The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-10-23

housekeeping as her opposite gentle
man was that both Of his feet were
turned directly inward, as he wovet the
intricate masses of the dance.
Cecil's partner regarded her curious
ly through the Sits in his mask, then
drew himself together as if offended.
Yet she heard him laugh.
She felt her face grow red beneath
her disguise. She always had the
faculty of offending Mr.. Proportion,
and nov she vaguely wondered why
he did not recognize her; bat he failed
to do so; and when the dance came to
an end, and she lost sight of the Prus.
sian officer, whom she thought no
doubt had gone in search of a partner
whose knowledge of gaily-tinted fab
RIGS was more complete than her own.
She again came upon her Uncle Pat
tington sitting among the spectators
with Aunt Maria beside him, who was
tanning her heated face vigorously.
Cecil moved away. How angry she
would be she thought if she knew that
her young niece whom she had been
wont to regard with cold Indifference
was there not fifty rods away from her
and decked in expensive lace and dia-
monds, and that very niece was happy,
ali, SO happy. While she stood think
ing it all over again the band struck
up a waltz. She adored waltzing; to
her eager, restless feet The quadrille
seemed slow and dragging.
Was there no one to ask her to Join
in this dancep How few there would
be before the hour arrived for her de-
parture.
There is but one dance following
this waltz before unmasking," the
Prussian officer said, appearing sud
denly from the midst Of the crowd.
do you waltz? If so, can | claim you
for my partner?"
If this was to be the last waltz be-
fore the removal of the masks, it was
certainly her last; and even to dance
it with MIR. Pepperton would be pre-.
fcrablc to sitting it II But for u mo-
ment Cecil hesitatcd in uncertainty.
The man beside her suing for the
dance she felt was scanning her close
ly as if endeavoring to penetrate the
o%paqueness of her mask. What if she
should be recognized at the last mo-
ment, she thought. She drew back.
"Not ii you try to discover my ident.
ity." Cecil said, Il little coldly.
The Prlssian officer laughed. "4Well
| promise you that l will cease my i'm
performance if you will not deny me
this dance and we will leave the un.
ravelling OF the mystery to time"
docs that always clear up myste.
RESP" Cecil asked, as they whirled off.
Time is never so brief rs when some
pleasure, whose intensity exists in its
novelty, absorbs the mind of the par.
ticipant, and Cecil felt u pang of re.
greet as the sound of the three strokes
Of the quarter to midnight came tt
her. She must leave this elysium OF
bliss too soon. Did Cinderella fee
keenly the sorrow when she fed from
the palace at the midnight Ginning
Cecil wondered, and she sighed at the
briefness of the hour.
II have but II more favor to ask. :
CeciI's pardner said, as the music
came to a sudden stop, and the waltz
ers sought their seats or promenade
down the long hall.
"What is that:9' she asked, as they
followed the promenaders. There was
u Ing VI AClIltucuU III ucI uiGIltltt
wheezy voice, for she was so intensely
happy that she had forgotten her role
"That | may have the first dane,
after the masks have been removed"
And that is but one after the next
Cecil said, in u tone of regret II will
not say yes, for Il promise neye mad,
is better than a promise broken.
may, like Cinderella, be obliged to fl,
from all this when the clock strike
IL, but should we chance to NEE
again, | will give you tho liberty o
exacting it from me. She laughed
little maliciously as she spoke whe,
she thought of Mr.. Pepperton's futile
search for her through the crowd.
As they neared one of the doors tina
led into the wide hall they met man,
of the dancers with their masks re
moved, and Cecil experienced a thrill
of surprise, even agitation, upon com
ing suddenly face to face with he
cousin Alice leaning upon the arm 0
Mr.. Pepperton, her. Cecil's, much de
spised admirer. ~Involuntarily sh
turned to look at her partner. "NNh'
was he? Not Pepperton. not Profess
or Megs, for he "a short of stature
scarcely reaching her shoulders. Lit
tie as Cecil possessed. she would hay
willingly given all to see the face o
her companion who was either sui
prisingly like MI. Pepperton in bot
voice and manner or had studded &C
curately his pecuiiarities.
Five minutes later she had escape
to the dressing-room. She must &C
10 remain longer would he ut the ris
of being recognized. Cecil remove
her mask and with trembling finger
threw the thin, white shawl over he
head, but as she did so she discovere
that one of the blossoms upon the pret
ious spray was missing. Yet where i
that surging crowd could she seek i
and even should she find it, it woul
be only to behold it crushed and tori
and the diamond gone. Suddenly
and without warning, Cecil burst int
tears. Her carelessness would be tn
only reward for her Aunt Aphrodite
goodness; but the people were begit
ming to crowd into the room, and sl
dared not linger TO reflect over til
unhappy termination of the pleasur
which had caused her Sc much brigl
anticipation.
She turned and ran quickly dow
the stairs into the dark street, whe1
the light of the carriage lamps mad
| the gloom wen more apparent. BIZ
John, faithful to his promise, thel
standing patiently upon the pavemen
and beating his arms to and fro in til
cold. But Cecil was in the c~arriae
, almost before he mad become aware {
her movements, dreaming over I'll
realization of that ong-wished-for hal
piness, and weeping over the loss of tt
flower, at the same time wonderin
!. about the littleP russian officer, a lit
uneasily, perhaps, who had SO persis
emily followed her during the %evenin,
: II really had a terrible dream la
night, Cecil" said Aunt Aphrodite u