Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-01-18
The Stary Teller.
EIGHTEEN-:YEARS AGO.
A BEAUTIFUL STORY.

The cloak-room was clearing fast, and the
pile Of shawls and wraps attested to the fact
that the majority of the company had arrived.
The shire Hunt ball, twenty years ago,
began early. Being the great event of the
year to many of the sober country people, they
made point of arriving at the very beginning
and staying to the end. The music had been
sounding merrily for some time, when two la
dies came in, evidently mother and daughter
the one middle aged, calm and sedate; the
other, young, eager and excited. The latter
flung off her cloak, gave hasty glance at the
glass, and stood quiyering with impatience,
while her mother leisurely divested herself OF
her wraps and arranged her cap.
Come along, mother darling" the girl said
at last. ''Your cap is all right, and you look
lovely. We are SO late. Poor papa will be
quite tired of waiting
sPoor papa" said the mother, drily; 'he
must be in dreadful idget, and all the young
ladies should be engaged, and there be no part
ners left for him." ...
The girl blushed and laughed.
"Never mind, Florrie; if anybody wants to
dance with you, they will manage it some
how.''
Florrie blushed again, while smile OF the
most perfect content broke over her face. 1t
was fair young face, pretty, not with any
wonderful beauty, but with freshness, inno-
cence and sweet temper a face that weary pa
terfamilias, yawning in doorways, would COM
ment upon with appreciation that jealous
mothers would not pick to pieces, and that
daughters would admire without envy.
They found ''poor papa" warmly discussing
some magisterial difficulty with country
neighbor, and bearing this enforced delay OF
his entrance to the ball room with perfect
euuanimity. How Florrie's eyes roved around
as they entered; how absently she responded
to the greetings of various friends! Even the
gentlemen who solicited the favor of dance
received but half her attention. She was only
seventeen and had not yet learned the art or
the necessity of concealng her feelings. Eve
nv emotion wrote itself in clear letters on the
childish face. Up and down the room her
gray eyes wandered as she stood by her father,
eagerly scanning the groups of dancers, and
then sudden light broke into them, rush of
color into her cheeks, as a young man detached
himself from knot of relocated sportsmen
and approached her. With what a radiant
smile She greeted him! Her mother noted it
and sighed sour maid of forty seeing it,
sighed too, and said to herself, "What flirt
that girl is =, but even while saying it she
knew that she was unjust. The young man
did not sigh. He smiled a smile almost as IA
diant as Florrie's own-almost, not quite.
'Oh! Miss Darley," he began, II thought
you were never coming"
II thought we never were," she replied
naively; "but we are here now," she added,
in tone of extreme satisfaction.
Eyes, you are here nOw," he said, land you
will stay here to the end, and give me a great
many dances. Wouldn't you like some tea ?"
%Of course she would like some tea, and as
she was going to dance the next waltz with
him, it was hardly worth while to return to
her mother for the few intervening moments
Florrie was no tlirt, but she was only just
ont, had seen nothing of the world, and had
never stirred from under her mothers wing.
What wonder that she was completely captl-
waited by this handsome young soldier, who
contrived in so many little ways TO IMPLY,
though he had not yet said it, that he loved
her. She was over head and ears in love with
him never doubted that he was ordained to
be her husband, and had the most perfect faith
in him. .
He was certainly very happy in her society,
and would willingly have sat by her side and
danced with her the whole night. But Florrie
had been well drilled on this point. She look
ed wistfully at her programme when he handed
it back to her half filled with his own name.
'sYou must scratch them all out but two
should like it, but musn't," she said SIM
ply.
A look came over his face that half charm
ed, half frightened her.
1.Ah - he began eagerly; and then checked
himself II should like it, but [ musnt," he
half added under his breath.
She looked at him wonderingly.
''Did you speak ?" she asked
'sNo, no there is the music. Come"
TO say that Florrie enjoyed the ball would
be to express it feebly. She was simply steep
ed in content. Whether she danced, or sat
unnoticed by her mothers side, she was pro
foundly happy. Then she had that second
dance to look forward to, and she resolutely
refused to 60 to the tea room till then, that
she might honestly want some refreshment at
ter it. Then followed another ten minutes, of
which each moment was lifetime of bliss,
never to he forgotten.
AS they passed the ball room they passed
girl coming out who had already attracted
Mr. Peyton's attention by her extreme beau
ty-her dazzling complexion, her masses OF
golden hair, and her big blue eyes. She was
leaning on the arm of miserable looking lit
tie man, who had been heading the train OF
her admirers the whole evening, and who did
not appear, judging from his countenance, to
have derived much comfort from the amuse-
ment. The young lady stopped Florrie, say
ing:
"Well, Florrie, are you enjoying yourself :?
l have tried vainly to catch your eye the whole
evening, but you have been so occupied that
you would not look at me-"
There was an undercurrent of sarcasm in the
tone which was quite lost on FlOrrie, who re-
piled enthusiastically
II am enjoying myself immensely"
The beauty smiled and passed on, giving
Mr.. Peyton a glance from under her long
lashes that kept him silent till they got back
to Mrs. barley. -.-,.
''Who is that young lady ?' he asked.
''She is a Miss Talbot" Florrie said. ''ls
she not pretty %
Over her, too, had come vague indefnable
sensation of something, she could not tell
what, that Jared upon her.
A few minutes after Mr.. Peyton had moved
away Alice Talbot came up, and, dismissing
her disconsolate partner with careless nod,
'Dear Mrs. barley, may sit by you Pa
pa is always in the middle of group of gen-
tlemen, and never can get near him. Mrs.
Darley cordially assented, not without little
wonder, for Miss Talbot was accustomed to go
about alone with her father, and did not usual
ly appear to feel the want of a lady chaperon.
"Who was your last partner, Florrie," Alice
inquired.
''Mr. Peyton," said Florrie.
sMr Peyton," Alice repeated. ooh, of
course-I know. He is one of the officers Of
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