Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-12-28
Gales a1to Sketfkts.
IN 4 BALL ROOM.
Confined from yesterdsy.l

II shall zee you Tuesday at the Gray's.'
he said. Is they stood waiting for the
carriage, looking down with more tender
ness than he perhaps knew into the flush
ed happy face.
It Frightened If that was possible.
''But ! thought you said you was on
duty that day 81
an get off somehow. would risk a
courtmartial sooner than miss seeing
YOU"
THAT would be wrong" she said grave
", with her earnest eyes fixed on his face
II hope you would not neglect your duty
on any consideration. / am sure you
would not" she added, in tone of deep
conviction.
II never will after that" he said in a
very low voice.
.sDo you know that this dance has begun
ever so long ago." she said presently.
and know that you are engaged to Miss
Talbot for it,
.'Oh, Miss Talbot is so inundated with
partners that am sure she won't have
waited for me-" he replied carelessly.
Nevertheless. he found that she had waited
for him. though there were several gen.
tlemen ready to supply his place.
When he apologized she gave him a
brilliant smile. and said she quite under
stood, and forgave him.
Meantime the Darleys drove home.
The moon shoDe down on the father dOz-
ing in his corner; on the mother. silent,
with many anxious hopes and fears re-
garding her darling; and on that darling.
sitting upright, and wide awake. and
gazing into the clear frosty sky, and muir
muring over and over again to herself,
II am so happy. am so happy
Il was six months later, one hot night
in June, that Florerce barley followed
her mother into another ballroom. Only
six months But great deal of expert
ence can be gained in that time, and
Florrie had acquired rather more than
her share.
An indescribable change had come over
her whole face and manner. Something
of her sweet freshness and happy content
were gone. A touch of restlessness, even
fretfuiness, had taken their place. She
was as profoundly Indifferent to most of
her acquaintances as she had been on a
former occasion, but she made an effort
to conceal it. and when she looked round
the room it was with hasty. furtive glances.
No one rushed eagerly up 10 her now
to express delight at her arrival, and to
claim half dozen dances. But Florrie
had not been in the room minute before
she knew that Mr.. Peyton was there. He
was standing by Alice Talbot, who was
looking more brilliant aad beautiful tn an
usual, and was bestowing her brightest
smile and all her power of fascination
upon him. With miserable, bitter hu-
mility Florrle owned that it was no won
der he had neither eyes nor ears for any
one else. But the acknowledgement did
not not make it less hard to bear.
''She has so mauy admirers she might
have left him alone" said the poor little
thing to herself But she held herself
bravely to outward appearance. A hun
bred times she checked herself in the act
of letting her eye wander in search OF
him. She laughed and talked so gaily
that one of her partners remarked after
wards that .he never knew Miss barley
had 80 much fun in her." Once. when
he and Alice passed close to her, she was
apparently so interested in her converse
ton that she did not seem to see them.
She might have spared herself that small
piece of hypocricy. for by him it passed
unnoticed and only brought a smile OF
derision to Alice's face. Florrie, herself
spent the rest If the night in regretting it.
For, after all, smile or bow from him
would have been better than nothing.
Mrs. barley looked anxiously into the
girls pale face and eyes that had so deer
look of pain in them, though the lips
smiled so necessarily.
! II think, my darling" she said at last
that it is time to 60"
at is quite early" Florrie said visit.
fully. She could not voluntarily give up
the last chance.
But the mother knew how vain it was
to wait, and that the sooner they went the
better il would be for Florric's peace.
II am tired, dear" she said gently
land it is later than you think"
Then Florrie acquiesced at once. 1t was
over, then, this evening that she hac
: looked forward to with such feverisf
hope and fear; and what had it brought
Only the establishment of the miserabl,
conviction that she had fought against fol
weeks past He was indeed lost TO her
Yet. with the Inconsistency of human ma
ture, she began at once to consider wher
and where she might have another oppor
tunity of seeing him. She thought tina
even an occasional glimpse at his face. 1
word or smile, would satisfy her. Ant
she had it.
At the top of the stairs they met hin
and Alice.
Going already '' said the latter. gay
. ~. .sIlave you enjoyed yourself. Flor
RE ?"
'.very much,'' said Florrie. promptly
and was about to pass on, for her mother
was already at the foot Of the stairs, wher
MIR. Peyton checked her by saying. with ;
slight expression of uneasiness on hi
handsome face:
"I was sorry you were out when
called yesterday. l came to say good
bye. am off TO Southampton tomorrow
thence to India" Even Alice. who never
took her sparkling eyes off the sensitiv,
face, could not detect by the culver of {
muscle that this was the first intimatior
Florrie had had of the fact. She looked
with cool composure at the young man
~ she said, quietly:
al am very sorry we missed you"
Sand you will not stop and give me
one dance. J" he said.
II am afraid can't. Ny mother il
tired"
"Well. you must keep one for me a
the first ball We meet at on my return
from India"
s.Oh, certainly, if YOU are not eaten b,