Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-01
THE

There was a great dinner party al
Brandon Hall, which was to be followed
by a ball the next night. Numerous
guests had arrived to share in these fes.
t~ivities, and among these was q very
pretty girl named Florence MolyneuS.
She found herself consigned to the care
of q very good-looking young man,
whom Lady Brandon had introduced to
her as Captain Chichester. When they
had taken their places at the dinner
table, which glittered with crystal and
was %tastefully decorated with wreaths
of flowers, she ventured a remark:
GLOW pretty all this is! never saw
anything like it before. The flowers
arc laid in wreaths upon the table-cloth
and [ see ONE of my old country
friends, wild flowers and ferns. I am
afraid they must feel very awkward"
ooh, no." said Captain Chichester,
smiling, '.itis very pleasant to be ad-
mired and thought pretty. Do you not
find it SO? 1 believe this is your first
dinner party, is it not?"
"How do you know?" inquired Flor
ence, a%nxiously. cam 1 very awkward?
Have l done anything wrong?"
.Not at ALL" laughed Captain Chi
chester. Lady Brandon told me, so l
thought you would know how the flow
ers felt"
''But that is quite different Flowers
can't do wrong, and besides they will
be all dead tomorrow; they will pay for
their pleasure"
Il am afraid you will find pleasure
and pain go hand in hand" said Cap
tain Chichester, looking at her pretty,
blushing face.
What pain shall I have to bear?"
she asked; everything is delightful;
and the ball tomorrow. I have never
been at a ball" At this moment her
next neighbor awkwardly upset a glass
of champagne into her lap. Florence
uttered an exclamation of dismay.
81 feel quite guilty" said Captain
Chichester; 81 am a prophet of i'll.
Here is trouble already; let me help
you. Is your dress quite spoilt?"
ooh, thank you!" cried Florence; ''it
is no matter. Yes, it does matter.
though, for this was the dress I was to
wear tomorrow night"
''But what will you do?"
"Well, l have an old black dress, not
nearly as nice as this, but it must do"
"But could you not put in a pieee?"
said Captain Chichester. s'What is the
stuff called-calico?"
'Oh, no-tarlatan," said Florence,
laughing.
''But if you spoke to Lady Brandon,
she would get you some"
"Oh, non besought Florence. '.Pray
say nothing about it."
II must say you bear your pain hero
ically," said Captain Chichester; "and
o l have the pain of telling you
Lady Brandon is bowling to you, and
you must 60"
Florence ran upstairs and changed
her dress, making as little as she could
of her misfortune; but as soon as she
had left the room she became the sub
ject of discussion among the other Ia
dies, Miss Jane Morris, a sour-faced,
plain, and not very attractive young.
lady leading the attack.
$50 that is Miss Molyneux," she said,
addressing Miss Brandon. "My dear
Ada, l thought you said she was pretty?
Why. she is not good looking, and she
is such a tlirt, and so very forwards
she not, Jane? If you only heard the
way she went on with Captain Chichcs-
ter! Shenever let him say a word to me.
Once he tried, but she instantly upset a
glass Of wine into her lap, and such a
fuss as she made about it! I heard her
telling him she had no other dress to
wear at the ball"
.Oh, I am so sorry" said Ada. 81
must go and see what can do for her"
"You need not trouble yourself. De-
pend upon it, that young lady a take