The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-26

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No! Tudor Hereward was ignorant In
seeking and innocent in winning the impas-
! stoned heart of Leda Won Kirschberg.
| Why she had concealed the fact of her
marriage engagement, and why she had en-
couraged and even invited the exclusive at
| tentions of Mr.. Hereware, is, perhaps, not
| difficult to understand.
| In the first instance it was probably moth
| ing more than vanity prompted her to seek
| TO attract and monopolize the attentions
| of the most brilliant society man at the capt.
| tai. Possibly she meant no Eharm at all.
| and had no ultimate object in view.
| But she who plays at flirting" plays with
| fire.
Before she was well aware of the truth she
had not only captivated the famous young
| statesman, but she had irrevocably lost, to
| him. her own heart!
| But that she had no intention of giving
him her hand was soon quite apparent.
| The night of the last day in the old year,
| the night of the masquerade ball, given by
| Senator S. in his splendid new mansion in
the northwest quarter of the city, was des-
| tined to decide their fate.
Miss Won Kirschberg and Mr.. Tudor Here
| ward were, of course, among the invited
| guests.
He took no character. 1t would not have
been in harmony with his proud, fastidious
nature to play any part, or, at least, any con-
| spicuous part in such haalequinade.
| He merely covered his usual evening dress
with an inscrutable black domino of fine
cashmere, and his handsome face with
black mask of fine velvet.
Shelby some subtle sympathy divining
| his thoughts and intentions on the subject,
also eschewed the queens, gipsies, peas
| ants, nuns, and nights and mornings,
| into which the ladies would try to trans
| form themselves for one evening only, and
| over her dress she wore white silk domino,
| and over her fair face a white mask OF satin
| and lace.
Neither had received any intimationof the
| others disguise, yet the same subtle sympa-
| thy which had directed their costume Tor
| the evening brought them together through
| the immense crowd of maskers that filled
| all the reception rooms, dancing rooms. sup
| per rooms, and Conservatives, and overflow
| ed into the halls, balconies, piazzas, an
| even into the glass-roof winter garden II
! the grounds.
Dazzling light and deafening music were
streaming through every window OF the
crowded mansion when the Black domino,
| our hero, passed out of the conservatory, en-
| tered the winter garden, and looked about
| HIM.
| Here were no lighted lamps, for the moon
| shine pouring in through the glass roof
| flooded the wonderful, beautiful scene with
a soft, bright radiance.
| The Black Domino stood peering down the
| lovely walks, bordered with evergreens and
| hardy roses in full bloom. His eyes were
searching for the "swan" as he mentally
called lovely, white form whom he had
been watching all the evening, and whom he
| had seen glide through the crowded room
out of the house, and in the direction of the
| winter garden.
he had followed her slowlysand with diff
| Guilty, for he could not slip through 'jam"
| as easily as she had done. -
ssNow, in this freer space and purer air
| he hoped to find her.
| But she was nowhere to be seen. There
| seemed to be no one in the garden.
| Nevertheless, he walked down between the
| hedges of blooming roses until he saw in a
| corner of the rear hedge, an arbor of climb
ing roses, in the midst of which his eyes
| caught CLEAN of silvery raiment.
| He fastened directly to the spot, and
| found her there.
She was reclining on the rustic seat, and
| had taken off her mask for air, revealing the
| fair, proud face of Leda Won Kirschberg.
| He had not expected this revelation OF
| her identity, and he felt that his presence
| at this moment might be considered an
inexcusable intrusion upon the privacy OF
| the lady;
| sLeda," he said, sdeprecatingly, as he
| stood before her and removed his own mask,
| ssplease to pardon my indiscretion, but L
| have been trying to make an opportunity for
| speaking with you all the evening--ln tact,
| all the day-but have not succeeded even IN
| seeing you until tonight"
| sTudor, sit down here for a little while,
| The rooms were so warm and the crowds SO
| dense, that 1 felt like suffocating; so came
| out here to unmask and inhale breath OF
| fresh air." she said, as she smilingly made
| room for hims beside her.
81 am very glad you did SO! presumed
| to follow you Do you forgive me for my
presumption" he inquired, as he bowed and
took the offered seat. -.s. 49,
''That depends she answered, archly.
| "How could you know me, to follow me?a
| Or were you, perhaps, following an u'akn0tcfll
| white domino that had caught your lifting
| fancy?"
Chow could 1 know you?'' he repeated,
gravely, taking her hand and fixing his eyes
| on her lovely face-"How could know
| you? By the same simple, universal law OF
nature through which l know myself
| for you are my sweeter, purer, higher sell!
| Leda, my queen, do you imagine that any
| disguise could hide you from my knoWl-
edge? My heart wonld always recognize
you, Ledav'
ooh, Mr. Herewardp' she murmured in
| low, distressed tone, whose meaning he
| could not have perceived. for he went on to
| plead.
81 have been seeking you for many hours,
| my love, my queenl Not to tell you in set
| speech that which my whole life in your dear
| presence mas been telling you ever since we
| first met, and in that meeting recognized
| each other All, lady mine! Ever since that
| sacred moment of meeting and mutual rec
| ognitiou, have been tempted to believe in
| the old heather myth, that man and woman
were originally one being; but that Joye, in
| rage, cleft them in two, leaving the
| halves to seek each other sorrowings through
| all the ages T seek in vain-as we see by
| all the mismatched couples inn this lower
world-except in such happy cases as ours;
| for, sweet lady, / have found my completion
| in you, and you yours in me. And we know
| it nowp'
ooh, Mr.. Herewardn' shei moaned, in an
almost inaudible tone.
| "Thus, dear Leda, Ihaye not followed you
here to tell you that which you feel and
| know so well, but only to ask yor permits
sion to speak, at once, to your good father
and invoke his blessing on our be!rothal.
| But even this scarcely need to mention
for surely know have your sanction for
| it."
so, Mr.. Hereward! Pray, pray do not talk
| to me in this mannerp' she moaned in agl-
tation, as she withdrew her hand from his
| fond clasp, and covered her white face.
| he SdZSu Oh utI III sui PlioO CIV "ASs.SA
ness, yet scarcely taking in the full meaning
| of her words.
''But whyp Why may not speak to you
in this way? Why. Leda? Why? he inquired,
| trying to take he r hand again.
| She drew it away as she falte red:
ooh, Mr.. Hereward! Because-because
we are only friendsl And we can never be
more to each other than friends! Though l
hope" she'added, pleadingly, "that we may
| always be just such dear Fl lends as we are
! and have been! Shall we not?' she prayed,
dropping her hands and raising her eyes APP
| pealingly to his stern, set look.
| He met her glance, he gazed on her white
| cheeks and trembling form, fixedly, incislve-
| ly, with incredulous amazement and indig-
| nation in every featur of his firm, handsome
| face, for no part of her previous demeanor
towards himhad prepared his mind for this
unexpected repuIse.
"Miss Won Kirschberg, how is this%' 1t
| cannot be that hear you aright!' he said.
| ssAh, yes, you do, Mr.. Hereward! You
hear me Alright" she sighed.
"And we can be no more than frlendsr1
he said, drawing in hard breath. us this
| true?"