The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-08

white flower. reposing somewhere in
the mazes of wavy black hair which
covered her head, which made her look
like some naiad or nymph, realized in
flesh and blood-and artificial flowers.
ssWhat a trial this is, DEAR" sighed
Angels.
"What?" inquired Grace"
Phillips going away. 1t is most'dis-
tressing. Nothing but q sense of duty
the very strongest sense of duty
would have induced me to go to this
miserable ball. / Am sure l shall not
dance a bit," and she sighed heavily.
Grace struggled hard not to say some
sharp bitter things, as she was con-
stantly tempted to do when with Angela.
The remembrance of that dear face
which she had kissed in farewell not an
hour ago, and that alone. held in her
desire to be sarcastic. even sardonic, in
her replies. and she said:
Eyes; l don't expect any pleasure
from it. l must say, and in my judy
ment it would have been better not to
go. But 1 could not refuse Philips
last request"
Il wish it had been in my power to
stay away."' sighed Angela; ''but it
would have looked SO very marked, you
know"
II thought you and my brother were
% definitely engaged. He told me
So" said Grace.
1--WE are, but not publicly. 1t would
have been more than | could bear, to be
openly engaged to him, and he gone
away, for no one knows how lOng!"
Grace's rage could no longer be en-
tirely repressed.
"You must lave a very sensitive
nature" said she, in honeyed accents.
.'Oh, very!" assented Angela.
but to my mind" went on the
downright Grace. eff 1 loved a man
enough to marry him, there is nothing
that 1 should like better than to have it
known that 1 vas engaged to him. |
should be proud of it, and l should
glory in it."
"Oh, my dear Grace. how shocking!
You are SO young, dear, you really don't
know what you are saying"
Grace laughed shortly and bitterly,
and remarked:
"Do YOU mean that / have not rad as
much experience as you on tn subject?
l have never had any, allow me to tell
you, except that l agreed to marry one
of Philips schooi-fellOws when he was
ten and l was zine. But l see we shall
never agree upon the subject, so we had
better let il drop"
Nothing 10th. Angela complied with
the suggestion. and the rest OF the jour
new was pursued in unbrOken silence.
They had scarcely entered the. dress
ing-room at Mr.. Starkie's before the
B~erghauses also arrived; Thekla and
her mother. the former looking rather
pale, hpt with a certain deeper light
than usual in her blue eyes. Grace flew
to her, and began to explain the case,
in a series of low, but energetic whis-
pers; while Angela. daintily arranging
her very elegant and very artistic dress,
discoursed aside so Mrs. BerghaEs in q
discreet undertOne.
"Mr. Philip Massey has been sudden
ly called away; he has gone to China, /
believe; so he could not bring us, and
of course Grace was SO busy seeing him
off and talking to him that l offered to
write to you in her place"
"Ah, yes,' said the unsuspecting
Mrs. Berghaus, arranging her cap be-
fore the glass. 81 only wonder that
Grace would come without HIM: she is
so very devoted to HIM"
"He made a point o: her doing so,
and she did not like to refuse him. 1t
is very good of you to chape-On so many
girls. Four ladies. and only Mr.. Herr
mann Berghaus to escort u.s."
"And MIR. Fordyce: he came with u.s."
said Mrs. Berghaus, sticking a pin into
her cap, and c~ontentedly surveying the
effect. $50 we have two gentlemen"
mir. Fordyce. Indeedr' said Angela,
in some surprise, as she and the Others
followed Mrs. Berghaus down stairs.
In the hall they found Hermann and
Mr.. Fordyce, the latter looking stiff,
and with a heightened color in his
cheeks.
What a funny little man he is!'
murmured 6race to Thekla.
Isn't he? think he is m ttcn w tn
you, Grace. He had not intended COM
Jag. but when mamma casn1il, men
toned that you AID Philip and angela
Fair TX Were comm. ha immci.at "
testified the greatest d.,.r, to Join US.
We had q good laugh about it"
In the meantime Mr.. Fordyce, look
ing exceedingly pink. had offered his
arm to Miss Fairfax, and she. with her
sweetest smile, had accepted it. leaving
Hermann to escort his mother. and
Grace and Thekla to come after them
alone.
"Smitten with me, Thekla!" whis-
pered Grace, with a short laugh, Is they
entered the ballroom.
Grace did not have a pleasant even
ing. She was angry, veXed and j~ealovs
for her brother, and, refusing almost
every dance except n OF two with
Hermann Berghaus. remained a volun-
tary wall-fower, and looked with jaun-
diced eyes on the proceedings of Philips
fa1cee.
Whatever the effort might cost the
bleeding heart of Miss Fairfax, it is
very certain that she made a gallant at
tempt to appear to enjoy the ball, and
it like most p~ra:sewOrthy attempts,
rewarded with a fair mOdicum of sue
cess. While Grace sat glooming at one
side, while Thekla Berghaus danced
for what could Philip Massey's depart
ure to China. or anywhere else, be to
her?--but danced mechanically, and had
nothing but sharp things 10 say to her