The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-08-27

down the cOffce- pot bounced nSnuy on
the table They took coffee in cups Of
blue and white japanese porcelain, which
ran up spontaneously from the top of a
secretary; each one provided with a
lump of sugar and little silver spoon.
When the coffee had been taken, cof-
feo-pot, cups and spoons disappeared all
at once, and conversation began. Sooth
to say, it was the most curious CONVERSE
ton that have ever heard, for none of
those strange takers looked at the other
while he spoke; they all had their eyes
fixed upon the clock At last midnight
struck q voice. the tone of which was
identical with that of the bell Of the
clock, was heard saying:
"This is the hour we must dance"
All the assembly rose. Tilt arm-chairs
drew back Of their own accord then
each cavalier took the hand of lady,
and the same voice said
Come, gentlemen of the orchestra,
begin"
/ forgot to say that the subjects of the
tapestry We're, on one side, an Italian
concert, and on the other stag-hunt
with huntsmen, and the musicians, who,
until then, had not made any gestures,
bowed the head in token of adhesion.
The maestro raised his wand and lively
dance music sounded from one end of
the ROOM The first dance was a minuet.
But the rapid notes OF the score har-
monized badly with those grave courte-
sizes, and SO after a rev minutes each of
the couple began to pirouette like
Dutch top. The silk dresses of the wo-
men, crumplod IN the giddy maze of the
dance. gave forth an odd sound, like the
sound of whirriug pigeons wings. The
wind filing them from beneath pulled
them ont SO tuat they looked like swing
ing bells.
The bows of the fddlers passed so
rapidly over the strings that electric
sparks flew out The fingers of the flute
players moved mp and down like quick
silver the cheeks of the huntsman
were swollen ont like balloons, aud all
that formed deiuge Of notes and rills
SO hurried and Of ascending and de-
scendiag gamut so complicated, SO in
conceivable, that the very demons could
not have followed such measure for
two minutes. 1t was pitiful to see oil
the efforts of those daIcors TO catch the
time. They bounded and whirled round
and pirluetted until the sweat poured
down their foreheads over their eyes,
and carried away their pain and patches.
But it was all in vain, the orchestra
wGs always three or four notes in ad-
vance.
Tneel'c struclS one; they stopped.
then saw something which had escaped
my notica-a woman who was not danc-
! ing. SIZE was seated on low choir in
the chimney corner and did not seem to
take tic least part in the world in what
was goilg Oh around her.
Never, even in dream, had anything
SO perfect presented itself to my eyes n
skin of dazzling brightness, hair blonde
cendre, long eyelashes, and blue eyes, so
clear and transparent that / saw her soul
through them as distinctly rs a stone in
brook And l felt that if ever l came
to love anybody it would be her. /
| jumped out of bed, from which 1 had
not yet dared to stir, and went toward
her, conducted by some instinct in me
which could not explain. l found my
self at her knees, one of her hands in
mine, talking with her as if had known
| her for twenty years.
But strange prodigy, while speaking
to her, I marked the music with a move
ment of my head. 1t had not ceased to
play, and, although it was for me the
height of happiness to talk with such a
beautiful woman, my feet were burning
t. dance With her. Still, / did not dare
10 make the proposition It seems she
understood what wanted, for, raising
her hand toward the dial Of the clock,
she said
"When the needle shall be there, we
will see, my dear Theodore"
know not howit happened, but was
in no way surprised to hear myself call
ed by my name, and we continued to
talk. At last, when the appointed hour
struck, the silvery voice vibrated once
more in the chamber, and said:
"Angela, you may dance with the gen.
tleman, if you please; but you know
what will be the result"
No matter" replied Angela, il :
pointing tone.
She passed her ivory arm around my
neck.
Prestissimo! cried the voice.
And we began to waltz. The bosom of
the young girl touched mine, her velvet
check skinned my own Never in my
life had experienced such emotion my
nerves quivered like springs of steel, my
plOOu uOMSu III H. Ntluo ilhS boIItuto "a
lava, and heard my heart beat as if a
watch were ticking in my ear. Still this
state had nothing painful in it. Twas in
food of inetfable Joy and could have
wished to have remained always as l
was, and remarkably enough, although
the orchestra had tripled its quickness,
we needed no effort to follow it.
The bystanders, astonished at our agil-
ity, cried bravo, and clapped their hands
with all their might without producing
any noise.
Angela, who until then had waltzed
with surprising energy and precision,
seemed suddenly to become fatigued /;
she hung on nv shoulders as If her limbs
had failed her; her little feet. which o
minute ago had hardly touched the q ,or,
rose slowly as if they had been weight
ed with lead.
Angela, you are weary" said to her
"let us rest.
YES" she replied, wiping her brow
with her handkerchief s'but while we
have been dancing they have all sat
down; there is only one chair, and we
are two"
What does that matter, my angel? 1
will take you on my knees.
Without making the slightest objec-
ton, Angela sat down, threw her arms
like white scarf round my neck, and
hid her head in my bosom to warm her.
self a. little, for she had become cold as
marble.
/ know not how long we remained in
that position, for my senses were all
= H.: