The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-08-30

they mlngle with the swaylng' crowd OF
dancers-eyes, some full of jealousy,
others of admiration; for Lady Charlton's
niece is by far the most beautiful girl in
the room.
"Have you heard Trellani, the new
prima donna, about whose Marguerite all
London is raving?" asks her partner, as.
following the example of the other
dancers, they begin to stroll about one
of the Conservatives adjoining the ball
room.
"No, wanted so much to hear her,
and we intended doing SO; but when one
puts off thing, it is never done. We
start for Hamburg tomorrow"
so soon?" ne says. II had intended
asking Lady Charlton's permission to
call"
1--WE shall not start till late in the
afternoon, Mr.. Denzil; so if you"
But as her sentence was broken off by
some one coming to claim apromised
dance, Mr. Denzil finished it for himself
and did call the following day.
The first gray stroaks of dawn had al
ready appeared in the leaden sky, when
the guests began, one by one, to take
their departure.
Violet and Mr.. Denzil-for on him she
had bestowed her last dance-were lean
ing against the banniters in the hall,
talking and laughing.
He.has Just prophesied to her that ere
long her name will appear in the society
journals, and she is blushingly refuting
the idea.
"How ridiculousw she says, laughing.
"Wbat right would they have to use my
name? I'm not professional beauty"
raising her eyes to his mischievously.
She had slightly accented tie ''profes-
sional," and he took her up at once.
You don't disclaim the title without
its epithet, them"
"Mr. Denzil-".
But Lady Charlton's carriage stopped
the way and her retort.
Mr.. Denzil had the pleasure of helping
Miss Charlton and her aunt into 1t, and
of retaining a certain little gloved hand
in his own perhaps little longer than
was absolutely necessary.
When he called the following day at
the house in Belgrave Square, he learned
that Violet had persuaded Lady Charl-
ton to stay in town week longer.
Maybe he had something to do with it.
Who knows?
A few days later, when Violet had just
come in from drive, she found paper
addressed to herself among other letters.
She left it till last, thinking it circular,
probably, but on opening it, found it to
be one of the leading society journals.
She turned over few pages, never
dreaming of connecting it with the con-
versation of the other night, when sud
denly her eye caught a marked para.
graph and deep blush rose to her face
as she read "Je vous al dit written in
pencil on the margin, and then thus:
"The Duchess of Glanravons ball
took place on the 23d, and went off with
great eclat. The duchess always man
ages to secure pretty faces at her ball,
and Miss Charlton, a new beauty,
made quite a sensation. Her dress was
one of the prettiest in the room, we
thought, being composed of pale pink
satin, tastefully combined with"
And SO he had prophesied truly!
1t was autumn.
Three months had elapsed since the
Duchess Of Glanravon's ball.
Lady Charlton and Violet having
Just returned from Hamburg. where
they had passed q few weeks, we're once
more at home in the country house, sit
uated about twenty miles to the east of
the great metropolis.
Now, it 30 happened-by the merest
chance-that Mr.. Denzil had alsJ chosen
Hamburg in which to pass the same
weeks, and stranger still that he had
fixed upon the same hotel.
So Violet and he had renewed the &C.
quaintance commenced at the ball.
One oppressively hot day-too hot to
think of going out until evening-they
LADY Charlton. Violet and Mr.. Denzil)
were sitting in the drawing room at the
hotel.
Violet was reading, and the other two
were talking at the other end of the
room.
Violet had Just turned over another
page of her novel, when she heard Mr..
Denzil say to her aunt, II have Q con.
fession to make, Lady Charlton, II you
can-"
mot all the confessions in the world"
she thought, could interest her half so
much as the narrowing situation in which
the heroine Of the book WAS at that mo-
ment."
She read on; tho interest increased,
when the chapter came abruptly n .
close, and the next she found to her vex-
alton was upon quite . different sub
ject.
"You did mite RIGHT in deceivinU