The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-11-02

IL pair OF due eyes UfiaU
seemed to look from the mirrors
depths, first in wonder, then in pain
reproach, despair, and finally-yes
finally in scorn, scorn of the girl who
was about to make the most bril-
liant match of the eason
The gate fell together. Inga was
at last coming, and the noise ofvoices
told that she had brought with hel
her "man" Carl, who usually spent
his evenings in the Jennings kitchen.
Lou hastily unpinned the crimson
bows and threw them on the table.
Her cheeks seemed to have borrowed
the ribbons vivid color as she an.
swered the Swede's tap at the door
and eagerly extended her hand for
the little parcel the latter rendered.
Pm SO very much obliged, Inga."
"Yess."
"No matter about change. Keep
it for your trouble"
"Yess."
Lou had opened the package. Sud
denly, with an exclamation, she re-
treated to the gas jet to examine
what she held more closely.
"Why-why, this ribbon-this rib
bon is-yes, it is-it's green! Even
the stolid Swede recoiled a little be-
fore the indignant glance that ac-
companied the next words. GLOW
could you makesuch a mistaken"
Inga forgot her conventional re-
Spouse and stammered, "He hat say
blue"
She got no further in her speech.
Her young mistress-this case is
worthy of record as being the only
time Inga was ever astonished in her
life-the young mistress threw the
ribbon into the middle of the hall,
slammed the door in her face and
locked it. Then, careless of the lace
founces she was running and quite
Indifferent to the fact that the hands
of the clock were getting around to
eight, she threw herself on the bed
and gave way to a perfect tempest
of passionate tears.
She cried until she was completely
exhausted. And when Jeremy
thinking that patience had ceased to
be a virtue-came up and tapped at
the door, she was quite unpresent-
able and had to answer through the
key-hole, as it were. She said now
and then a telltale falter in her voice
that she had a dreadful headache,
that the lightning made her nervous,
and that, though she was very, very
sorry to disappoint him, she couldn't
go.
Jeremy was puzzled. The instead
mess of his sisters voice, and the
sight of the crumpled ribbon, which
he took to be a blue one, on the floor,
made him guess that something was
wrong; but in apparent good faith
he recommended tea, camphor,
ammonia, &C., and proposed to call
up Inga.
His sister peremtorily vetoed this.
81 shall just 60 to bed," she de-
clared through the door, "and you
mustn't lose any more time. You
can make my excuses toto any one
who inquiries"
ooh, hang excuses! There, I didn't
mean that; but youknow l hate par
ties. won't go at all. l shall be a
deal more comfortable at home"
Jeremy meant what he said. Lou
protested, entreated, insisted, quite
in vain. He preferred a cigar and a
novel to any kind of "rout," and
a SO frankly relieved at the pros
pect of a "cozy" evening at home
that the point was abandoned. AS
no service nor remedy that he could
think of was looked upon with favor,
Jeremy Invested himself of his fnery.
went down stairs, established himself
in an easy-chair in the sitting-room,
and strayed into the regions OF
romance.
Meanwhile Lou, whose headache
was no fiction, sat in the dark by her
chamber window, resting her throb-
bing temples on her arms crossed on
the sill. 1t was still oppressively hot.
The >scent of pinks and mignonette
came up from the little garden, min
gled with the faint odor of Jeremy's !
cigar. She could occasionally hear
the murmur of voices in the kitchen.
Happy Inga, who had only one lover!
Oh, let lovers and the future take
care ofthemselves! Miss Jennings was
tired to death OF the problem that
had vexed her all day. What was
the use of thinking about it? Both
young men would go away the next
day. and would notreturn for a week
at least; SO there was further respite.
The heavy eyelids dropped. Worn out
with worry and crying, my heroine
drifted from actual to imaginary
troubles, and dreamed that a crowd
of maskers all in crimson we're dane
around her, led by M in blue,
who threw aside her disguise, and
disclosed the face and figure ofMephis-
topheles. Toward this masker ran
Carl, Inga's ''man." He was dressed
in green. He approached her, lead
ing the demon, who grinned horribly,
while the crimson maskers pressed
close with boots and ,jeers. Carl
seized her as she strove to escape,
and Mephistopheles grasped rhand.
voice like Mr.. Batchelder's said,
triumphantly, "She wanted blue; now
let her have it." A response from
seemed to follow, 'Yess, she hat
say blue" Then bells began to ring,
and the dreamer suddenly sat up
right. 1t was the door bell that had
driven her nightmare away. Some
one was speaking on the piazza be-
-ow. perhaps it might be"
II beg pardon for this intrusion,
Mr.. Jennings. II had hoped to
meet your sister at the dance to-
AS she was not there, and as