Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-05
An AMATEUR PAPER.

IN AMATEUR PAPER.
-.n By ). :. HUNTER- ..a a
It was the last ball Of the season To-
morrow the sombre door Of Lsnt would
close and shut out all the sayety and fair
devotees would bewail their manifold sins
and wickedness, which tonight, amid the
lights and music. flowers and firtations,
rested lightly upon their countenance8 To
be sure, there was here and there . heart
ache buekled down under satin and lace,
here and there q sigh, smothered by smiling
red lips. The music Of the orchestra
throbbed on in q low undercurrent OF
melody. Or crashing with fierce passion
drowned the voices that . n hushed In
it's softer strains. The waved floors were
like glass beneath the light feet OF the dan
GERS and the supper room an epicurean de-
light to the less risky.
Mrs. Algernon Kesterson was famous Tor
the elegance Of her Gathering. The very
the beartbeats Of the beauty mi manli-
ness assembled at her receptions.
Alas, that the trail Of the serpent should
some times be found in this earthly para
disc. Mrs. Kesterson's one weakness was
too partial love for her only son, who
wa sadly prone to stray into crooked but
~alluring paths and to cling with unfashion-
able ardor to the Philistines without the
gates to whom to whom he CHANGED to be-
coined attached. 1t had happened on one
or two Oc asions that yielding TO his en-
treaties a black sheep had been allowed to
e.ray in among the snow white lambs. to
the dreadful scandal OF the luttering en- 20.
Many were the glances cast askance at q
tall handsome man, piloted with great care
by the youthful host through the frigid
zone Of chaperons to the more congenial
cline OF impressable maidens.
Ayoung couple were standing in the ball
room Ter the chandeli r. She, in a mar
velous dress, with a defiant look upon her
pretty face; he, with a dangerous light in
his eyes and a suspicious palor around the
mouth that kept the smile civilization de-
mands, although the savage dormant IN
every heart) was f1ourishing a tomahawk.
you must not dance with him, Nora. II
ask it as a particular favor" The young
mar discreetly changed his form OF address
after a glance at the stormy face.
but I've promised, Harry. Do you
wish me to break my word for q foolish
whim of yours?" she said.
Matters were growing desperate; the tall
mar was drawing near.
"You shall not accept his attentions.
Nora, as your future husband, l forbid it."
The tall nan vas only a few steps away.
1.-THE woman who permits Allen Voc to
clasp her waist shall never be my wife,"
Harry had thrown the last shred of rea-
son to the winds in his anger, or he never
would have made such a mac speech to his
~hieh-spirited fancee.
"As you please, but l shall dance with
the gentleman to whom l have given my
word" and as the unconscious cause of
their first quarrel offered his arm Nora ac-
cepted it. With a bow to the inwardly
raging Harry, which was politely returned,
she moved away and was soon skimming
around the room. rather elated and a good
deal frightened at her daring deed.
The waltz was scarcely finished when her
mother appeared in the doorway, evidently
s~centing the danger from the supper-roOm,
where Nora nae seen her comfortably in
stalled a quarter OF al hour before. |,
"Elenora, come home at once" she ex-
claimed, in great agitation, taking no no.
tice OF Nora's attempted introduction.
time to prevent her hayward daughter
from giving her hand in adieu to her late
partner in the waltz, who bent over it in
mock devotion in plain view OF half
dozen gossiping dowagers, who looked or
in stony contempt.
"Elenora, are you mad?" asked her
mother with suppressed vehemence as they
turned Co seek the Hostess. Il
"Mercy, that can be the matter? Mann
ma never calls me 'Elenora' unless the case
is extremely serious" l.
Their adieus over. her mother led the way :
to the dressing room, her diamond dend- !
ants trembling like agitated dew-drops and .
her head very erect. The ride home was !
madea almost in silence. The mother feared
she might say too much il she began, and !
the daughter remembered with q little q
pang, how white and stern Harry's face .
was when he turned at the door for a last
look as she stood encircled by Allen :
Woods arm while they waited for the 3
measure. Z
Poor Harry! what a goose I was to :
insist upon dancing with that foolish
Wood" she thought. 'He does not keep
step very we'll anyway Harry must learn
though that he cannot control my actions
until"-with a smile and a bright flush
swallowed up by the da-kness-'until after
we ere married. Well make up tomorrow
snd III promise never to waltz with any.
one but him again." Ii
Instead Of the loving and forgiving Harry, t
the morrow brought a large package con- +
tanning all her letters and all the little love n
tokens she had ever bestowed upon that q
hot headed youth. Having no further q
use for them he returned them upon leav- o
ing the city," a curt note informed her. r.
In spite of her attempted indignation, q
Ne very spirit OF Ash. Wednesday took q
|, session OF her and reused to be put ~
away. 1t was no use to try to keep the N
lugubrious ook out OF her face, and she ii
bowed low over her Russian leather prayer n
book and penitentia ly declared that she K
had done those things which she ought not W
to have done. IC
The days dragged on, each the length oil ..
March winds clustered, and gray 81
skies wept, and all nature seemed in close r.
with the season. %,
20, dear" sighed Nora, one day, II b
wonder il life hereafter will be all Lent. G
DULY one week before happy Easter Day, IL
out l, how can / be happy without Harry e? m
believe 1 feel like a regular love.lorn
l will not be so weak and silly,
,ut if he would only come back and ask to
roam over Observation-Disclosures Inc much bl
'nduring mothers, M papa declaim Mari OF
Ind in the S.oated Grange" yt
She gathered up her embroidery silks and b.
for the sitting-room. tn
As she passed the old school-room door, 81,
ich was ajar, she saw her young brother, tn
he editor and publisher OF the Clarion of FL
an amateur paper OF immense bl
circulation (according to it's prospectus tn
lawed among a pile OF papers. She slipped dc
Iuietly in and o her seat before the old ma
Iesk, long since made. over to a younger tic
cion OF the house, now enjoying a pro- We
vacation. Her thoughts went back of
o the past and she reviewed the long line ba
4 teachers whose daily life she had helped
o make a burden. tn
"How positively brutal l was to poor wi
Hodge," she thought. Annette told pa
ne she was in black for her beau and an
it so ridiculous TO veal mourning un
,r a mere lover. All, me! how very much Oh
asier it is to hear peoples Affections than ali
is to bear our own. If anybody had told FIR
le then l should sit here 40 ~forlorn to-day sw
no
81 say, Nora, do come here and help me mt
lake this note out. HIwas Harry Osborn
d either take writing lesaona or hux