The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-05-15

bled family how she had crossed
the bridge in company with a
strange gentleman, there was a gen
eral uplifting of eyebrows and
struggling of shoulders, though no
one was very much surprised.
Kate Selby had all the independ-
ent spirit of her age, sex and nativi-
ty, and rather enjoyed defying the
proprieties when it could be done
with moderate safety.
Perhaps it was this independent
spirit that made her adopt such an
unusual plan for getting into the
house of Mrs. Douglas on the night
of the fancy dress party, few even
ing later.
This party had been the talk Of
society for weeks. 1t was expected
to be something unusual in its gath
ering of well known people, not on
ly in society per SC, but in the pro-
fessions of medicine, law, literature,
music and art.
The costumes were to embrace
every known covering for the hui
man form, and the whole affair was
to be an event to be remembered.
The Douglas and Selby resi-
dences were each surrounded by a
large lawn, divided only by an i'm
aginary boundary line.
Miss Selby had chosen for the
party a simple country girls COS
tune, and very pretty she looked as
she stood in the parlor showing her
self to her father, whose tiresome,
wounded foot, reminder of Gettys-
burg, would not allow him to go
out tonight.
A light calico, with a white apron
and pin k ribbons and bo and a
small basket in her hand, made
Kate Selby as sweet picture, a Ia
Watteau, as ever met the gaze of a
connoisseur.
Five minutes later, Kate Selby
was standing in a small grove at the
side of the Douglas mansion. watch
ing the dancers fitting past the
long windows reaching to the
ground.
She could see nearly all over the
room from where she stood.
All were masked, and as they
moved in rhythmicol cadence tC
the music of the orchestra, Kate fell
that creepy sensation which the
sight of two score people with hid
den faces, but piercing eyes, so otter
produces.
She turned quickly and-looket
into the face of red-bearded, dirty
faced man, with black eye and {
livid scar across his cheek, which
did not improve his naturally re
pulsive appearance.
The man was intoxicated. Kat
saw that at glance.
She stepped to one side, with al
indignant flash from her gray eyes
at the fellows insolence in looking
at her at all, and was about to rur
toward the side door, when he plac
ed himself directly in her path.
"No' so fas'-hic-my dear.
wan shome ze funsh-hic-an' In
goin' to dansh wiz you"
Heavens | there was another one
) A bundle of rags, whose shining
black face and close wool showed it
, Ethiopian descent, made its appear
ance from behind a large tree anC
grinned silent approval at the othe
remark.
Kate could still see through tn,
the trees the dancers passing tn,
window.
She opened her mouth to scream
but before she could utter sount
the red-bearded man put his hanC
Significantly behind him as he said
"Scream and I'll shootsh yer"
This was awful.
The red-bearded man grasped he
hand and pulled her toward him.
Then-she never could tell how
happened-the red-bearded man fel
flat on his back.
At the same moment the who'll
scene seemed to be pervaded with
mountainous expanse of BROW
woolen, rope girdle, and tight-clinch
, ed white fist.
PAX vobiscum !" said a voic
she thought she had heard before
as the brown woolen, rope girdlC
: and white fist resolved themselve
into a Bapuchin friar, standing
r threateningly over the red-bearde,
man and uttering the pious benedic
ton with a heartiness that mus
have been very soothing to tn
drunken ruflian at his feet.
e The friars large, pointed hoo'
had fallen back, revealing a bronze
q face, with a brown beard, and tw
hlnn owes that hlnznd in thn lirL