah hesitat-
ed, and in that instant her mothers
voice called from thesbedroom:
'''Is that John, Hepsibah, and are
you going"
And then Hepsibah made answer,
No, it is not John; but l am going.
And in another minute she was in the
coach, and Judith was alone.
The ball was just opened when Hep
sibah arrived, and every. one stared
when she came walking in with the
strange gentleman; but she needed no
one till she came to where John Shep-
ard stood with little Faith Pulsifer,
and to them she swept low, hooking
courtesy as she took her place opposite
them in the dance just beginning.
'.All that evening Hepsibah was the
life of the ball; her words were the
gayest, her laugh the merriest, and
her step in the dance the lightest of
any there; but she never once spoke or
looked at John Shepard, and even
when he would have touched her hand
in the figures, she folded hers tightly
before her and passed him by as II he
were the side of a house. And grand
mother said, in spite of her gay ways
and words and frequent laughter, when
she once met his eyes there was look
in them that made her shudder.
'Of course there was whispering
among the young folks about Hepsi-
bah's strange ways and henew-cOmer
which she had brought amongst them,
but nothing was said openly, and the
ball went merrily on. The stranger,
although he had slight limp, was by
all odds the best dancer in the room,
and he was so friendly and pleasant in
his ways. too, with q word and smile
for everyone.
with some of the young men, in
deed, he seemed quite like boon COM
panion from the first, and one or two
of the young women, too, seemed to
be on friendly terms with him direct
ly. But his lowest bows, his brightest
smiles, and his most flattering words
were all for Hepsibah. and when they
went in to supper-it was the fashion
then for the young women to stand
back against the wall, and for the
young men to serve them CALAMITY
he made all haste to serve his first.
And strange it was, that although
he took from the same dishes as the
others-containing only plain cakes
and home-raised nuts and apples-the
plate he bore to Hepsibah was loaded
down with delicate cOnfectionS and
fruit such as the town had never seen
befOre-great velvet peaches, purple
grapes, luscious pears and golden
oranges.
but Hepsibah would hot partake.
Il have a headache, she said, and
may not eat. pray you, turning to
Faith Pulsifer, who stood near. share
with mel And then Faith, a little
timid, silly, trembling thing, at best,
fearing to anger her, and glad of any
thing savoring of reconciliation,
stretched out her hand and took pear,
but John Shepard interposed.
"'You may not eat he said, lest
you have headache also;' and, some
what rudely as it seemed, he took the
fruit from her, and threw it in the
fireplace, where, shortly,to every ones
surprise, it turned red hot, and put the
other Goals to shame.
But Hepsibah only laughed and
curled her lip, and passed her plate to
the others, but none of them, save on
ly those who seemed most friendly
with the strange gentleman, would
partake, but those who did pronounced