The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-22

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last arrangements in his usual pompoui
way, when the name Of the first arrival
was bswled on the stairs. It was q timid
young guArdsman, in pale blue and silver,
who was obviously terrified at finding
himself alone with the hostess at the door
Of the empty ball room, with It's shining
floor and bare walls. He was followed by
3 dapper young man from the Foreign
Office, who looked more at ease in his
court dress and white wig, and when by
Lord Cecil Fitzroy, a hopeful youth who
was last running himself on the turt.
BY IL o'clock the hostess was surround
ed by ct least thirty dancing men, but
not 4 lady wa to he seen in the room.
Lady Langley's pretty smile began to
grow hard and mechanical, Horrible
Eorebodings seized her. What could it
mean? Where were all the lovely girls
and dancing matrons she had hidden to
the ball.
"DoOsid rum sort OF slow. Don't abe
know any women2" lispsd Lord Cecil to
the Guardsman. "CIn't stand any more
of thisl Won't some Of you sportsmen
come round to my diggings, and have q
b.and-S2 Pm off,"
With this his lordahip slipped down
stairs, and was reioined by other orna.
mental youths,
1t was only 1850, and some Of the men
were going. AS she stood vt her post on
the landing, Lady Langley could hear her
guests asking for their and the foot
men whistliug shrilly for hausons,
Presently her hopes revived, as she
heard the rustic OF feminine skirts, and
beheld some deliberately dressed heads
ascending the STAIRCASE. HurTying for.
ward with eager ~politenees, she confronted
old Lady FrumptOn and her two scraggy
daughters. Good heaVensl were these
acid young virgins, with their angular
shoulders and iTeckles, to be the only
specimens Of female charms at tho much
diacrssed beauty show! Where was the
lovely Lady hilda Graham, and where
we're the two Tyrrell giTls-the twins who
had made such a sensation last season?
Above all, where was the y American,
the sylphlike Mamie p. Mappih, who
had, indeed, been the bait employed to
lure royalty to Park Lane?
And still more young men anne drlb.
bling in, casting q polite glance round the
empty rooms, and then retiring into dis
taut corners to discuss the ssltuation.
Az II o'clock, when royalty arrived, all
that Lady Langley had to offer In the wa
OF feminine charms consisted OF Lady
Erumpton and her two angular olive
branches, three or four equally ~uuintor.
esting girls aud q somewhat "done.up"
dancing matron Of uncertain age who ar
rived very late, and brought two men
with her,
One or two melancholy valses were
danced, in which the few available women
figured, with an audience consisting OF old
Lady Frumplon, who sat munbling to
FREDDY birmingham OF the futility OF
Hebrew attempting to entertain" and OF
q small crowd Of deieCted.lookilg young
men with white wigs, who stood about the
doors and staircase waiting for the women
to come. But no powdered or travested
beauties found their way up the stairs.
Such q night Of horror Lady Langley had
never passed. The dance was q ghastly
failure. Where, in heavens name, were
all her lady guests? She knew 1t would
be the talk OF the town-that odious Fred
dy birmingham was already composing
happant paragraphs in which TO chronicle
ner disgrace in the weekly journals. With
all her assurance, Lady Langley had AZ
heart the dltidsnce OF the pavenue, who is
never quite sure Of her poaltion. Why,
her ball poudre would make u good
story" with variations) for every dinner
table for the next week
II was impossible to have the cotillion.
So, in despair, Lady Langley opened her
supper room doors, and let her young men
feed, il they could not dance.
Next day the unfortunate hostess was
PROSTATE on her sofa, A card was brought
up, and she glanced at the bit OF paste.
board in a bewlldered way. LADY Hilda
Graham. With kind inquiries"
What did 1t mean2 A lew minntes more
and another card was brought tip. "Mrs.
Bsyington Tyrrell, The Misses Tyrrell
10 inquire" We're all the people mad 7
These were her truant guests OF last night
Why, In heavens name should they come
next day with kind inquiries'?
Lady Langley was still more bewildered
when a little note was handed to her.
"Dear Lady Langley" Qt ran(, II was
real mad when ! got your wire yesterday
to say you had scarlet fever in your house,
and that your dance was put of. had
ordered my gown from Pingat, and l eH
peCted 10 have q lovely time. Hopingthe
the illness is not serious, believe me very
sincerely yours, "MAMIE P. MARLIN"
Lady Langley sprang to her feet. The
whole thing was q plot. Some malicious
person must have sent kilograms to all
her principal lady guests
II was some hours before she suspected
whose hand had dealt her this blow In the
dark, aud It was not until after a long aud
Cautious Cross.examinatton OF Freddy Jer.
ningham that the injured hostess arrived
at q clue. Procuring II OF the kilograms,
she drove to the office from which it was
sent, an office in a remote port OF Btomp.
ton. There she learned that a lady, stout,
dark and thiCkly yelled, had come In .
four. wheeled cab the day before, and had
sent over Fifty kilograms.
II was RsbeCca-Rebecca, whom Lady
Langley had feared would itsp6ir' her
smart party, and who had spoiled her
party, indeed.