Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-26

nounces that he spoke to Fanchon the
words which he presumes his father
with bow to that worthy spoke to his
mother when he was counting her.
The audience endorses the speech. as
they invariably do when the sentiments
are noble, and the applause is loud and
long. AT the end of two minutes or so,
when he can make himself heard, the
father yells, "What?" but it is de-
layed explosion, as though a match had
been touched to powder and had failed
to ignite it for some time. The applause
is nearly unanimous, however, and few
see the droll side of the scene.
The annual mask ball of the Arion
club came to pass this week with more
than usual grandeur, and in spite of
every precautiOn with the usual incon-
gruous mixture OF stolid decOrum and
disordered jollity. The fat and tlaxen
Germans danced contentedly and re-
specially until five o'clock in the morn
ing, but in the numerous refreshment
rooms revelry ran riot from midnight
forwards. The questionable element
did little dancing, and the proper ele-
ment did little eating and drinking;
and therefore there were few Disagree
able collisions, each class enjoying
itself in its own way. | heard we'll
known swell say to Il companion as they
stood in the lobby:
"These Germans are public bles-
sing. If it was not for their stolid in
difference the gay world of town would
hardly have chance for fun all winter
long"
A striking example Of the STUN" that
the gay world" seeks and finds at the
Arion was presented in a group of sew
eral men, young and old, and
YOUNG WOMAN.
She was about eighteen years old, and
great ball. She had, however,
learned the taste of wine and the flavor
of dissipation, and by 3 o'clock a. M, at
which hour | first saw her, she was
stepped in both. Her dress WIS Of
kind much affected by the lesser
women who find their way into mask
balls; Mother Hubbard gown of pale
blue, cut extremely decollette at both
ends, stockings aud slippers of the same
hue, and black gloves reaching nearly
to the shoulders. This is at once strik-
ing and Inexpensive, and serves not
alone to enhance the supposed physical
charms of the. wearer, but to mask her
slender purse AS we'll: for you may be-
lieve that the New York woman of this
type will PIT money on her back, as
much of it ais she covers, if she can get
it, and fthev only reason why
this girlaarrdid not wear
brilliant ball, 'dress en- regle was
because neither she nor her admirer
could afford oaa' But to come back to
our sheep, the effect of wine has been
not only to tpsh the chit's vapid face
and make her silly, but also to disar-
range her already unbridled costume.
There was :. the merest pretence at
shoulder straps and these were con-
stantly slipping down over her arms as
she lounged listlessly and unsteadily in
her chair. Her companion was her
equal in callowness. He was having a
tough time of it, and he gloried in it.
Pint after pint of champage was broken
by him, and glass from each bottle
swallowed by the pair Of them. The
most of the wine was left untasted in
the bottles.
Leaning against pillars, or standing
without support all about them
was the group OF young and
old men, each one with
his eyes slyly fastened on the girl,
watching the rise and fall of the
shoulder straps. An older woman kept
an eye on the young thing, and presently
noted the attention she was attracting.
She attempted to caution the novice as
1 to her domeanor, but without effect, and
the best she could do was to pin the
straps little tighter to her shoulders.