The Penn's Grove record., 1884-06-28
THE RIVALS.

$500
1t was young Count Linden's twenty
first birthday, and a grand fancy-ball
was being given in his honor at his IA
theirs country.house in Schloss Mar
burg, in Westphalia. The fine old man.
sion was a blaze of light, the scent of
flowers hung heavy in the air though it
was mid -winter, the music would have
inspired a hermit to dance. and the pOr-
traits of dead and gone Lindens looked
down from their frames upon as motley
a throng of fairies, demons, knights and
ladies as had ever assembled in the
lofty rooms. Among the cavaliers, every
one noticed Conrad Won RoseDhain, a
handsome young fellow of two-and-
twenty, straight and 1.-THE, who, in his
costume borrowed from the Court of
Louis XIV, attracted the brightest eyes
in the room. He wore a doublet of
purple velvet, lilac silk stockings, shoes
of white kid, a velvet cloak lined with
white satin, a plumed hat, and a jeweled
sword and, though he seemed uncon-
scious enough, the vain young fellow
was enjoying immensely the sensation
he made.
The fourth quadrille vas under way,
and Conrad, with a pretty little Asa
tan peasant as partner, was trying his
wit against hers, to the amusement of
all who overheard. But to the young
knights flow of repartee there came
presently a sudden chilling shock mid
way in the dance some n tapped him
on the shoulder and said, in a sepulchral
whisper
snake yourself scarce as o o as
possible !; you have a long rip in the
back of your stocking !"
The horror OF that moment was over
whelming for Conrad Won Rosenhaln-
he, the hero of the ball, changed to an
object of Tidicule, if any one were rude
enough to laugh If he had only an
overcoat or a shawl to hide himself I'M
der-anything rather than that foolish
little cloak hanging to one shoulder and
the slashed unmentionables stopping far
above his knees. His mirth vanished,
and thelittle Alsatlan girl looked piqued,
and shrugged her pretty shoulders be-
cause her last sally of wit fell upon IN.
needing ears. Her cavalier sneaked
through the remainder of the quadrille
more like a whipped hound being put
through a trick than a ga courtler, and
at its conclusion he vanished with the
briefest possible apology.
Raging at the t1lmsy products of all
modern looms, Won Rosenhain dashed
through the heavy silk portieres in search
of some n to restore order to his tot
let. 1t was a big rent, and he wondered
that the people in the ballroom re-
strained their merriment as well IS
they did. They were probably laugh
ing at him now, confound them A
man in livery told him that by going to
the end of a long corridor and pushing
open a certain door he would find one
of the lady's-maids, who would take
the necessary stitches in the unlucky
stocking.
Following the mans directions, Won
ROsenhain found himself at length in
a large dimly-lighted apartment, hung
at one end with half-drawn curtains,
through which a light cleaned. He
advanced quietly, and was about to
speak, when surprise at the tableau be-
fore him silenced him. The lovely girl
sitting with the light glinting on her
fair hair was no lady's-maid in her
light blue velvet dress, with soft old
AhAO dbONb bhO BCNh VII blCtftS, SUt
seemed more like a young princess.
Nor were her surroundings out of keep
ing with her appearance. The walls of
the little boudoir were hung with pink
ish Powered silk, rare Turkish mats
covered the polished floor, there were
neutrality-suspicious. dlvans, and the
low chair in which the girl sat was a
quaint fancy in leopard skin, with silver
claws for feet. She looked not more
than sixteen, or perhaps younger, and
the face bending over a mass of embroi.
dery-silks on the table at her side was
the lovehest Conrad had ever seen.
81 have mistaken the ROOM" he said
to himself, land had better take N.Y.
self off as quietly as possible"
But, as he turned, he slipped and
nearly fell. and the girl startled looked
up frightened.
"Pray do not be alarmed, +" said Con-
rad, advancing. 81 was sent in search
OF a maid who would mend a rent in
my dress but l must have mistaken
the mans directions"
"No, there is no mIstake-I sent my
maid to bed half an hour ago, as she
had a bad headache. Perhaps l could
remedy the defect in your dress,' the
girl returned, with a charming smile.
''Oh, no i; not for worlds would Itrou-
Bile you'll l will go in search Of some
one else" said Conrad, with something
like a blush.
But the pretty little fairy would not
hear Of his going, and, almost before he
realized what she was doing, she had
threaded a needle with a bit of lilac
silk and had dropped upon her knees
before him on the VOLTS skin upon
which he stood. Deity and quickly