The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-01-02

LLoSu 5 tndC night there was no more
| graceful dancer, no more exquisite cos
tune than that of the Spanish maiden. "
Close to her lowered the Metropolitan
flower GIRL with her shallow wicker
tray Of rosebuds and her scarlet sash.
And stately Austrian halberdier had
attached himself to their party with a
certain pertinacity.
The Spanish maiden said never q word
she hardly dared to trust her voice
but her heart beas high as the halber-
der stopped his plumed helmet to whis-
per in her ear.
"You are we'll disguised but l 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 did he
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 ewes
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 1--WE
have been laughing and whispering with
a man we never saw beforei This is
what comes of masqueradesr'
"Well, where's the harm?" GREATNESS
ly retorted less punctilious Lucetta.
Don't everybody do the same thingi
Come back, you silly child-we haven't
found Dallas Hall YETI"
Il don't want to find him." almost
sobbed Lefty. I'm afraid to stay here
alone. That halberdier looked so inso.
lently at meH
Nonsense, grill he can't eat you. We
are all Mrs. Laddon Lloyd's guests. Come
back to the supper room, say! There's
such crowd-and everything fit to eat
will be gone directly"
But Lefty refused to stir. In the
shadow Of group of monster palms ir
the hall she covered, brilliant bit OIL
color, while all the hungry pleasure
seekers were converging toward the sup
per rooms. If it had not been for hel
fantastic costume she would have hast
ened home at once
AS she stood there, perplexed and ter
rifed, step sounded on the now desert
ed stairway. A tall figure. dressed ir
black, came swiftly down, with roll Of
papers in its hand.
"Oh, Dallasl Ballast"
Lefty, can it be possible that this is
your"
after all your advice to mel" she
walled.
After your promise to me, Lefty,
he said, glancing with strong disap-
prevail at her rocco dress an&clustering
pink plumes.
Dallas, what are you doing here?"
Il came, Lefty, to receive instructions
for the last will and testament of old
Myron Lloyd, Mrs. Laddon Lloyd's I'M
Gle, who is now lying ill upstairs, and
who desired the document to be exc
cuted as privately as possible while his
nieces attention was absorbed with her
guests. And you, Letty?"
She flushed to the very roots of her
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.
YES" she murmured-''in the dress
ing room"
$50 upstairs and get 1t quick, before
the crowd comes back to interrupt our
egress. must take you home"
AS obedient as child she complied,
and chung, half laughing, half sobbing,
to his arm as she related the story of how
she had allowed herself to be influenced
by Lucetta Varian's officious tattling, of
her injudicious resolve and Of her own
hearty repentance.
"And all the time," she said, "you
were only in the path Of your profes-
sional duty"
II certainly wasn't attending MIRA
Laddon Moyd's masquerade ball in any
historical capacity, said he dryly.
Dallas" she murmured, "will you
forgive mel"
my own dear love, there Is nothing
to forgive" he answered. "You have
learned one Of life's lessons, that is all
Now kiss me, and let's forget all this
nonsense"
"But will never disobey you again, "
she pleaded.
II wish could be certain of that,
said he, with laugh.
And the next day Lefty Ogilvie ripped
the Spanish maiden's dress apart, kept
the black velvet to trim winter gown,
and sent the gaudy pink satin to old Aunt
Jemima Berryfield, up the street, who
was making crazy quilt of the craziest
description
For | never want to see the hateful!
thing again, said she.--Helen Forrest
Graves in Philadelphia SATURDAY. Night.
No Time Lost.