The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-05-22

+ You're sure you've got the key
Ito let yourself in, miss7 said she
the last thing.
oh, yes, it's all safe in my dress
pocket said Zaidoe.
Muggs trudged back through the
! snow, thinking Of the long gone by
days when she was seventeen
and Zaldee Wilde went to The
ball.
Oh the lights, the roses, the be.
wildering beauty Of the scene. To
accustomed ball-goers, it was the
same tedious story, over and over
again-the same Blue Danube and
Thousand and One Nights'-the
same decorative plants from the
nearest florists, the same artificial
smiles and warm faces bedeeked
anew in rouge and yeloute and pearl
powders. But to Zaidee it was like
the Arabian Nights, suddenly gal.
vanised into life, a dream of bean.
ty and enchantment. OF course
she knew nobody there but the
Battersbys her grandmother had
kept her shut up in den too close
for that-but partners came eager
| ly to beg for introductions and old
Colonel Battersby found himself a
more popular character than he
had been for years, in virtue OF
1.-THE pretty young debma'ae, who
came. in the train Of his old maid
daughters.
BY jove,' said the old Colonel.
i didn't know that Zaidee was SO
pretty before !
Nor had Zaidee known it herself.
She could secretly recognize her
own face as they passed in front
of full length mirror, so trans.
formed was it in the sight of girlish
happiness and exultation. She
looked like some white.robed prin.
cess with the heecy white draperies
floating around her like a cloud, the
roses in her belt, and necklace of
pearls encircling her white swan.
like throat.
Grandma Wildes pearls! For
in her infatuation, Zaidee had TAX
en- them from their case, and decked
her neck and arms with their limpid
sparkle and hung their dead white
pendants in her ears, after she had
reached the crowded dressing room
at the hall. For it wouldn't do to
let even Muggs into this last piece
of audacity.
What would grandma say if she
knew it?' Zaidee asked herself, with
| varying color, and pulses that beat
q degree faster at the idea.
It was almost -daydreak before
they reached home, and Zaidee let
herself into the little ivy:draped
| door in the round tower with her
key, and crept shivering up the
| winding stairs to her own room.
4 hope the FIRE hasn't got out
she said, to herself, for my feet are
as cold as stones, and / do believe
my bones are frozen stiff! ~ ~
To her infinite delight the room
was all respIendents with fire-light
when she came into it like Cinderel
Ia returning from the Princes Ball
=and there sat 4aggs rocking her
self back and fort.l before the fire
oh, Miss Zaidre! Oh, Miss Zai
dee,l she cried. I thought you
never would CONS home. You're
to. 20 to Mrs. Wide at once. She's
waiting for you.
-Zaidee stool still in sort of
trance of horror.
'Muggs, You don't mean. that
that she knows!' faltered she.
oh, bless You, no my dear!' said
4 Mrs. Muggs, tugging away at the
white gown. Get those things of
as quick as ever you can. Missis
has sent for you. Hurry on your
pink merino dressing-gown. We've
had terrible trouble since you
went away!
Zaidee looked around her with o
bewildered air.
The house certainly is not burn
ed down, said she. And if grand
ma wants me to come to her, she
certainly can't be dying nor dead.
1T amt that, croaked Muggs
'It's-burglars! We've been rob
| bed!'
sOh, Muggs = cried Zaidee, con
science-stricken-snot through the
ivy-door that | left unbolted. Be
cause it was locked!'
No, miss, no. said Mrs. Muggs
Thank Providence that there door
wasn't come near! It's a deal toe
close to the stables where Thomas
sleeps with revolver! 1t was the
laundry window they came through
miss, where pane Of glass was cut
out, just as neat as it was sheet
O paper and q scissors. and the
bolt drawed and every bit of the
old crested silver taken and missis'
diamonds, and-I don't know what
all And we never knew nothing
till Betsy came down with the tooth
ache to get her peppermint bottle
off the kitchen dresser, and found
things laying around, and the wind
blowing through the open window
enough to take the house off its
foundations!'
sAnd the thieves, Muggs?' gasp
ed the girl.
oh they're far enough away, I'll
| ro ho;1, rrooDod NTrc Muprc