Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-12-21
IN A BALLROOM.

All the rear Round.
The clCak-roCm was clearing fas
and the piles of shawls and wraps a
ties ted 10 the fact that the majority O
the conn any had arrived. The
hire Hunt Ball twenty years ago
began early. Being the great event Of
the year to many sober country people
they made point Of arriving at the
very beginning and staying to the end
The music bad been sounding merrily
for some time, when two ladies' came
in, evidently mother and daughter; the
one, middle-aged, calm, and sedate;
the other, young, eager, and excited
The latter flung of her cloak, gave q
nasty glance at the glass, and stood
quiveriug with impatience, while her
mother leisurely Invested heraelf OF
her wraps and arranged her cap.
"Come along, mother darling the
girl said at last "Iour cap is all Iie hit,
and you look lovely. We are so late.
Poor papa will be quite tired of wait,
ing"
"Poor papa" said the mother dryly
''ho must be in dreadful fidg9t lest
all the young ladies should be engaged,
and there be no partner left for him. "
The girl blushed and laughed.
"Neyer mind, Florrie; if anybody
wants to dance with you, they viii
manage it somehow
Florrie bushed again, while a smile
of the most perfect content broke over
her face. 1t was y fair young face
pretty not with any wonderful beauty
but with freshness, innocence auc
sweet temper; u face that weary pater
iamilias, yawning in dporways, woulc
comment upon with appreciation; tha'
Jealous mothers would pick to pieces
and that daughters would admir-,
without envy.
They found poor papa" warmly dis
cussing some magsterial difficulty
with country neighbor, and bearing
:he forced delay of his entrance to the
ballroom with perfect equinamity.
How Florrie's eyes roved around as
they entered how absently she re
sponded to the greetings of Nariou,
friends Even the gentlemen who so
licited the favor of dance received
but half her attention. She was only
seventeen, and had not yet learned tht
art or the necessity of copCealing hel
feelings. Every emotion wrote ltsel
in clear letters on that childish face
Up and down the room her gray eye
wandered as she stood near by he
mother, eagerly scanning the groul
OF dancers, and then sudden ligh
came into them, rush of color int
her cheeks, rs ~ young man detached
himself from a knot of red coate,
sportsmen and approached her. Witt
what radiant smile she greeted him
Her mother noted il and sighed; sou
maiden of forty seeing it, sighed too
and said 10 herself. "What a tlirt tina
grl is, but while saying it she knew
she was unjust. The young man di,
not sigh. He smiled smile almost "a
radiau; as Florrie's own-slmost, no
q9ite.
"Oh, Miss barley" ne began, d"
thought you were never coming.
~ thought we never were" she re
piled uaively, "but we are here now,
she added in tone of extreme salts
faction
"Yes, you are here now" he said
and You Will stay 60 the end and CIV,
nae great many dances. Wouidn'
you like some tea?' OF course sh,
would like some tea, and rs she wa,
going TO dance the next waltz witt
him it was hardly worth while TO re-
turn to her mother for the few inter
Yening moments.
Florrie was no Hirt, but she was only
Just out, had seen nothing of the world
and had never stirred from under he
mothers wing What wonder that she
was completely oaptiyated by THU
handsome young soldier, who con
trivei in so many little ways to imply
thougn he had not yet said it, that h,
loved her. She was over head anC
ears in love with him, never doubted