Smyrna times., 1889-12-24

der stopped his plumed helmet to whis-
per in her ear.
"You are well disguised but I know
you"
She shook her head. The rosy color
flooded the round chin, the curve of the
milk white throat, that were visible be-
meath the satin mask.
For whom did he take her, then? To
what other woman besides herself didhe
dare to speak in accents of such honeyed
softness?
At last came the moment of unmask-
ing. Lefty flung aside the black satin
domino and stood revealed, with eyes
alight and cheeks dyed with angry Grim
son.
In the same second the Austrian hal
berdier dashed his tinsel helmet on the
floor. He was perfect stranger!
With smothered exclamation Lefty
vanished in the crowd. 1t was some
time before Lucetta could find her.
ooh, Lucetta," cried the girl, eve
have been laughing and whispering with
a man we never saw beforel This is
what comes of masqueradesg'
''Well, where's the harm?" breathless-
ly retorted less punctilious Lucetta.
"DOnt everybody do the same thing?
Come back, you silly child-we haven't
found Dallas Hall yet2'
''I don't want to find him." almost
sobbed Lefty. "Pm afraid to stay here
alone. That halberdier looked SO inso-
lently at mel"
Nonsense, girl! he can't eat you. We
are all Mrs. Laddon Lloyd's guests. Come
back to the supper room, I say! There's
such a crowd-and everything fit to eat
will be gone directly"
But Lefty refused to stir. In the
shadow of group Of monster palms in
the hall she covered, a brilliant bit of
color, while all the hungry pleasure
seekers were converging toward the sup
per rooms. If it had not been for her
fantastic costume she would have hast
ened home at once.
AS she stood there, perplexed and ter
rifed, a step sounded on the now desert
ed stairway. A tall figure, dressed in
black, came swiftly down, with roll of
papers in its hand.
"Oh, Dallas! Dallasp'
"Letty, can it be possible that this is
your"
CATER all your advice to mer' she
walled.
CATER your promise to me, Lefty, "
he said, glancing with a strong disap-
/ proval at her rococo dress and clustering
pink plumes.
"Dallas, what are you doing here?'
81 came, Lefty, to receive instructions
for the last will and testament of old
Myron Lloyd, Mrs. Laddon LIoyds un-
Gle, who is now lying i'll upstairs, and
who desired the document to be exc
cuted as privately as possible while his
niece's attention was absorbed with heI
guests. And you, Letty?"
She flushed to the very roots of hel
hair. How was she to tell him that she
had come there to defy his authority
to be spy upon his actions?
He looked keenly at her.
"Have you a cloak here?" he asked.
Eyes" she murmured-''in the dress
ing room"
$50 upstairs and get it quick, before
the crowd comes back to interrupt om
egress. I must take you home"
AS obedient as a child she complied
and clung, half laughing, half sobbing
to his arm as sherelated the story of how
she had allowed herself to be influenced
by Lucetta Variants officious tattling, o.
her injudicious resolve and of her OWL
hearty repentance.
"And all the time" she said, 'yol
were only in the path of your profes
sional duty"
81 certainly wasn't attending Mrs
Laddon Lloyds masquerade ball in an
historical capacity" said he dryly.
Dallas" she murmured, "will yor
forgive me?"
"My own dear love, there is nothing
to forgive" he answered. "You hav,
learned one of life's lessons, that is all
} Now kiss me, and let's forget all thi
nonsense"
''But will never disobey you again,
, she pleaded.
: 81 wish I could be certain of that,
: said he, with a laugh.
And the next day Lefty Ogilvie rippe,
the Spanish maiden's dress apart, kep
the black velvet to trim a winter gown
} and sent the gaudy pink satin to old Aun
Jemima Berryfeld, up the street, VIII
, was making crazy quilt Of the crazies
/ description.
''For never want to see the hatefu
thing again, said she.-Helen Forres
Graves in Philadelphia SATURDAY. Night.